Pixar's Up told us more about the passage through life in its opening 4-minute montage sequence than most movies do in 120, as life-long lovers Carl and Ellie grow old, and Ellie dies in hospital, leading to the above image of Carl sat alone, presumably following her funeral. The power of the image is in its universality, in conveying the sadness and heartbreak of the death of any loved one, and that no matter how much support one might have in their lives, when it's someone deeply close to you who has died, you're going to feel defeated and alone. It may just happen to be a still from an animated film, but for all intents and purpose, it may as well be a still photograph of a real person: the emotion is the same, and nothing is diluted through the shift in medium. Animated films have a brilliant knack for communicating complex humanist ideas through visual means rather than words, and this is one of the all-time best examples. Just try not to tear up while looking at this image, we dare you.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
