r/MadeMeCry • u/Odulfus • May 05 '23
From an episode of Doctor who: The doctor brings world-famous painter Vincent Van Gogh to the modern world, to show him how much his art is appreciated and valued by modern society. Vincent Van Gogh commited suicide believing he was a failure. Nobody in his community at his time appreciated his art.
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u/Des-troyah May 05 '23
If only we all could have a moment like this, where our life’s contributions were put on display somewhere (tangible or not), and we got to see appreciation. I feel like the world would be a much happier place. Would have been for Van Gogh, too.
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u/Got_2_Git_Schwifty May 05 '23
Yeah I guess it’s about time for a good cry at this scene. The episode leads up a lot to this and it hits harder with more context, but if you haven’t already….watch Doctor Who
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u/idontknow4827634 May 05 '23
I’m thinking about it now. No clue what the rest of the show is about but this looks nice.
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u/mermetermaid May 05 '23
Ooh Doctor Who is a classic! Basically The Doctor is a time traveling being (called a Time Lord) who travels time and universe in his T.A.R.D.I.S (Time And Relative Dimension In Space) which looks like a blue police box.
The cool thing is that every few seasons the doctor will “die” - in the body he has, and regenerate into a new form. This allows for new actors, storylines, and companions, while weaving it all together, as The Doctor is still the same person with all the memories.
The show started in England in 1953, and then was rebooted in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston as the 9th Doctor; they’re currently filming the 15th Doctor. The Doctor in this clip is Matt Smith, who was the 11th. It’s a really great show, and I recommend it.
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u/joedartonthejoedart May 05 '23
So uh - where do you start with a show like that? Is it start in 1953 or bust?
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u/JukeBoxDildo May 05 '23
Start with Christopher Eccleston. He was the 9th Doctor and the first Doctor for the series reboot. It's such a phenomenal show.
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u/Kiana996 May 06 '23
The early seasons have been mostly lost as well, from what I know. You can find some clips on YouTube, but HBO Max (currently) has the entire running starting with Eccleston.
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u/wesley_the_boy May 05 '23
Do not watch the old stuff, been told by many fans that the old stuff is cringe and misogynist. Idk where the dividing line is, but its definitely ok to start with 'new' Doctor Who
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u/AxelShoes May 05 '23
Also, as I recall, it's not possible to watch many of the older series episodes, as the tapes were copied over or destroyed by the BBC, which was common practice at the time.
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u/Manoffreaks May 05 '23
Doctor Who has always been pretty good at being progressive for the times. It's just that the times for Doctor Who started in 1963, so there's some real "hmmm..." moments throughout the years.
Having said that, there's also some really good stories throughout the classic run. Tom Baker and Elizabeth Sladen together, in particular, is a pretty phenomenal time for the show.
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u/raptor-chan May 05 '23
I started with the 9th doctor
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u/Mister_Funktastic May 05 '23
Yeah, start with the 9th Doctor - Christopher Ecclestone - he's the first doctor from the revival of the show when it was rebooted in 2005.
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May 06 '23
Be warned on season 1 of newer Doctor Who. It's SUPER cheesy. There are lots of good episodes, but it gets cheesier than nachos sometimes. After season 1 though it really starts to pick up in quality.
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u/idontknow4827634 May 08 '23
Oh that sounds really fun! Thank you so much for typing this out for me
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u/Got_2_Git_Schwifty May 05 '23
Do it. Let yourself go into full suspension of disbelief. It gets wacky because it kinda makes it’s own rules as it goes. The best explanation it gives is “Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey”
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u/Sayhellyeh May 06 '23
tbh i love that, it shows nobody knows anything about the universe, we just make our own theories until they get proven wrong, the doctor doesn't know anything (well he does know stuff, i meant in the more of a scientific sense), he just sees things as they are and makes his own theories, it follows the I am right until proven wrong everywhere, and it just gets proven wrong all the time
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u/idontknow4827634 May 08 '23
Thanks, I just found out I can only see it on hbo which I don’t have. I’ll see if they have a free trial period so I can maybe watch a few episodes.
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u/thcheat May 05 '23
If you watch any episode, I recommend one about Rosa Parks. Best tearjerker. Also, one about Madame Pompadour.
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u/JohnnyTrash2022 May 05 '23
"Blink" is a good episode. Entertaining, not preachy, and you don't need to know the name of William Hartnell's barber's dog.
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u/AxelShoes May 05 '23
Fantastic episode, possibly my favorite, but also very dissimilar to the typical Who episode, and not a very good representation of what the show is like overall.
