Posted on 12/12/2005 7:57:17 AM PST by pissant
Everyone knows by now that Pissant is not an expert, like MaximusofTexas, when it comes to movie reviews. The main problem of course is that Pissant has generally avoided anything that Hollywood has produced in the last 20 years. Fortuantely, most of the cinematic classics were made well before this self-imposed boycott started. So now, I will list the definitive "most powerful moments".
They may be sad, scary, heartwarming, patriotic, etc.
Top 7 Most Powerful Moments in Cinema History
7. The Deerhunter- Russian Roulette POW scene --The actors in the Deerhunter, particularly DeNiro and Cristopher Walken make it seem incredibly real. The intensity of that scene as POWs being forced to play Russian roulette and the subsequent escape is one for the ages.
6. Outlaw Josie Wales - Snoose on the Dead guy's head -- After a gunfight where Josie (Clint Eastwood) and his sidekick end up killing the bad guys, his young companion frets that they should at least bury the dead out of respect. Instead, Clint hocks a mouthful of tobacco juice onto a cadaver's forehead, and flatly states that "the buzzards gotta eat too"
5. Casablanca- Rick says goodbye -- Thinking that she would be staying with Rick (Humphrey Bogart) as her husband Lazlo gets on the plane to America, Bogie gives Ilsa (Ingrid) the bad news. The strength to be able to give up her love in the cause of patriotism is amazing.
4. Exorcist- The head spin -- If you grew up Catholic, you believe in the devil. And that's what makes the Exorcist SO real (plus it was based on a true story). If the head spin scene did not creep you out, nothing will.
3. The Unbearable Lightness of Being- Girls playing -- I know, not everyone's cup of tea. But seeing Thomas' wife (Juliette Binoche) meet his mistress (Lena Olin) and the two have a playful, flirtatious rendevous.....well it's powerful to me. It helps that both are very gorgeous!!
2. Patton- "the speech to the Third Army" -- This movie is near perfect all the way through, but is most powerful just listening to George C. Scott recite the (somewhat sanitized) speech to the troops. Hollywood is incapable anymore of treating our Generals and Soldiers as the heroes that they are.
1. It's a Wonderful Life - George sees the light -- The angel Clarence's hard work finally pays off. George Bailey realizes how important he is to his family, community and to God, and has a tearful reunion with his family. It chokes me up, no matter how many times I see it. Merry Christmas!
I'm glad you had the sarc tag on!
Indeed!
It was a sad scene, but for some darn reason, I did not like the movie!
That's a fun question, I may make a list later.
But what springs to my mind as infallibly tearing me up isn't from a movie. It's from a TV show, and not a likely one.
"Mom? What are you doing? (quieter) Mom? (even quieter) Mom? (very quietly) Mommy?"
(Buffy the Vampire Slayer, episode "The Body")
Yep, eyes stinging now just writing it.
Dan
ROFL!!!!
Or the scene at the very end,at the cemetery,where an aging Private Ryan,while standing in front of Captain Miller's headstone,says to his wife "tell me I've led a good life....tell me I'm a good man."
No "devil" movie has been as creepy since...
One of the great lines, but for those who haven't seen the movie you have to provide the context.
It's John Wayne, as Jacob McCandles in Big Jake (1971), speaking to the kidnapper of his grandson, Richard Boone. He's just delivered the ransom (and been told for about the 10th time in the movie "I thought you were dead") and he's shown the kidnapper that the "money box" contains cut up newspaper.
And Wayne said it in a whisper. With a smile on his face. About as cold as I've ever seen a threat delivered.
Great line.
#s 2, 9, and 10, I'm with you all the way!
Slim Pickens riding the A-Bomb like a cowboy in "Dr. Strangelove."
My wife will want to see it then, she thinks Fargo is the Cat's meow!!
The way Mel Gibson's youngest boys look at him in Patriot after he's butchered Tarleton's troops who took his oldest son and killed another.Covered in blood and out of breath, the lads realize kind ol daddy is not just a gentleman farmer in reality. They he must have had a life before their time.
At the end of Shenandoah when pacifist's Jimmy Stewart's family has been brutally decimated by the Civil War in the valley around Winchester VA and his long lost youngest boy hobbles in the church door on crutches as what's left of Stewart's family and the rest of the congregation are singing Rock of Ages.
The Passion of The Christ when Jesus stumbles carrying the cross and it flashes back to Mary watching him as a boy and then back to real time where Jesus tells Mary not to worry..."I make all things new"..the skin tearing scourging was hard to watch too even for me.
When Sousa tells Pacino in Scarface at the beginning of their lovely friendship that he should never ever "eff" him ever. Suddenly the sauve Sousa shows he's more than white linen and Sperrys....the chain saw scene bears mentioning of course.
When the pistoleros in Josey Wales return to the saloon and indicate they just "had to" over the reward and Josey clips them deftly with his pair of Walkers...and then the spit.
When the ex-con recounts running over Jack Nicholson's daughter in the Crossing Guard....teary.
The frozen scene at the Hungarian death camp in Sonnenschein.....anyone who saw that knows what I'm talking about.
and for the girls online....I have heard this one over and over:
when Ralph Fiennes touches Kristen Scott Thomas ever so lightly on the cheek with the back of his hand when their passion is at it's zenith prior to the affair in the English Patient. Women love that.
Westerns are full of good moments since good and bad are often so defined:
Tom Selleck and Alan Rickamn's duel at the end of Quigley...
Unforgiven conclusion in the Saloon.
I'm your Huckleberry moments by Val Kilmer ...as good as it gets.
Anything by the Duke but like many have said...Searchers stands alone.
When Tommy Lee Jones catches the fellow horsewhipping Jones's bastard son in Lonesome Dove.
Best Western for a boy....Shane.
;o) Yet he could not save the network!
A great movie - even my kids love that one when it is on.
They love it when the boy says, "Are you my grandfather?"
I saw that scene on cable last night.
He has a wife, you know!
The first thirty minutes of "Full Metal Jacket". Any of the scenes with R. Lee Ermy are cadidates.
another fave- when "Dark Helmet" first appears in Spaceballs
Daphne Zuniga is also extremely HOT
It is interesting to me how a movie or scene can be "powerful" to one person but pure cheese to another.
For example, someone in this thread mentioned the "Luke, I am your father" scene from Starwars. To me, it was that scene that ruined the whole series for me. It just seemed like the writer (Lucas?) got lazy and decided to make everyone related... so they could have that "It's a small world after all" moment at the end. Cheesy, cheesy, cheesy.
I was also disappointed by the end where Darth turns out to be a nice guy after all. I mean, come on! Darth Vader was such a cool badguy.. couldn't they have let him remain evil to the end? How lame.
Excellent List, as usual Naj. Last of the Mohicans is my wife's favorite. And I'm all over the Wizard of Oz....best musical ever!
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