"No good movie is depressing; all bad movies are depressing" - then what is the most depressing movie?

I don't think the quote is as obvious as it sounds (or maybe I'm just reading too much into it) lol. And I agree with it to an extent.

I think he's trying to tell us that all kinds of films are worth experiencing, including (and especially) the tough stuff. And I agree with that. That good art has the ability to indoctrinate and ultimately worth any short-term damage inflicted on one’s mood or psyche. Also perhaps he's asserting that there’s nothing worse than a bad film—or a film that was never intended to be good. I agree with that, too. So by that logic it definitely makes a lot of sense for you to say Transformers 3.

I watch movies in general hoping for an emotional experience. To be challenged and it rarely matters to me if I end up laughing, crying or reveals something truly awful or ugly about human nature. Does this mean I’m all smiles after seeing Schindler’s List. No, obviously. But I'm moved by watching great film-making at work. If that doesn't happen and I have wasted my time or its revealed the great lengths companies will go through to churn out big blockbuster films for "chick-flick" or "fanboy" audiences then yeah, it is annoying and depressing.

Depressing movie: Almost every recent addition to the "rom-com" genre especially those with Katherine Heigl. Movies like Ugly Truth...Bounty Hunter. I'd rather watch Schindler's List 1000 times than have to sit through those.

BA: Devil Wears Prada! But I loved her in Young Victoria as well!! She's amazing. :)

BA2: Not really, like there's been few "phases". I remember for a long time after I watched Children of Men, and ever saw a newborn baby or any infant I'd remember that movie.

BA3: I definitely think people don't give critics much respect. Or maybe its just me? I dunno, its more people not caring about movies in general, let alone the critics. Like if you stop and think that something like Transformers or The Vow was a nice heaping pile of sh!t...if they just got past the obvious gimmicks, then I guess critics would be more appreciated. But sh!t like this still gets made, people love it and critics opinion is just that. An opinion.

Saving Private Ryan. I walked out of the film because I was so sad.

BQ: Happy Birthday Emily Blunt! I haven't seen many of her movies, but I will go with The Devil Wears Prada.

BQ2: I don't nescessarily think of grave of the fireflies when a child is laughing. I am more likely to think of My Neighbor Totoro. And no, this hasn't really happened to me.

BQ3: I would say most people give some respect to top critics, but not a lot. For me, personally, I go on RT and compare the Critic reviews to the user reviews. If they both get a decent rating, then I will go see the movie. However, I will be honest that I have seen some movies rotten tomatoes gave a horrible rating (by critics) and I thought was okay . A good example for me is Law Abiding Citizen.

Hope this helps.

As much as I respect Ebert, I disagree with that quote. Schindler's List is depressing, but that film is amazing, but if we're gonna go with depressing without enlightenment then I'd have to give the medal to Battle Los Angeles. As much as I hate Michael Bay, Battle Los Angeles makes his films look like masterworks in comparison.

BQ: You're really good with the birthdays, aren't ya? I'm afraid to say that I've yet to see any of her films, but they do look good.

BQ2: Can't say I can think of an answer to that

BQ3: Not enough, but this also varies on the critic. When a critic says that Eragon is terrible then I believe more people should acknowledge it. A lot of people (mostly young ones) love that movie yet don't acknowledge all the story deficiencies and when a critic praises something like The 400 Blows the average audience will just reject it merely because it is in black and white and this just annoys me.

Bad movies don't depress me - they anger me. One of the most depressing movies I've ever seen was "The House of Sand and Fog" I also happened to think it was a superb film.

Ebert's saying that even if the subject matter of a film is depressing in nature, he's not depressed by it if it's a good film - as he has the enjoyment and fulfillment of having experienced a well made movie. So, a movie that is depressing in subject matter, is not, ultimately, capable of rendering the viewer depressed, if it's a good movie. It's kind of a clever turn of phrase on Ebert's part, but I disagree with the veracity of the statement. I am capable of enjoying a movie - finding the watching of it to be a worthwhile experience - while, at the same time, finding the subject matter to be depressing. Perhaps Ebert can't, I don't know. But, I can.

I've watched movies that depressed me, others that infuriated me, and, believe it or not, others that actually bored the hell out of me, but I still enjoyed them. I've also watched other films that have caused all of the same emotions in me, and I hated them and wished I had never wasted my time watching them.

A lot of my favourite films depress me so i don't totally agree with that. A bad movie angers me more than anything as i think of how that money could of been used so much better in the industry. Yeah the transformer films are perfect examples of films that anger me and are quite simply crimes against humanity, why Bay, WHY??!!!

BQ: I love Blunty! Obviously great in Prada and Young Victoria, but i'm liking the Adjustment Bureau it was a great film which not enough people saw.

BQ2: Laughing and giggling little girls remind me of Boo from Monsters Inc.

BQ3: Critics are lucky bastards and have the dream job, all i feel is resentment towards them!

@Muslim Beard How could you not like Pi it was brilliant??!!

I agree with many people on here - A bad movie may be dull, frustrating or even infuriating... but not depressing. There a many great movies with depressing (for the characters at least) story-lines; with great movies, you become apathetic to the characters, therefore, it can make you depressed.

One such film is The Road, it's incredibly bleak but truly brilliant at the same time!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898367/

Therefore, I do not agree with the quote.

BQ. I'm not well versed with Emily Blunt movies; I had to sit through The Devil Wears Prada with my girlfriend. In all honesty, it was quite enjoyable.

BQ2. Every time I see badgers smashing stuff with their nuts I think of Pom Poko.

BQ3. Tough question. I think the majority of people are fairly indifferent to critics. Where possible, I read 'non critic' opinions too!

By "depressing", do you mean in a way that, as you said, it could be depressing how a director couldn't learn from his mistakes? Or do you mean depressing as in an actually sad movie? Depends on how you mean it. Not surprised that Ebert said that quote, though. He's the kind of person that can criticize some of the best movies ever made. Anywho, back on your question, it depends on how you mean it. As for actually depressing/sad movies, Titanic is definitely one of them but it's obviously a fantastic movie.

I disagree; a good movie leaves the viewer basking in the emotions the director intended, even if those emotions are depressing. Take the classic movie Easy Rider. Every single character dies in the end of the movie..very depressing, but it is a great movie!

Pearl Harbor-I saw this movie and was truly and utterly disgusted. Disney took a historical event and rewrote it as to not offend anyone. But what was worse was that the idiot I saw it with actually thought it was historically correct. And it also seemed as if Ben Afflack and Josh Harnett single handly saved the Pacific fleet. I'm disgusted just having to remember this movie. I wasted almost 3 hours of my life that I will never get back watching this PC piece of crap. Watch Tora, Tora, Tora instead. Its a much better movie about the attack on Pearl.

Bad movie that I really hate is The Mist. Because in the end these 5 survivors believes that they would be killed by this monster so they decide to kill themselves by put a gun on their heads. There's only one gun with 4 bullets so the lead character which has a son have to kill his own son and other survivors, and by the time he came out and wants to surrender to the monster, he only find that it was not the monster but some people in tanks that want to help. That's the worst ending ever for me.