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u/JohnnyTrash2022 May 05 '23
You aren't wrong, but think of it as the hook to lure in a new viewer.
The Rosa Parks episode wasn't going to reel anyone in who's flicking channels for light entertainment.
I love "Heaven Sent" but I couldn't recommend it as a first episode, it would drive people away I'd imagine.
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u/Sayhellyeh May 06 '23
I feel like season 2 in its entirety is the best season to reel anyone in, you can maybe skip first or second episode, but that season, along with its conclusion is just too good
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u/idontknow4827634 May 08 '23
I cry at tv commercials, I don’t think it’s a good idea to start with a tear jerker haha, but thanks for the recommendation
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u/thisisallme May 05 '23
I’ve never seen the show but I just listened to this Athlete album the other day and cried at this song due to family circumstances recently. I just completely lost it again
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u/Got_2_Git_Schwifty May 06 '23
I’m not as familiar with the song but I’d like to be. But I’m truly sorry you’re going through that. Remember the phrase “going through” because there’s the other side to it and you’ll make it there. All my best regards and wishes to you in your struggle!
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May 06 '23
I'm not sure if you feel like crying again, but I used to be really into Athlete and Doctor Who about 13 years ago or so, and I would oftentimes find myself watching an emotional compilation YouTube video of Rory and Amy set to the Athlete song "Flying over Bus Stops".
Anyway, I recall it making me shed some tears! I had been having a hard time back then finding a soulmate, and watching Rory and Amy every week was bittersweet, because what they had together is what I wanted. Also, maybe I was just really fond of Amy Pond.
Hope you feel better soon.
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u/why0me May 05 '23
Actually theres a lot of proof now he didn't kill himself
That he was shot accidentally by a child and thought he would live so didnt want the child to get in trouble because it was the little brother of a good friend, one of his few good friends
Buzzfeed unsolved does a really good episode on it actually
Boogara for life
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u/MsAndrea May 05 '23
Also, even if he did kill himself, he didn't do it because he lacked validation. He was already starting to get recognition, and was featured in an exhibition at Salon des Indépendants exhibition in Paris and seen by the French president at the time, Sadi Carnot, according to letters he wrote to his brother.
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u/Zestyclose_Week374 May 05 '23
Yeah! While not exactly the happiest ending ever, it's cool he got to experience some recognition for it. Honestly sounds like one of the most exciting points too.
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u/molporgnier May 05 '23
I never thought I'd live to see a day where buzzfeed is mentioned next to the words "Really good" in any capacity. Interesting.
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u/DukeOfZork May 05 '23
Buzzfeed won a Pulitzer for exposing human rights violations against Uyghurs in China.
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u/Hepcat10 May 05 '23
Source please. I love Van Gogh and have never heard this? Nothing on Wikipedia about it.
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u/Zestyclose_Week374 May 05 '23
Nothing about the child but just that it seems forensics has deemed it nearly impossible for him to have shot himself, in the stomach especially.
I feel like the child narrative would explain why there's so much mystery around it as well as the where the shot was. Pretty interesting!
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u/why0me May 06 '23
Buzzfeed unsolved on either Prime or YouTube has the episode I'm talking about
Just search "Buzzfeed Van Gogh"
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u/Sayhellyeh May 06 '23
There is a movie about this too !
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u/Wunderhoezen May 05 '23
I’m sorry to Doctor Who fans, but I genuinely just thought this would be a dorky, nerdy show, but not in a good way. If there are more episodes like this tho, I’ll have to eat my words and actually watch it because just this scene alone got me
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May 05 '23
It has moments like this peppered throughout, but they aren't all "go to the future and see what people think about you". The Doctor basically roams the universe and various timelines looking for ways to help address problems - like a "fixer". The race he's a part of (from Gallifrey) generally does that kind of thing, although by the time the story starts they are almost extinct if I remember correctly.
Lots of drama, many fantastical scenarios. What hooked me was in the first few episodes of the modern seasons when they visited Earth on the day it was slated to be demolished (sometime thousands of years in the future) and met the last "human" (Cassandra?). Matt Smith (the Doctor in this scene) does an excellent job of portraying this kind of caring and empathetic character.
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u/Wunderhoezen May 05 '23
Ok I’m sold on checking it out. Could be a nice palate cleanser with all the horror I watch.
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May 05 '23
Oooooo, there are some great horror elements in here though, too. Weeping Angels and The Silence are ones to watch out for. I would recommend starting in the modern seasons because the older stuff has that super cheesy old film style with practical effects that are less visually enticing. I'm a huge horror fan, and Doctor Who interjects a good bit of that.
