This is the last set of emotions from Mettel Ray‘s BREAKING EMOTIONS blogathon. Check out my entry on the previous two sets of emotions: Tears & Surprise and Smiles & Thrills.
HATE + LOVE
Here’s what Mettel had in mind about the set of emotions:
Finishing up the emotions are two of the most ultimate emotional states one could imagine, HATE is up first in this case because I wanted the good stuff to be the last thing everybody will read when it comes to the Breaking Emotions Blogathon. It is quite obvious that we all have those scenes that just bring up all the bad feelings and it’s not even awkward, it is just plain bad! Most of my hate is towards romantic comedies but I’m sure there are some serious scenes that have caused some of you some inner turmoil and this is the time and place to let all those emotions run wild.
And the last one, the very last emotion I’m asking you guys to break is LOVE – it doesn’t have to be a scene about love, hell no, it can be a sci-fi scenery, it can be the ending of a drama and yes, it can be a scene from Notebook as well but it’s not mandatory. I’m looking for scenes that you love and adore until the end of time, scenes that just pop up in your mind while walking to the store and are just simply awesome. What are the scenes that you love the most?
Check out Mettel Ray’s post on Breaking Emotions: HATE + LOVE
It should be obvious for posts like these, but just in case, if you haven’t seen any of these, BEWARE OF SPOILERS!
Ok, so here are my picks:
HATE
Schindler’s List – The Balcony Scene
There are many, many instances where Amon Goeth (played with chilling realism by Ralph Fiennes) does absolutely revolting acts that makes your blood turn cold. But this is one that particularly stands out. The bloated second lieutenant just wakes up and goes to his balcony of his villa in Kraków, he nonchalantly grabs his rifle and starts shooting Jewish people at random, whoever happens to enter his eye-shot.
I so hated Goeth, but more than that, I hated Hitler and the Nazi party for corrupting people to such a degree that they lost their souls. I mean, they’re worse than alien body snatchers (if there were such a thing) as they’re SOUL snatchers, making humans worse than animals.
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District 9 – Test weapon scene
This is one of the most harrowing scene that made me so sad and so angry. I hated that the people at the lab forced Wikus to do this, it’s one of those sci-fi films that REALLY made me abhor the humans in it. I couldn’t bear watching this scene at the theater, and hearing Wikus’ pleading that he doesn’t want to shoot the aliens is so gut-wrenching. If you’ve seen the film, you’ll see the obvious allegory to racism and how the Prawns are treated like second or even third class citizens with nowhere to go. At this point, Wikus’ has been infected with the alien DNA and that’s why he’s the only one who could operate the extra-terrestrial weaponry. So he’s forced to shoot the Prawns who hasn’t done anything wrong. It’s infuriating how quickly the people at the military company turn on their fellow human being as Wikus’ been infected. On top of that, they have no qualms in manipulating him for their own gain. I hated this scene so much and it’s one that lingers with me most after the film’s over.
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Bel Ami – Robert Pattinson’s mis-casting
I’ve already made a post on this a while back on good/bad casting choices of 2012. Well I’m going to mention it again here as I really hated his performance here as R-Patz is so terribly mis-cast. Ok so teeny-boppers may think he’s like THE most beautiful man vampire in the planet in those abhorrent Twilight movies, but seeing him with the likes of the great Kristin Scott Thomas, Uma Thurman, and even Christina Ricci who’s closer to his age just highlights how ill-advised his casting was. On top of that, his character is so utterly unlikable, unsympathetic and just a plain douche bag. Now, a charismatic actor could make me like him or at least enjoy his performance but R-Patz just makes me want to punch him and kick myself for renting this [it’s on Netflix so at least I didn’t have to pay extra for it, but still!].
The character of George Duroy from Guy de Maupassant’s classic novel is supposed to be seductive and manipulative [which is a juicy role for any actor methinks], but Pattinson’s portrayal is neither, he’s just annoying and lame. I hated what his character did to those women who loved him, but most of all, I just hated his sub-par acting that’s completely devoid of charm.
* I almost put his ex Kristen Stewart’s performance in Twilight and Snow White & The Huntsman on here, but you know what, I think I hated R-Patz’ performance here more. And that speaks volumes!
