What's the Greatest Scene in film history?

[Brock-Landers]

what do you guys think??

[rupert pupkin]

The concluding scene in Big Night with Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub........one single take

after an eventful night and raucous party Tony Shalhoub sits at at the table in the kitchen hungover......stanley tucci emerges from resteraunt....walks to the counter and cooks an omellette...sits down and eats it.....

no dialogue

it is just beautiful in its simplicity

[VicVega]

It's near impossible to find THE definative scene in movie history.

Here's a mear two from me:

Psycho- Shower Scene (Psycho created the slasher genre)
The Godfather- Horse's head (The Godfather is probably the most influential film in history)

[mr_gamecube]

Jurassic Park: When Ellie is in the Complex turning on the power!
Jaws: Quints Death
Halloween: Closet Scene

[Golden Ghost]

The infamous PSYCHO shower scenario. It's just brilliantly done.

[Maninthealley]

The scene in Lawrence of Arabia when Lawrence and the Arabic soldiers attack Akaba. Anyone who hasnt seen this should go rent it NOW!

[ze424]

The Usual Suspects- The conclusion

[Annie Hall]

The fight between Michael and Kay in The Godfather Part II

[The 8 Ball]

Ashes of Time

The scene near the end in which The Women (played by Maggie Cheung) is talking to Haoshi (Tony Leung Fa-fai) while looking at the beach, she realizes she is a loser.

[A.J. Hakari]

The poker scene in THE STING. Just pure, filmmaking brilliance.

[Reigh Kaufman]

Though none of the following choices are my favourites, I would say:

True Romance - Hopper and Walken discuss history. Knowing that he faces a torturous and prolonged death, Hopper forces Walken into a corner.

The Godfather - Pacino in the restaurant, frustrated by his poor Italian, the pain in his jaw, and also the fierce hatred for the men in front of him, says in English 'What I want....'. At that moment, the new Don is born.

In The Company Of Men - Final scene. The deaf girl looks up from her desk to see the man who has been partly responsible for the humiliation she has just suffered at the hands of his best friend. She looks at him nervously, but cannot hear. He screams in frustration, 'listen, listen, listen'. At which point we cut to her POV and see a maniac screaming at her in silence. Best ending EVER.

My own favourite scene from any movie would be the final restaurant scene in Waking The Dead - Billy Crudup's breakdown. But you guys knew that already.

[zsofika]

i just loved when zorba takes about how when his son
died he danced...and dances...that dance...till he
drops...

[Raoul Duke]

When the bodies are being discovered to the song "Layla" in Goofellas.

The scene in Boogie Nights where William H. Macy shoots his wife and her lover in the bedroom and then walks out to everyone, smiles and then shoots himself.

Reservoir Dogs , Mr. Blonde doucing the cop in gasoline while dancing to "Stuck In The Middle With You", and the showdown gunfight at the end.

Pulp Fiction, when Marsellus sees Butch in the car and says "Mutha Fuckha" and then Butch slams on the gas, hits Marsellus and then gets side swiped by another car. And also when Vincent Vega comes out of the bathroom and finds Butch pointing a gun at him.

[zsofika]

i just loved when zorba talks about how when his son
died he danced...and dances...that dance...till he
drops...

[edonline]

The arrival of the mothership in Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. The sights, the sounds, still awe-inspiring even in today's world of advanced CGI.

[therealjohng]

Christan Bale having a 3 way with two chicks while listening to Phil Collin's "Sussudio", in American Psycho.

[Buck Turgidson]

Originally posted by rupert pupkin
The concluding scene in Big Night with Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub........one single take

after an eventful night and raucous party Tony Shalhoub sits at at the table in the kitchen hungover......stanley tucci emerges from resteraunt....walks to the counter and cooks an omellette...sits down and eats it.....

no dialogue

it is just beautiful in its simplicity

And tears off a couple of pieces of bread, makes enough for Tony, puts some on his plate, too, and they both eat together. Great climax to an excellent film.