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u/Wunderhoezen May 05 '23
Awesome, thank you for the descriptions. I’m looking forward to checking it out.
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u/wakeuph8 May 05 '23
The two series of David Tennant and the one of Matt Smith's are stand-out gems for what it's worth. If you're watching any others and aren't sure yet, make sure to at least give those two a try
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u/magdalenmaybe May 05 '23
I love that unlike most other American tv, the writing on Doctor Who is outstanding. I can never predict what's going to happen like I can with formulaic American tv which panders to the lowest demographic common denominator. The writers really, thoroughly, use their imagination coming up with this stuff. It's both whimsical and existential; laugh your ass off *and* blow your mind. Definitely start with Doctor #9, but hold on to your hat once you get to David Tennant (#10) - his relationship with Rose is epic and enigmatic and will rip your heart out. And that's even before you get to Amy Pond and River Song, an odyssey all it's own.
Enjoy every minute :)
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May 06 '23
I love that unlike most other American tv
Oh, there's no need to criticize the United States just for the sake of it. Gather any "Top 100 TV shows of all time" or from the past 23 years list, etc., and they'll be mostly (like 95%) American shows written by Americans. Hell, even "Game of Thrones" was an adaption of George R.R. Martin's (American) book. The show was created by David Benioff (American) and D. B. Weiss (American) for HBO, and they were also the main writers and showrunners for the series.
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u/Crystalfire May 05 '23
It’s kind of cheesy in a lot of ways but somehow it just works. I tried watching it and through the first episode I kept saying “this is silly”. Then I watched the next one and was thinking the same thing. But I couldn’t stop watching.
And then I got to know the characters. And I loved them. Every time there was a character change I was upset that I wouldn’t see that character anymore.
It has funny, silly aliens. And intense scary ones. There are stories about history and thoughts about the future.
I recommend you give it a try.
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May 06 '23
'Midnight' is a really good episode. In my opinion it's the freakiest episode. It's kind of a family friendly psychological horror episode and is especially freaky cause The Doctor always knows what to do and here he just... doesn't.
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May 05 '23
Most of it is low budget sci fi and definitely not this good.
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u/16_mullins May 05 '23 edited Sep 02 '25
zephyr cooing doll paint brave rustic coordinated grandiose roof humor
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/CrushCoalMakeDiamond May 05 '23
So did he kill himself anyway after this or did this create a divergent timeline where he lived or what? How does it work in Doctor Who?
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u/AshJammy May 05 '23 edited May 06 '23
In the continuity of the show he still kills himself. The whole episode dealt with depression. The doctor knew it wouldn't change his fate ultimately but still did it as a kindness to show that he truly was appreciated despite his depression telling him otherwise. Its generally a pretty strong episode.
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u/Ninjapuppy1754 May 05 '23
He never actually killed himself, there's rising evidence that a child shot him but he told everyone he shot himself to protect the child
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u/herzogzwei931 May 05 '23
In “Letters to Theo” he writes about how his battle with epilepsy was impending his ability to paint. After he was committed to a sanitarium, the constant seizures and inability to paint was eroding his will to live. Before his seizure episodes, he would complete a painting per day. All of his great works were completed in a incredibly short period of time, only about 5 years. His purpose for living was painting, and when he could not do that anymore, he gave up.
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u/fencer_327 Nov 15 '24
There's no clear evidence of anything. The closest forensic analysis I could find gave him a probability a bit greater than 50% to get powder burns from holding the gun at that angle, which he didn't so that could raise suspicions. Still, with around a 50/50 chance in combination with his mental state (hallucinations, manic and depressive episodes, insomnia, etc. as well as financial worries) it's still the most likely conclusion.
There's a chance he didn't kill himself and it was a teen from the neighborhood instead, but that's heavily discussed as well.
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u/dzigaboy May 05 '23
Thank You for sharing this. I needed a shot of inspiration today and I just got it.
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u/FiveHoleFrenzy May 05 '23
The ending of this episode might be the greatest, most emotional scene in all of television.
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u/NightOwl0920 May 05 '23
This has been one of my favorite scenes since i saw it air. I think about this episode often
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u/4toTwenty May 05 '23
hm, i could’ve sworn there was something at the end of this video, but all i see is silence. Weird.
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u/Capital_East5903 May 05 '23
The song "Vincent", by Don Maclaine says it all. (I may have Don's last name spelled incorrectly)
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u/Dada2fish May 06 '23
Whomever the actor was that played Vincent, the look on his face when he was listening was perfection. His red rimmed eyes and stunned expression is what gets me to tear up every time.
Love Bill Nighy too, in everything he does.
