In taking a film class this semester (with THE Michael Dwyer, no less), I have re-discovered an enthusiasm for watching movies. After spending the last few weeks re-watching some favorites, and being raised on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) by my mom, I’ve come to realize that movie crashouts come in many varieties. Sure, there are the classic ones full of yelling and throwing plates, but there are also ones that only need a mix of great acting and filming, and effective mise-en-scène.
Another thing I’ve realized is that people my age are generally not watching older films. And well, that just flat out has to change. Therefore, I have compiled a personal favorite list of crashouts from films you’ve probably never seen… and you definitely should.
*Big warning here that there are spoilers ahead, especially in the clips!
1. The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
An iconic crashout, especially for horror buffs. This is also the only silent film on here, which should tell you how good it is. Here, the Phantom (Lon Chaney) has his mask ripped off by Christine Daae (Mary Philbin); the girl is curious about the guy that has brought her down to his lair, after all! Chaney did all of his makeup himself, and it was kept under wraps in advertising. Movie houses had to have smelling salts for those who fainted because it was so shocking at the time. And yet, he’s not just trying to be scary. Chaney is also able to make us feel for the character, who has been ostracized and unloved his entire life. Somehow, we end up feeling bad by the end of the scene; the Phantom is an expert gaslighter. Speaking of…
2. Gaslight (1944)
Gaslight loves a double meaning, and I love a psychological thriller. Directed by George Cukor, the film uses actual gaslights to let you know that Gregory Anton (Charles Boyer) is mentally gaslighting his wife, Paula Alquist Anton (Ingrid Bergman). In the end, Paula discovers that Gregory murdered her aunt in trying to get his hands on the latter’s jewels, and only married Paula to continue said search. In realizing he was trying to get her committed, giving him complete access to her inheritance, Paula is understandably having her own crashout. What makes the final confrontation so good is that Gregory is having one himself; Boyer portrays a man that has become animalistic, trying every last effort to escape. Bergman is also wonderful here, as she always is. The entire film she’s able to portray someone always on the verge of losing her mind, but without it being too boring or camp. Here, we finally see her cross that line, but it’s to taunt Gregory versus losing control.
3. White Heat (1949)
In this crime noir, Arthur “Cody” Jarrett (James Cagney) is a ruthless gang leader with a clear mother co-dependency. While in jail, he learns that his mother has died and completely loses it. For a character so cruel, Cagney is able to show us a small side of sympathy. We remember that even the most hardened criminals were once innocent. But then again, that’s part of what Cagney did best. Did you know he sang and danced too? A triple threat, indeed.
4. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
The “You’re tearing me apart!” crashout earlier in the film is generally more popular. However, this one is longer and better represents the battle between morally ambiguous parents and slightly unstable teenagers (which is basically the plot of the film). After a deadly crash, Jim Stark (James Dean) tells his parents that he wants to go to the police to provide information on his involvement. His overbearing mother and irresolute father tell him to avoid problems and confrontation; it’s at this moment when Jim realizes that his parents are hypocrites. Between Jim’s own mental state and frustration and his father’s inability to stand up for him, he attacks him.
5. Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
This is arguably the most devastating one on here. Joe Clay (Jack Lemmon) and Kirsten Clay (Lee Remick) are married alcoholics navigating their way through sobriety. Despite getting work with Kirsten’s father and both deciding to stay sober, Joe relapses and destroys his father-in-law’s greenhouse looking for a stashed bottle. It’s an agonizingly long three and a half minutes where we see the true effects of alcoholism on a person. Lemmon is a crying mess by the end, which both leaves you frustrated and full of sorrow.
6. Cleopatra (1963)
Near the end of a four hour movie, which originally was eight, Gaius Octavian (Roddy McDowall) crashes out over Marc Anthony’s (Richard Burton) death. Why is this a favorite of mine? 1) It confirms my personal belief that Octavian had a crush on Anthony. You’re upset that your dead enemy (who cheated on and left your sister) isn’t being given proper respect? 2) Octavian starts talking about soup. Did they even call it soup in Ancient Rome? I understand what it’s illustrating in context, but it still cracks me up every time. Speaking of Richard Burton, he also has some great mini-crashouts throughout the movie (as he so often does in his films. They love a man with an accent who can yell.)
7. The Producers (1967)
In this Mel Brooks comedy, Maxwell Bialystock (Zero Mostel) and Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder) scheme to produce a flop musical and keep all the investor money. Before that though, Leo is a humdrum accountant who seriously needs a therapist. This manifests in a dependence on a blue blanket he’s had since childhood. When Max takes it, he loses any cool he was barely hanging onto. (Note that the actual blanket scene is on YouTube, but this is the more “crashout” appropriate portion of it. Don’t ask me why it wasn’t uploaded as one scene.)
8. Young Frankenstein (1974)
Yes, two Mel Brooks movies with Gene Wilder featured in a row. This is both a parody of the classic horror film and a sequel, of sorts. Set in the early 1900s, Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) is the grandson of Victor Frankenstein. Despite wanting to distance himself from his family’s reputation, he can’t resist the urge to create his own “monster.” Being a Mel Brooks film though, nothing goes as planned. In this scene, assistant Igor (Marty Feldman) tells Frankenstein that he got a different brain for the monster. Considering we’re talking about a giant reanimated body, Frankenstein isn’t happy… really not happy. It’s a great play on words, which I always appreciate, and just funny. Sometimes that’s enough.
9. Hamlet (1996)
As it turns out, I can be a sucker for tragic romance, and I am seemingly still greatly impacted by my high school English classes. There are quite a few scenes that qualify for crashout status, but the one that sticks out to me is a smaller one at the beginning of Act 5. Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh) stumbles upon Ophelia’s (Kate Winslet) funeral, to whom he was presumably going to marry. It’s a rare moment where we see Hamlet show genuine emotion and regret towards anyone in the play, as he reaffirms his love for her. You’re hit with “too little too late” and “what could have been.”
10. Midsommar (2019)
Alright, you might’ve seen this one. Still, this is a folk horror film, which isn’t always the first on people’s list when they sit down at the end of the night. After losing her family and most of her friends, going to a remote Swedish cult community, and discovering her boyfriend cheating on her, Dani (Florence Pugh) is comforted by the women in the commune. They encourage Dani to express her anger and sadness that she’s been repressing the entire film, mirroring her cries and screams as they hold one another. Although directed by Ari Aster, the scene has a wonderful sense of the female gaze. The scene is also significant in its catharsis, for both the audience and Dani, and final purging of Dani’s ties to the “normal” world that she’s always known. Pugh’s acting is to be praised here, as it so often should be.
If you have seen any or all of these, consider this me giving you a gold star and pat on the head. But if you haven’t, which of these are you the most interested in?
