Jordan Peele’s new movie Nope is about many things, one of which is the vexed question of using animals for entertainment, and it poses particularly thorny questions about the ethics of bearing witness to animal deaths on the screen. For better or worse, the spectacle of animals dying has proven to be remarkably popular, and enduring, in film.
There are many notable examples of this phenomenon, but a rare few have managed to make a lasting and heartbreaking impression on the audience. Which of them is the absolute saddest?
Sam
I Am Legend, in which a man wanders through a planet devastated by a plague which turned people into vampiric monsters, is largely a solo character study. It is a thoughtful movie, and also at times a very sad one, as it sees the lead character have to euthanize his beloved German Shepherd, Sam, who has become infected with the virus.
It’s a particularly gutting death not only because Sam had gotten wounded trying to defend him, but also because she was one of the last connections he had to the pre-plague world.
Hedwig
Harry Potter is a universe filled with many notable creatures, but few were quite as beloved as Hedwig, Harry’s snowy owl. Given that she was there from the very beginning, it gave readers and viewers a chance to get to know her and to grow attached to her.
Unfortunately, she proved to be one of the most notable casualties of the Battle of the Seven Potters. It was a devastating loss for Harry, and a reminder to viewers of the very real stakes of the movie about to unfold.
Artax
Few animal deaths have been as traumatizing for an entire generation as Artax, the horse belonging to Atreyu, to the hero of The Neverending Story. Things go awry for this noble steed when they enter the dreadful Swamp of Sadness. While Atreyu is protected from its dreadful effects, Artax is not, and the poor youth must watch as his beloved horse sinks into the mud, overwhelmed by despair.
Though he does ultimately come back to life at the end of the movie, his death is still one which haunts many of those who watched it as children.
Mufasa
The Lion King is arguably one of the best animated Disney movies ever made, and part of what makes it such a strong movie is its willingness to depict some heavy thematic material. In particular, it shows a brother murdering a brother when Scar throws Mufasa down into a gorge full of stampeding wildebeests.
It’s a wrenching and sad moment, as Mufasa has already shown himself to be a good father and king. What’s more, Simba’s desperate efforts to get his father to wake up is a scene designed to wring the tears out of even the most stoic viewer.
Marley
There have been many great dog movies, but few have been quite as beloved as Marley and Me. Based on the bestselling book of the same name, it is one man’s chronicle of his life spent with his irascible Labrador retriever, from the moment he comes into his life as a puppy until the moment he has to say goodbye.
The moment when Marley–who has begun to suffer from an intestinal disorder–must be put to sleep is truly one of the most wrenching ever put to film, and it’s to Owen Wilson’s credit that he is able to squeeze every bit of heart from it.
Charlotte
Charlotte’s Web is one of the most beloved animated movies of all time, and it’s easy to see why. With its feel-good story of a pig who is rescued from slaughter thanks to the efforts of a spider, it’s designed to incite good feelings. At the same time, it also doesn’t shy away from grief and from sadness, and this is particularly notable when Charlotte, having reached the end of her life, passes away.
Wilbur the pig’s grief is so affecting and so genuine that it’s impossible for the viewer not to feel along with him.
Old Dan and Little Ann
Where the Red Fern Grows is a beautiful movie about a boy who comes into the possession of two coonhounds and soon becomes inseparable from them. Unfortunately, one of them, Old Dan, is fatally injured while defending his owner from a cougar and, shortly after he succumbs, is joined in death by Little Ann, who has lost the will to live.
Their deaths are truly tragic, and though the movie ends with the boy seeing the red fern of the title growing up between them–a sign that it has been planted by an angel–it’s not quite enough to overcome the movie’s essential devastating sadness.
Bambi’s Mother
Even though animated movies are often believed to be only for children, there are notable examples when they explore heavy topics.
Even as early as Bambi, for example, viewers had to bear witness to the death of Bambi’s mother, who is killed by a gunshot from a hunter. It’s not just her death that is tragic and sad, however, but also Bambi’s reaction, as he first tries to find her and then has to deal with the reality of her death and what it means for his future life.
Old Yeller
It’s hard to think of an animal death that has gone down in movie history as being more traumatic than that of Old Yeller. The movie, as a whole, is quite a lovely one, depicting as it does the extraordinary bond which emerges between two brothers and the dog of the title.
Things get very devastating, however, when Yeller catches rabies, thus necessitating his euthanasia. The scene where Travis has to reluctantly take up the heavy burden of being the one to shoot him is filled with tragedy and pathos beyond what anyone would ever expect from a children's movie.
Littlefoot’s Mother
Don Bluth was notable for producing some very powerful, and beautifully-animated, movies in the 1980s. One of the most beloved of these was The Land Before Time which, in addition to partaking of the dinosaur craze of the moment, also included one of the saddest animal deaths, when Littlefoot’s mother perishes while defending him and his friends from a ravenous Sharptooth.
The moment in which the young dinosaur has to say goodbye to her is burned into the minds of many young viewers, but the movie deserves credit for its willingness to engage with such a heavy issue as the loss of a parent.