With A Star Is Born, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper gave us a superb love story. But a tragic love story that has shocked us all. A film to (re)watch before it leaves Netflix.
Warning, this article reveals the plot and the ending of the movie A Star Is Born. If you haven’t seen it and don’t want to be spoiled, don’t continue reading this article.
When A Star Is Born was released in October 2018, an overflowing, almost overwhelming emotion filled viewers who watched the beautiful but sad story between Ally and Jack, the characters played by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Some even experienced depressive episodes after watching the film!
Many netizens expressed their distress after the tweet of this New Zealand critic who shared his experience on Twitter:
“I was recently hospitalized for suicidal behavior. A STAR IS BORN is listed in my medical records as a contributing factor. Here’s how the MPAA and other ratings organizations can help in the future. (The MPAA refers to the Motion Picture Association of America, the cross-industry association that represents the interests of Hollywood’s six largest studios)
Gemma Cribb, the psychologist for the American edition of Grazia, then tried to explain at the time why it is difficult for us to regain our emotional balance after watching this particular film: “Falling in love, losing someone you love, feeling incompetent, and loving someone with flaws are themes that most of us experience in our own lives.“.
“The emotions we particularly feel in response to the themes discussed in the film are usually tied to how we ourselves would feel if it happened to us. Therefore, if the actor expresses the same emotional reaction that we would have (for example, Ally’s sadness over the loss of a loved one), we sympathize and feel sad ourselves.“
It seems like a simple explanation, but the psychologist notes that another factor plays an essential role in the perception of the film: its soundtrack, raw and emotional. Because the music was recorded live on set with vocal and scenic performances by Lady Gaga that touched everyone.
Gemma Cribb also explains that we feel this feeling of vulnerability doubly. And the fact that Lady Gaga is a real-life popstar, like Ally, leads us to see the character beyond the film’s story. “It works subliminally to help us wonder if this story is a true story beyond the movies.“.
2018 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. AND METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER PICTURES INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. / Peter Lindbergh Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga
We remember that the craziest speculations had circulated around Lady Gaga and Bradley, and the possible couple that they would form off screen. Speculations that had resumed with renewed vigor when they performed together “Shallow”, the film’s flagship song, on the Oscars stage.
Still according to the psychologist, unlike pop culture characters such as Lara Croft or Batman – considered too perfect and for whom the spectator has more difficulty in feeling empathy – the plot of the film in itself appeals to mythical figures well known to the public:
“A Star Is Born begins as a classic romantic tragedy. Much like Romeo and Juliet, the main characters find love but can’t be together in the end.“, she explains.”We spend the entire film getting to know, love, and even fall in love with these characters, and we’re grieved by the loss they suffer at the end. But it’s because of this story arc that we’re more likely to carry our emotions out of the movies than a story with a happy ending.“
Now you know why this movie upsets audiences so much. You only have until December 31 to see it on Netflix.