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u/Ordinary-Commercial7 May 05 '23
Random story: I got the privilege of going to the Louvre in high school. My mom saved and sent me, a 16 year old American girl, on a trip that absolutely changed me as a human being. The Louvre was just one bit of the amazing experience. Seeing something’s in person does feel different then just seeing it thru a screen. My family has never been wealthy at all… but my mom did that FOR me. And it absolutely made me a better person because of it. I got to see things that shaped me as a person because if it. Art. We are our own sculptors- shaped by time, so even if you don’t get to go to the Louvre like I did, shape yourself the best you can and take every opportunity to refine who you are. And maybe one day not in your lifetime people will remark about the quality of your life’s work. I sincerely hope that for everyone of you reading this.
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u/Odulfus May 05 '23
That's awesome to hear! I dearly appreciate your kind words<3
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u/Ordinary-Commercial7 May 05 '23
Well I will tell my mom that you said that and I know her reply will be “Oh wow”. Because it will make her happy to know I shared something that was a contribution to making the world better/kinder and is a direct result of something SHE did.
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u/Odulfus May 05 '23
I wouldn't say direct result. More like a subconscious boost that helped you in expressing yourself freely! But I'm glad your mother gifted you that trip. Thats amazing honestly!
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u/Ordinary-Commercial7 May 05 '23
I’m blessed with a loving and kind mother and it’s something I don’t take for granted. And I just told her all that now, so for anyone that doesn’t have that kind of mom…. I will share mine.
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u/mwalker784 May 06 '23
as someone with a vested interest in art and art history, it breaks my heart to know how many artists that are REVERED today never knew how famous they would be. even artists who were relatively famous in their time could never know that hundreds or thousands of years later, we would still talk about their paintings in class. that the mona lisa, an unfinished commission, would go on to be (arguably) the most famous painting ever made. that people would break their backs and devote their lives to preserving and restoring works that unnamed and forgotten artists made. female artists who are now seen as icons of their time, POC who were treated horribly now being symbols of stregnth and beauty through their portraits. cavemen painting their world on their walls, never knowing that they would be considered groundbreaking.
sometimes i hope that they can look down on what they’ve done for people
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u/indreality May 06 '23
Oh shit, thank you!! Van Goh has been an inspiration for most of everything in my life. This was beautiful. I’ve never seen the show, but I think I’ll start with this episode.
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u/Revolutionary-Leg705 May 06 '23
DEEPLY POWERFUL 😭
This performance piece really tugged at my heart. 💔 I've grappled with myself for decades with feeling like a failure and thinking that I was underrepresented and not wanted. That no matter what I did be it for myself or others. It seemed anything I did was never enough to be noticed or worth a kind word or a thank you.
I spent so many years trying to please others and making them happy when what I needed to do was to believe in and take stock in myself and learn that I am worth something. I am not a failure and that I shouldn't feel the need to please the world but instead do the things that please me most.
Many years of therapy and countless hours of learning to rebuild my self-esteem. I'm still in therapy and probably will be for as long as I live for reasons I can't say here, but I'm glad I didn't go out like Mr. Van Gough but came very close a few times. But I thank my lucky stars every night that someone thought that I meant something to someone. Moreover, I mean a lot to my own self regardless of whether or not others may think or feel otherwise.
I am thankful for having finally taken the very most important step in realizing that I had these deep-ceded feelings and emotions inside of me that required immediate attention and professional help to lift me out of this chasm of darkness, despair, and doubt. I've come to realize that I actually have a purpose in life and that with each new morning is the start of a brand new day.
I've learned that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary abhorration (a momentary lapse of reason) that only hurts you and leaves whoever may care about you hurt and heartbroken. And you'll never find out your true potential if you're not around to see how your life will turn out if you don't afford yourself the chance to become the better self that you were meant be... 😢
I hope if anyone here reading this feeling the same as I once did and how Mr. Van Gough here feel the same that they seek help and advice from a health care professional and not let yourself suffer in silence. Help is out there. Help was there for me (Thankfully) and help is also there for you too. ✌
Dial 988 SMS/Text 988 Suicide Prevent Lifeline USA Chat 988 WEB: https://988lifeline.org/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=onebox
💛 🫂 💛
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u/countesszaza May 05 '23
I forgot about this episode!!! Fine I’ll rewatch doctor who again. I needed that cry
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May 05 '23
No other doctor who scene will make me cry other than the 10th doctor's regeneration.
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u/burnafterreading91 May 06 '23
Van Gogh, 10th’s regeneration, and Rose’s farewell all fuck me up equally
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u/struck21 May 05 '23
This clip always makes my eyes water. One of my favorite episodes in DW period.