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LOVE
Sleepless in Seattle – Finale
“Are you Annie?”
“Yes.”
“You’re Annie?”
“This is my dad… his name is Sam.”
“Hi Jonah… [sigh] Sam…”
I only love a handful of rom-coms and three of them are by Nora Ephron. Out of the three, I think Sleepless in Seattle my favorite, one that I can watch over and over. I can easily list all the things I love about this movie, but I’ll save that for Valentine’s Day. I picked this finale as this is the only time the two main protagonists actually meets and oh, what a meeting it was. It was such a satisfying ending to all that build-up throughout the film and it was as perfect as a romantic scene can be filmed without resorting to banal over-sentimentality. It’s got just the right amount of sweetness and plenty of adorable things, such as Sam’s son Jonah grinning ear-to-ear when he realized it’s the woman he wrote his letter to (and when the elevator closes). It’s as much a love story between a man and a woman as it’s a love story for a family, whose tragic loss seems too impossible to recover from. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan at their loveliest, plus the music is just so enchanting!
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Beauty & The Beast – There’s something there
There may be something there that wasn’t there before.
Since I just talked about Disney movies at the last Five for the Fifth, I wanted to include one that always makes my heart soar. The song is lovely and whimsical, and though it may not be the most memorable one of the entire movie, this scene is just adorable. It always puts a smile on my face every time I think of it [so I guess it would fit under the SMILE Breaking Emotions, too!]. It’s the ultimate unlikely friendship that blossomed into well, something more. You could say that Belle and The Beast are the most developed characters amongst other Disney *princess* movies as you really see the gradual progression of their relationship. The ballroom dance scene is perhaps what people remember most, but I picked this one as there’s an irresistible innocence about it and Belle’s expression as she realizes her feelings for the Beast is wonderful to behold. The scenery, song, etc. all make up for one lovely scene.
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Superman: The Movie – Superman rescues Lois scene
I know it’s predictable that I put this on here given how much I loved Superman, but we are talking about a scene that I will love and adore until the end of time, so I can’t possibly exclude this one. Every time the rousing theme plays on as Lois quipped, ‘You’ve got me, who’s got you?’ I can’t help feeling nostalgic and giddy as the first time I saw this when I was a kid. This is why the Christopher Reeves will always be Superman in my heart, inimitable and unrivaled to this day.
There are SO many awesome things about this scene… the set-up, how Supes was introduced, the crowd’s reaction as he saw him fly [as well as the ‘that’s a bad outfit!’ quip the first time he’s seen in the red & blue suit] and of course, that iconic John Williams‘ theme song! It’s just brilliantly done by Richard Donner that is still the scene to beat even three decades later. This is what Man of Steel is lacking… at least one truly memorable scene featuring the Kryptonian hero that even if you remember nothing else about the film, you will always remember the one iconic scene. In the case of this one, it’s one I will always cherish for ever and ever, and one that never fails to fill my heart with joy.
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What do you think of my picks? Which scenes would YOU pick for LOVE + HATE?
FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
Haven’t seen all of these, but there are some great choices here, Ruth. I think what bothers me most about the people in District 9 is that they’re so clinical about it. Just an automatic process for them…
You’re looking at Belle’s face, but what I love about that scene is the gamut of expressions that the Beast goes through. Happy, unsure about being happy, annoyed at being unsure, trying to hold onto his tough guy image, losing his temper, immediately becoming apologetic… considering the guy has probably spent years just quietly brooding, this is when he starts to act human again.
And of course, that’s the iconic moment of all Superman films. Great choice.
Hi Morgan, clinical is an appropriate word to use. It’s so inhuman the way the approach things, whilst the aliens aren’t as heartless as they deem them to be.
Oh that is a great way of looking at the B&B scene. So true about what Beast is going through, it’s an even more significant moment for him than Belle, that he finds his humanity again. Such a lovely scene.
Well what can I say, I just LOVE Donner’s Superman, still hard to top that one!
Say, if you ever going to fight Robert Pattinson. How much will you charge to make me want to see that? Hell, I want to kick his ass for making Cosmopolis unbearable to watch.
