Why Do We Cry When Watching a Film

This is the feature from BBClearningenglish. com for more information and _____ the view go to the BBCworldservice. com ____ post card. R: hello, I'm Rob and welcome to 6 minute english. With me today in studio is Ms. Feifei. Hello there. F: Hi Rob. R:In today's programme we are discussing films make us cry and why we actually enjoy watching something that makes us burst into tears or another words to cry out loud. We are also looking at the language associated with crying. So crying out loud surely this is something that you have done, Feifei? F: I'm afraid yes so I have done that.R: Is there a particular film is made you cry? F: I think you have to see the film Turner and Hooch. And how about you Rob? R:Well, being a man obviously I will never cry well almost. There is an old children's film called The Railway children. At the end, when the children's father returns from exile, his daughter runs out the station platform shouting: My daddy my daddy. That makes me misty-eyed. F: You ‘re big softy. R: I suppose I'm. Now Feifei, before we discuss this subject further, here's your question for today: Which film has won the most ever Oscars awards? Is this.. . Ben Hur b. Slumdog Millionaire or c. Gone with the wind F: I think I'm going to go for answer b. Slumdog millionaire. R: ok. Let's find out if you are right at the end of programme. Of course, the 85th academy awards better known as the Oscars were held recently and there was one major weepy that won several awards. F: a weepy? you mean a film that makes us cry. R: Yes and that film was Lei Miserables. I have seen it really is a tearjerker. It literally causes tears to roll down our checks. So why do we chose to see the film or movie that makes us get so emotional ?F: I suppose it ‘s the mark of a good film if it causes us to reveal our emotions. A really sad story if it's well acted and directed, can really make us blub (another word for crying). And a sob srory one where the character tries to g et our sympathy for him or her can have the same effect. But what is it about a film that can makes us cry when we can't cry in real life? R:Well, according to psychologist Dr Everon Lemon, we allow our emotions to be imfluenced when we watch a film. What word does she use to mean † influenced†? Dr.Everon Lemon: People want to have their emotions manipulated, because then they are allowed to have them. We spend so much of our life being told you shouldn't feel like that, you don't feel like that when in fact we do you like that. And both the visual and the auditory allows us to know what emotion we are meant to feel. F: So Dr Everon Lemon says we like to have our emotions manipulated, influenced by a film. In real life we told how we should feel. R: But when watching a film, at the cinema for example, we can let our emotions loose.But there is something else in a film that effects our emotions and gives us goose bumps or a feeling that makes our hair stand on end and we get little bumps on our skin. F: Yes, Dr Lemon says there are visual and auditory clues that provokes our feelings so that is the style of the pictures and the music or sound effects that are used. R:( music) Like the music in the Jaw movie although that's not really a tearjerker. F: oh Come on, Rob. I bet you cried at the scary bits. R: I told you men don't cry.Although there is one film that has had grown men crying their hearts out which means they have been crying uncontrollably. That is the film Toy Story 3. F: Really R:Yes, I don't think it's because the film is sad but because watching it makes men nostalgic about their young and perhap they can see their kids reflected in the story too. F: Well I bet these men were crying alone. They wouldn't want to be seen crying in public. R: Well not according to Phillip Sheppard who composes or writes film music. He thinks letting our feelings out, he calls it by catharsis is better in a group. Mr.Phillip Sheppard: All of us sort of nee d to find a catharsis, especially within a group to have this sort of place to have an emotional response. It ends up being something when you need to have that kind of release. As British people we are terribly bad at it I think. But when people find an outlet for it such as a film, especially when they are in a crowd, people's emotional responses are much more instantaneously responsive. R: So he says we all need to find a catharsis. Being in a group is a good place for letting your emotions out. When you watch a film with others you react to other people's emotional reponses.F: So if one person cries then other people will start to cry too. Unless you are British of course. R: That is what Phillip Sheppard thinks and we could say: It's a crying shame, meaning it's regrettable or it's an unfortunate situation. F: Ok, Rob well let's not cry over spilt milk. R: Huh F: Let's not get upset over something quite small. Can I Just have the answer to today's question, please? R: Yes, of c ourse. Earlier I asked you which film has won the most ever Oscars? F: And I said Slumdog Millionaire. R: And you were wrong. The answer is actually Ben Hur.The 1959 Film has won 11 awards the same number has also been won by Titanic and The Lord of the rings, The return of the King. Well Feifei before we go, please could you remind us of some of the cryng-related words and phrases that we have heard today. F: Sure. We heard: burst into tears misty eyed a weepy tearjerker blub a sob story goose bumps crying their hearts out it's a crying shame cry over spilt milk R: Thanks Feifei. Well it's a crying shame but we are out of time. Please join us again soon for 6 minute english from bbclearningenglish. Both: bye R: that's whole 6 minute english from bbclearningenglish. com.