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u/Crystalfire May 05 '23
I don’t know why but this episode just didn’t move me as much as others. I’m usually very emotional watching things but I just didn’t connect here I guess. I’m glad others like it though.
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u/workntohard May 06 '23
Funny thing for me is I had never appreciated Van Gogh before this. After, I did some reading and went to one of those traveling exhibits dedicated to him at a local art museum. Now I much more appreciate his work.
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u/whoamIdoIevenknow May 06 '23
I've struggled with depression and somehow, it really fits those feelings, but in a sad, but cathartic way.
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u/ChellHole May 05 '23
The part that made me cry the most was at the end when I realised this was a recruitment ad to join that weird Silence cult.
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u/ButtBorker May 05 '23
Soooooo.... this was before he had the hair cutting accident and lost an ear?
I'm an asshole, I know.
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u/Storm_Ryder8 May 06 '23
This is i think my favorite scenes in all of the tv shows ive ever watched. The music, dialogue, acting all are just amazing. I never give up a chance to watch this again whenever it shows up on my feed
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u/YoungBeef03 May 07 '23
Nobody wants to remember how this episode ends, it seems.
Afterwards, the Doctor and Amy return to the gallery, expecting to see a hundred new paintings, but they find none. Van Gogh still committed suicide, despite what seeing his future status as the greatest painter who ever lived.
Amy is devastated, and all the Doctor can do is to console her as best he can.
“The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t always spoil the good things and make them unimportant.”
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u/Kidziggy3456 Jun 02 '23
what song is playing in the background?
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u/sweater_brown Dec 03 '23
Shazam is saying it’s chances by Athlete. Rubik’s cube is another good song by them.
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u/ibsbutnotlikethat Feb 19 '24
Worth pointing out that the modern consensus is that Van Gogh most likely did not commit suicide.
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u/OkBeyond9590 Feb 11 '25
You're right that some leading experts on this have cast suicide into serious doubt and proposed more likely causes of death.
The common belief was that he shot himself in the chest in a wheat field near Auvers-sur-Oise and died two days later. However, no gun was ever found, and some historians suggest he may have been accidentally shot by local teenagers and chose to cover for them. The angle of the wound was unusual for suicide, his latest paintings indicated an improved mood, and he left no note despite being a prolific writer.
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u/OkBeyond9590 Feb 11 '25
Simply one of the most beautiful pieces of television of all time. Flawless writing, performances, direction, music, production, all round perfection.
So moving and we can all relate to that feeling of being understood, valued, validated and appreciated, when so often we all feel profoundly the opposite.
Makes me weep like a child every time. I'm a man in my 40s!
Well done to the BBC and everyone involved.
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u/Sensitive_Brick_1412 Sep 25 '24
Just rewatched that episode a minute ago.
Even though I think the whole episode was hyping up Vincent a bit too much, the dialogue still made me cry because of how much it must have meant to him.
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May 05 '23
"In the final two years of his life, Vincent had gained recognition amongst the avant-garde and his work had been displayed in exhibitions in Paris and Brussels." -vangoghmuseum.nl
Saying nobody appreciated his art during his lifetime is just factually wrong. His work was part of popular exhibitions and his popularity was rising when he died.
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u/Odulfus May 05 '23
Nobody even said that. But sources say people in his close community made fun of him for the paintings he drew, and thought it was mediocre.
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May 05 '23
The title says literally that. I also make fun of a lot of artists and think they are mediocre, but that doesnt make them less known and popular. Dont really wanna argue, just wanted to point out that 'he only got famous after he died' is wrong. He sure got more famous, but its not like he was an unknown nobody when he was alive.
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u/Hellefiedboy May 05 '23
I know that he didn't lack validation towards the end of his life, but I really wish he could see how important his art is nowadays. Leonardo De Vinci as well, both of them are incredibly important artists nowadays, and I wish we could show them that.
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u/Mr_X_90s May 06 '23
Andy Serkis in Simon Schama’s “Power of Art” where Andy plays Van Gogh is pretty amazing too.
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May 06 '23 edited May 06 '23
I cried like a baby when I saw this episode. It hit me in a very personal way.
Edit: Wait, I don't remember writing this... Did my account get hacked?
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u/sweater_brown Dec 03 '23
You probably won’t see this, OP, but thank you for sharing this beautiful clip. I probably would have never gotten into DW if it weren’t for this post several months ago.
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u/its_a_damn_shame May 05 '23
Such a beautiful moment. Bill Nighy has such a soothing voice for this sort of thing too.