I didn’t care for Cosmopolis because of R-Patz, but yeah, that’s an odd choice by Cronenberg.
Those are some good choices there, I was also repulse by that scene in Schindler’s List. I was really young when I first saw the movie and couldn’t fathom why a person can be so evil. But then as I’ve gotten older, I realized some human beings are just that evil, there is no rhyme or reason why they act that way. That scene in District 9 was probably the only scene that I thought was great, as you know I’m not a big fan of the movie.
Funny you brought up the subject of hate, I just read that Sony is going forward with another Bad Boy film. I hated everything about the second film that I never wanted to see another sequel again and what’s even worse, they hired a hack writer who wrote the awful action film Safe House to write this threequel. I hope to god that Will Smith won’t come back and star in it again, I know Martin Lawrence would do it in a heart beat since he hasn’t been in a movie for a long time. As for love, that’s a hard one but I seem to love the look and feel of most spy films, especially the Bond films. I really dug the montage scenes in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service when Bond and Tracy were falling in love and how tragic it was when he loss his only true love at the end of the film.
I don’t think that people are inherently evil, but the power of brainwashing can’t be undermined and that’s what a lot of the Nazis were subjected to. Hitler himself is obviously a disturbed individual that he’s almost not human anymore.
Yeah I know you didn’t care for D-9 but I still think it’s one of the best and most intriguing sci-fi because I really felt for Wikus, despite what he’s done.
Oh boy, Michael Bay just can’t help himself can he? Seems that he enjoyed people hating on him, ahah. I’ve only seen the first Bad Boy film which was fun, but don’t care to see the others. Oh that OHMSS scene is heartbreaking, I’d easily put that under the TEARS list.
I’m more cynical because if someone has evil thoughts and if they join a group of that will give them power to be more evil, then they wont’ have problems killing others. The Nazis are a good example of how they can make people even more evil. I try to see good in humanity but last weekend some a-hole ran a stop light and hit my parents’ car and then left the scene while my parents were unconscious and my dad was bleeding heavily. This person didn’t even have the decency to call 911, just left them to die. Thankfully my parents are okay now but it just boggles my mind that some people can act that way. Of course I’m not saying that everyone acts like this, there tons and tons of great people in this world, just sad that some are just plain evil or doesn’t have moral at all.
Apparently Sony is trying to get Bay to come back and direct the third Bad Boys film, I wish that he won’t do it but since Sony is desperate for a hit, they’ll offer him a crazy amount of cash for his service. Sony took a big hit this past summer with both After Earth and White House Down tanked so badly in theaters.
Love. The “To me you are perfect” scene from Love, Actually was quite touching. It’s hard to think of a better movie moment than that.
That’s a great one Dave! It’s the most romantic thing ever, funny how Andrew Lincoln is now in Walking Dead, something completely opposite of anything romantic.
Great list, Ruth! I haven’t seen the last two hate selections, but otherwise I agree with every choice and every point.
Glad to hear James! You haven’t seen D-9? You should give that a watch, better than Elysium!
That’s what everyone says. 😉
And it’s certainly on my list. Just haven’t gotten to it yet. So many movies to see, you know?
Tell me about it! I still have soooo many movies I need to check out too. That’s why I’m doing a BlindSpot series next year to catch up on the classics I’ve missed. It’s sort of a blogathon thing.
I saw that Blind Spot idea somewhere. I’m going to try to catch up on some of the classics, too. Not sure if I’m going to review them, but I certainly need to see more of them.
Yeah it’s been circulating all over. I knew about it 2 yrs ago so I figure I’ll join next year, I think one classic film a month to review shouldn’t be too much of a burden 😀
Probably not. 😉
Great choices Ruth, some belters! I’ve seen a fair few films that have made me angry recently – The Hunt, Blackfish and Philomena but all three have some real touching moments of love too.
Hi Chris! I tried to go with some older movies but yeah those three films certainly have some infuriating premise based from what I read.
Good call on District 9! I recently rewatched that, and I forgot how angry that scene made me. Same with Schindler’s List. I never saw Bel Ami, but I saw the trailer and that was enough for me. Not a Pattison fan.
