Saddest Animated Films

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Coyo-T

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Oct 3, 2016
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(I'm posting this in "Other Movies" but it could just as easily go in "Other TV" or even "Chattery Teeth"; I'll leave it to the mods if they want to move it.)

So I love animation. I also grew up with a lot of highly emotional and often incredibly sad animation; this was when VHS was new and foreign cartoons were being imported just to provide video rental stores with content, and cable was becoming a thing so the new channels needed it, too. It was also when Disney had entered a "dark age" after Walt's death, and a lot of new names (Bluth, Bakshi, Topcraft, etc.) now had the chance to become known and try new things. None of those people appear on this list (though they all did some great work.) This is a list of my favorite sad cartoon movies that most people have probably never heard of; please discuss and add your own!

1. Ringing Bell This is an anime film that was originally called Chirin no Suzu in Japan, and it's supposed to be a parable for the loss of childhood innocence in Japan following the war. That's likely to be completely lost on an American audience watching its (decent for 1983) dub; parents probably rented it for their children because they saw the adorable baby lamb on the cover (Sanrio, the company responsible for Hello Kitty, produced this film) with no indication of how dark, depressing and outright horrifying the actual cartoon is. The plot is this: A lamb swears revenge upon the wolf who killed his mother, but in order to become strong enough to defeat him, he must train under the very same wolf to become a killer. Needless to say, it doesn't end well, though it's not just depressing for the sake of being depressing- the questions raised by the ending are surprisingly deep and thought provoking for a "children's" film. It's actually not one I saw as a kid, but I really wish I had.

2. Diana's Piano This is technically a short from the TV special Garfield: His Nine Lives, based on a book of the same name (though it's actually not from the book; a few of the original "lives" were cut out and swapped for different ones in the TV special.) This segment has absolutely nothing to do with Garfield and can easily be viewed as its own piece. Unlike Ringing Bell, which is sad because it's a depressing story, this one celebrates the bond between humans and animals- it's sad because we all know how it must end, but everyone who loves (and has been loved) by an animal can relate to Sara and Diana as they grow up with each other. Recommended if you aren't afraid to admit that a Garfield cartoon made you cry.

3. Last of the Curlews The first ABC Afterschool Special, animated by Hanna-Barbara in 1972. This is also based on a book, by Fred Bodsworth. It only ever aired a couple times in the U.S. (more overseas, apparently) and I'm utterly convinced that it's because it was just too incredibly sad. It's another one where you can guess how it ends (based on both the title and the current conservation status of the Eskimo Curlew) but the execution of it is just beautiful. The main characters are portrayed as normal birds with no dialog beyond natural bird noises (there is a narrator who explains the natural life cycle of the curlew, as well as a couple human characters that appear from time to time) and it generally avoids anthropomorphizing them, but the two curlews (the last of their species) still emote and are relatable as they make their extraordinary migration from the Arctic Circle to the tip of South America and back again. The music is what always gets me in this one- it has a great orchestral score that sets the tone during dramatic moments of danger or sadness, something I really feel is missing in a lot of modern cartoons. Along with the original Lorax, this was one of the earliest environmentalist cartoons, and I still think it's one of the best.

Those are my three, what are yours? (And does anyone else even remember these?)
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
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Tery

Say hello to my fishy buddy
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Apr 12, 2006
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Bremerton, Washington, United States
I cry like a baby at pretty much any Disney movie. Sometimes during the opening credits.

There's an Italian movie called "Allegro non Troppo" that my roommate once showed me. It's an anthology film and this segment caught me by surprise. This is part of it:


I tried to find the full segment but can't. The full movie is on You Tube, though. The segment is at 1:02:16. It's an odd flick and this version, for some reason, is collapsed into the lower left of the frame. But you can still see it. And take a tissue.
 

Doc Creed

Well-Known Member
Nov 18, 2015
17,221
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United States
I cry like a baby at pretty much any Disney movie. Sometimes during the opening credits.

There's an Italian movie called "Allegro non Troppo" that my roommate once showed me. It's an anthology film and this segment caught me by surprise. This is part of it:


I tried to find the full segment but can't. The full movie is on You Tube, though. The segment is at 1:02:16. It's an odd flick and this version, for some reason, is collapsed into the lower left of the frame. But you can still see it. And take a tissue.
That music was reminiscent of Tchaikovsky. Do you know if it is a classical piece?
 

Tery

Say hello to my fishy buddy
Moderator
Apr 12, 2006
15,304
44,712
Bremerton, Washington, United States
Thank you, I would have never guessed. I love Sibelius.

Many years ago, I was blessed to interview Jon Anderson (of Yes) for my self-published 'zine. I asked him about spirituality and we chatted for an hour or so. One of the things he said was that Sibelius was "the greatest archetype of musical form that I can ever wish to understand." He said that he listened to Sibelius constantly then (in 1992). He said, too, that he mentioned Sibelius (and Delius) because he hoped that, in doing so, it would inspire others to listen to them.

Then we shared some tequila ;)
 

Doc Creed

Well-Known Member
Nov 18, 2015
17,221
82,822
47
United States
Many years ago, I was blessed to interview Jon Anderson (of Yes) for my self-published 'zine. I asked him about spirituality and we chatted for an hour or so. One of the things he said was that Sibelius was "the greatest archetype of musical form that I can ever wish to understand." He said that he listened to Sibelius constantly then (in 1992). He said, too, that he mentioned Sibelius (and Delius) because he hoped that, in doing so, it would inspire others to listen to them.

Then we shared some tequila ;)
Thanks for sharing this story. How long did you do the web-zine? I like Anderson's quote, so true. To my ears Sibelius, Mahler and Debussey were in a different dimension.
 

CoriSCapnSkip

Well-Known Member
Jan 16, 2015
1,735
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3. Last of the Curlews The first ABC Afterschool Special, animated by Hanna-Barbara in 1972. This is also based on a book, by Fred Bodsworth. It only ever aired a couple times in the U.S. (more overseas, apparently) and I'm utterly convinced that it's because it was just too incredibly sad. It's another one where you can guess how it ends (based on both the title and the current conservation status of the Eskimo Curlew) but the execution of it is just beautiful. The main characters are portrayed as normal birds with no dialog beyond natural bird noises (there is a narrator who explains the natural life cycle of the curlew, as well as a couple human characters that appear from time to time) and it generally avoids anthropomorphizing them, but the two curlews (the last of their species) still emote and are relatable as they make their extraordinary migration from the Arctic Circle to the tip of South America and back again. The music is what always gets me in this one- it has a great orchestral score that sets the tone during dramatic moments of danger or sadness, something I really feel is missing in a lot of modern cartoons. Along with the original Lorax, this was one of the earliest environmentalist cartoons, and I still think it's one of the best.

Those are my three, what are yours? (And does anyone else even remember these?)

Yes! Saw this as a child and my best friend said her little sister bawled her eyes out over it.
 

CoriSCapnSkip

Well-Known Member
Jan 16, 2015
1,735
7,765
61

This drove my oldest nephew into a state of collapse in his toddlerhood, by which time the film was on VHS. When my mom visited, she had never seen the film and wanted to play it, but my nephew would never allow the tape to be played in his presence again, and forced Mom to repeatedly play The Lion King, which contains some pretty disturbing moments as well.