Tucci has to choose between Minnie Driver and Isabella Rosellini. We should all be so lucky...

[Buck Turgidson]

I mean the whole thing, from the "Hill of beans" speech, to Rick shooting Strasser

Rick: "Put that phone down."

Strasser: "I would advise you not to interfere."

Rick: "I said put it down!"

Strasser (in phone): "Hello, hello?"

Rick: "Put it down!"

He gives that prick no less than three chances not to die.

Then, of course, the wonderful bit where Renault gets off the fence and covers for his friend.

"Major Strasser's been shot! Round up the usual suspects."

(And his Gendermes don't bat an eye. "Oui, mon Capitan." :D )

And of course, the classic last few lines. An utterly brilliant scene, one of the very best ever.

[ANavissi500]

Pulp Fiction- final scene in the diner

The Rules of Attraction- Victor's description of Europe

Training Day- when Ethan Hawke is in the bathtub at gunpoint

there are plenty of others but these three blew me away- the first one because it made the movie absolutely flawless- it tied everything in a package, the acting was excellent, and so was the dialogue. the second one because it was so busy and in-your-face and graphic. the third one because i love a good twist

[Strider]

Actually, there's no way to find the single greatest scene in film history. This is one thing that is quite impossible. It's all up to the movie buff, it's about your own personal opinion.

Now, having that said, here are several film scenes which I think are all great.....

***SPOILERS***

"The Godfather" - No question, the horse head.

"The Godfather Part II" - Michael Corleone saying his last good-bye to his own brother, Fredo, who he would later order to be killed.

"The Usual Suspects" - The ending, which is watching the real Keyser Soze walk out of the police station knowing that he is an evil, yet brilliant mastermind. It's also great seeing Chazz Palminteri's character's look on his face, and it's a look of pure shock.

"Heat" - The final scene, in which Al Pacino grasps the hand of a dying Robert De Niro out of respect, and Pacino just gazes out into the city while holding back small tears that are beginning to form in his eyes.

"Glory" - The final battle, which would result in loss where Matthew Broderick and his soldiers would all lose their lives, but not without putting up a valiant effort. I love the very end where you see Broderick's body tossed into the sandy grave among all his soldiers, and he ends up lying his head on the shoulder of one of his own men. It's such a heartbreaking, yet beautiful scene.

"Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" - Darth Vader revealing to Luke Skywalker that they are father and son.

"A Clockwork Orange" - At the very end where Alex sarcastically says, "Oh, I've changed, alright", when we all know he never will, he will always continue to live his screwed up life until he dies.

"Requiem for a Dream" - Watching Ellen Burstyn's character dream one last dream while she's in the hospital about how her and son's life could have been like.

"One Flew Over the Cuckcoo's Nest" - The unfortunate death of McMurphy, and watching the Chief escape the hospital while the others look on with joy.

"Apocalypse Now" - The ending, where the Martin Sheen character is on the boat thinking in the dead silence about his mission that will haunt him forever, while Marlon Brando's famous words, "the horror", repeat inside his head.

"Batman" - The ending, where Batman is looking out into Gotham City while the bat signal is shining bright and high in the darkness.

"Edward Scissorhands" - The ending, in which Edward is making some gorgeous ice sculptures in his castle while he's alone, and knowing he always will be alone... forever.

There's many more, but it would be impossible to list them all.....

Strider

[Hannibal21]

The opening to CITIZEN KANE where Kane is lying on his death bed and holding a snow globe. Then the word "rosebud" comes out of his mouth and he drops the snow globe, and it shatters. Powerful.

I also agree with Buck on the ending of CASABLANCA.

[rupert pupkin]

Originally posted by Buck Turgidson
And tears off a couple of pieces of bread, makes enough for Tony, puts some on his plate, too, and they both eat together. Great climax to an excellent film.

Tucci has to choose between Minnie Driver and Isabella Rosellini. We should all be so lucky...

Thanks man...little while since ive seen this quirky lil gem

and yeah, the baldy did good huh?