Hi Brittani! I haven’t rewatched D-9 in a while but that scene stuck with me. I have to admit I was crying as I was so frustrated. I wanted to help Wikus beat the s*** out of everyone in that lab!!
I was willing to give Pattinson a shot as I was impressed w/ him in Remember Me, but not anymore!
Awesome choices! Fiennes work in Schndler’s List is in my top 5 of all time greatest performances. That scene you listed is one of the worst things his character does but Fiennes makes it impossible to view his character as 100% monster. He is so conflicted and he battles with his soul and heart. The things he does are awful but his deep understanding for the part he is playing always prevented me from completely hating him.
Thanks Sati! You’re right that Fiennes somehow manages to get our sympathy. I didn’t hate Goeth per se, it’s what he does and what he stands for that is so despicable.
Good stuff here, Ruth. It’s funny that you mention Pattinson — he just seems out of place in every film he’s in. I have yet to see a convincing performance out of him.
Well he was all right in Remember Me, but I think generally he’s just not a strong actor. Something about his facial expression and gestures bug me, I have no idea why people find him so attractive in those Twilight movies! Henry Cavill was Stephanie Meyer’s first choice as Edward, now as much as I’m glad he didn’t end up doing the role, he’s what I would think is an absolutely beautiful man.
Great list. That Schindler’s list scene is dead on… pure hatred.
Hello Gene, glad you agree! It’s so harrowing to watch how far humanity has fallen at that moment.
Ruth, you know you’ve only got to mention a movie from Meg’s heyday to get my approval, and I also “love” your choice of Superman. I’m old enough to remember watching that one as a child, at the long since derelict Apollo Theatre in Manchester…happy days!
When it comes to hate. That must be a difficult choice because it’s such a strong word to attach to a film. The only problem with love is narrowing down the list.
Two scenes I’ll mention that I love to watch both come from the same film, Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line.
The first is the radio argument between Nick Nolte’s Lt. Col. Tall and Elias Koteas’ Cpt. Staros, when Staros, knowing the attack to be certain death, refuses to accept Tall’s order. The subsequent five minutes are some of the most memorable ever committed to film.
The second memorable scene from that film is the one where the Americans are rushing in, to overwhelm the Japanese position, shooting terrified Japanese soldiers as they go. The emotion of those images, accompanied by the crescendo of Hans Zimmer’s “Journey to the Line”, is incredible.
I don’t often get the chance to watch the film in its entirety, because of the long running time, but I do “love” to pop in the Blu-ray and watch those scenes in isolation.
Ahah, yes I should mention Meg and Michelle on every post just to get you over here 😉
Glad you love Superman, it’s such an amazing film even now that we’ve got a plethora of superhero movies. It’s got so much heart that’s hard to top, it proves that all the special effects means nothing without a story and iconic performance that we can’t help but root for.
Oh, good call on The Thin Red Line, I so love that movie though I’m generally not fond of war films. LOVE Jim Caviezel in it. The scene you mentioned is a memorable one for sure.
Wonderful list! I’m in love with all your love choices; particularly Beauty and the Beast. Disney is the easiest mood lifter. 🙂
I wish I had the guts (or time) to see Schindler’s List – I’m a huge World War II buff – but the fact that the balcony scene truly took place…*sigh* I’m not sure if I want to watch something so devastatingly re-created.
Hey thanks Katy! Mood lifter is right, in fact, after a depressing movie I often go and watch a Disney flick 😀
Schindler’s List is harrowing to be sure, so I don’t blame you. I haven’t seen Saving Private Ryan either as the violence might be too much for me.
Awesome choices! And now you stuck Something There back in my head…Its possibly my favorite song in Beauty and the Beast 🙂
Hello Kim! It’s such a lovely song isn’t it? Not a bad one to be stuck in your head 🙂
Good picks Ruth. Haha, the Robert Pattinson one made me laugh. I haven’t seen Bel Ami, but he doesn’t seem like the ideal casting choice for that role.
Just skip Bel Ami Josh, it’s quite excruciating. I feel bad for Kristin Scott Thomas and Uma Thurman for being in it!
Great picks, Ruth! 🙂