[Mad Maggot]

Magnolia - frograin

Requiem for a Dream - that dream scene, Strider has mentioned

[Golden Ghost]

Originally posted by Strider
"A Clockwork Orange" - At the very end where Alex sarcastically says, "Oh, I've changed, alright", when we all know he never will, he will always continue to live his screwed up life until he dies.



Correction. "I was cured, all right." is the actual line. Sorry, I had to do that!

[Kurtz' Killer]

The Star Child in 2001. Pure Euphoria.

others:

Pacino in The Godfather: "I'll kill 'em both"

Forest Whitakker in Ghost Dog: The Way of The Samurai- brief rooftop scene where he "practices" his swordfighting technique to music by RZA- absolutely electrifying.

[sleekproductions]

Here Are A Few I Particularly Like:

Wise Up Sequence FROM Magnolia
Elliot And E.T. Fly Over The Moon FROM E.T.
"Luke... I Am Your Father!" FROM The Empire Strikes Back

ET AL...

[blankpage]

" I know it was you Fredo, you broke my heart."

OoOh, powerful.

[Jerk Shapiro]

No one knows. Possibly though it's the last scene at the restuarant in Pulp Fiction.

[The Delfonics]

Vanilla Sky - I dont care what anyone else thinks, the final scene on the roof is the greatest scene in film.

2 other people mentioned these two scenes and I agree with both.

>>>Christan Bale having a 3 way with two chicks while listening to Phil Collin's "Sussudio", in American Psycho.

>>>Jurassic Park When Ellie is in the Complex turning on the power!

[zsofika]

the greatest today for me is when in ZORBA, THE GREEK,
zorba says i raped other mens women, turks, poles,
etc.; now i just listen to my gut; now all men are the
same to me, no matter what the nationality.

[Buck Turgidson]

Originally posted by rupert pupkin
Thanks man...little while since ive seen this quirky lil gem

and yeah, the baldy did good huh?

I just caught it again a few weeks ago.

You should see this film on an empty stomach, because you'll definitely want to eat when it's finished.

I'm glad Stanley could actually cook :p

It was really cool to see a film where men actually like to cook, and take it seriously. Their dedication to the craft and craftsmanship reminded me, in a way, of Turturro and his brothers in Mac, and their pride in their masonry. It's weird, but they're quite similar.

[Grebdron]

The D-Day scene in Saving Private Ryan.

and

Schindler breaking down at the end of SL.

[Strider]

Originally posted by Golden Ghost
Correction. "I was cured, all right." is the actual line. Sorry, I had to do that!

Thanks man, that's the actual line. And I claim this is one my all-time favorite films, can't even get one simple quote right... bah!!! :D

Strider

[bowieee]

The Last 10 Minutes of Nights of Cabiria are one of the best moments ever put to film.

The whole scene at the end of Stroszek that takes place at that strange fair

The Mc escher type scene from Labrynth

The Bar room scene from near Dark

The whole burning of Joan of Arc in The Passion of Joan of Arc

The final shot of Brazil

[Mr. Orange]

The final scene in Chaplin's great, CITY LIGHTS

You have to be unhuman to not shed a tear for the tramp.

[ColinM]

Originally posted by Buck Turgidson
I mean the whole thing, from the "Hill of beans" speech, to Rick shooting Strasser

Rick: "Put that phone down."

Strasser: "I would advise you not to interfere."

Rick: "I said put it down!"

Strasser (in phone): "Hello, hello?"

Rick: "Put it down!"

He gives that prick no less than three chances not to die.

Then, of course, the wonderful bit where Renault gets off the fence and covers for his friend.

"Major Strasser's been shot! Round up the usual suspects."

(And his Gendermes don't bat an eye. "Oui, mon Capitan." :D )

And of course, the classic last few lines. An utterly brilliant scene, one of the very best ever.


Buck, you just became my new best friend. :)

Although it's the "hill of beans" part I really love.

[Goosey]

Here's the greatest ever:

2001 : Moonwatcher realizes he could smash the skull with he bone, throws it in the air, it slowly spins, and turns into the spacecraft. Thousands of years of evolution summed up in one brilliant scene.

[cheech]

The Wicker Man ending...

or

The restaurant scene in The Godfather.

[Buck Turgidson]

Originally posted by ColinM
Buck, you just became my new best friend. :)

Although it's the "hill of beans" part I really love.

It's a wonderfully written scene. I love when Rick tells her that they can't be together:

"Nine chances out of ten, we'd both wind up in a concentration camp. Isn't that right, Louis?"

And Renault pipes in, almost cheerfully (and his choice of words is hilarious) "I'm afraid Major Strasser would insist." :D


I really do love Renault's cops. They must be muttering to themselves "Jeez...we've gotta cover this up... Be nice to do some police work one o' these days. First we've got to get him girls and now this. We might as well be working for the Arkansas Highway Patrol..."

[Speermint]

***** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ******

The face smashing on gutter scene in American History X and the look of pure hatred and success on Norton's face while he's being arrested.

***** END OF SPOILERS *****

That would have to be one of the most powerful scenes in cinema history. never before have i seen something so brutal. truly powerful

[Trainspotter]

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS***

When Fredo is shot in Godfather II, and then subsequently when Michael bows his head in shame.

***END OF SPOLIERS***

[Hucksta G]

The Lou Scene
The scene " where Jack beats himself up in his boss's office - Fight Club

The scene when Donnie and his friend sget off the bus and it goes through the school introducing the main charcters with the music - Donnie Darko

Plastic bag scene
Lester's letter to Brad - American Beauty

Tiny Dancer Scene - Almost Famous

Christening Scene - The Godfather

Kay and Michael's fight - The Godfather part 2

Travis going into the politics supporters place to confront Betsy - Taxi Driver

Bill "The Butcher" Cutting talking to Amsterdame wearing the American flah.
Bill "The Butcher" Cutting's reaction when he realises who Amsterdam is. - Gangs of New York

"Funny how?"
Spider scenes - Goodfellas

Gollums pskitsophrenic talk with him self - The Two Towers

D-Day Landing - Saving Private Ryan

The end scene in the high school - American History X

The Beginning with the empty Times Square
The end on the rooftop - Vanilla Sky

Jkae punching and smacking his head against the wall "WHY!!, I'M NOT AN ANIMAL" - Raging Bull

That kids suicide - One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

Silent murders in the rainfall - Road to Perdition

[The Young Son]

I agree with a few of the schmoes that mentioned that you can't pick out the greatest scene in history, but here are the ones that come to mind for me:

******Possible Spoilers******

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - Vader revealing to Luke that he is his father.

Heat - The final image of Pacino gripping De Niro's hand in respect, while holding back small tears.

Braveheart - William Wallace's execution.

The Godfather - The restaurant scene. Very intense. I could feel what Michael was going through.

American History X - The whole "Eat the curb" scene. Great performance from Norton.

[ohsocrazy]

Rules of Attraction - the opening scene.......wow...that was soo well made.

Rules of Attraction - scene in the snowy stadium, i just thought it was very emotional and have a very strong feeling to its characters.

Confidence - that ending!!!!!!!!!

Jackass - opening scene!!funniest thing ever

I am sam - the part where Lucy is on the tv and sam is watching and Lucy says "all you need is love". which is soo true.

wut u guys think of these?

[MickeyKnox]

The beginning of Jaws
The "Like a Virgin" conversation in Reservoir Dogs
The ending of The Godfather Part II
Jake LaMotta in jail punching the brick wall crying "Why Why Why" in Raging Bull

[Jasonite]

I'll just be boring and say the last shot of Citizen Kane,

and the plane scene at the end of Casablanca



J

[Antonio]

For some reason, as with the BEST CAST IN MOVIE HISTORY topic, the first classic scene that came to mind was from CASABLANCA: Bogie, Ingrid and Paul Henreid on the airport runway in the finale.