"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
A Charlie Brown Christmas, directed by Bill Meléndez
This scene still surprises me to this day. Charlie Brown wonders aloud about the meaning of Christmas throughout this magnificent TV movie's short 32 minute runtime. When Linus steps up and recites Luke 2:8-14, A Charlie Brown Christmas becomes more than just a Peanuts movie. It's a commentary on the commercialization of a religious holiday. Think what you want to about Christmas, it's still remarkable that a television network like ABC still plays this movie every holiday season, despite the fact that it is so obviously religious. I'm not kidding when I say that the day they stop playing A Charlie Brown Christmas in December is the day I quit watching television forever.
The Interrogation
The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan
Much like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in Michael Mann's Heat, Batman (Christian Bale) and the Joker (Heath Ledger) don't have a whole lot of sit-down time together in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. Following the film's epic Tumbler/Batpod chase, Batman interrogates the Joker in an attempt to learn the whereabouts of Harvey Dent. The exchange between Bale and Ledger is perfectly-written, and the Joker manages to make some harrowing points that border uncomfortably on truthfulness. It's a brutal, intense and pitch-perfect scene that went a long way toward earning Ledger his posthumous Oscar.
"It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me."
Batman Begins, directed by Christopher Nolan
The final act of Batman Begins is definitely a little on the strange side, with Ducard (Liam Neeson) arriving in Gotham and revealing a twist that I don't quite understand to this day. Also, Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes), the person to whom Batman (Christian Bale) says the above line, is a character I've never much liked in Christopher Nolan's Batman movies. But after Batman rescues Dawes from Victor Zsasz, he utters the above line, one of the movie's best, simultaneously telling Dawes his true identity and being completely badass before gliding off to finish his job.
"I am your father."
The Empire Strikes Back, directed by Irvin Kershner
This one needs no explanation. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) battles through the Bespin Cloud City to rescue Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), only to fight Darth Vader (David Prowse/James Earl Jones) before Yoda (Frank Oz) tells him he’s ready. One of the most shocking twists in film history comes about as Vader utters the immortal line above, right after cutting Luke’s hand off. Truly epic. Sad note: I didn’t have to look up any of those names while writing this.
"Get away from her you bitch!"
Aliens, directed by James Cameron
The ending of James Cameron's masterful sequel Aliens seems to go on forever, but the payoff is fittingly epic. As the Alien Queen attacks Newt (Carrie Henn), Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) emerges clad in the mech-style loader she used earlier in the film to carry supplies. Ripley utters that immortal line, and proceeds to battle the Queen as Newt and both halves of Bishop look on. She finally opens the airlock door, ejecting the Queen into space and oblivion in one of the most suspenseful and intense endings ever filmed.
The Chase
The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan
The Dark Knight's chase scene is one of the best ever filmed. Christopher Nolan has a tendency for using practical effects, and it pays off in spades here. In this scene, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) plays the bait as the Joker (Heath Ledger) chases the armored car holding Dent, driven by Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) in disguise. Throw Batman (Christian Bale) and his Tumbler into the mix, and you've got one amazing chase scene on your hands. Some of the highlights include the reveal of the Batpod and the semi truck flip at the end of the chase.
Construction Site Parkour
Casino Royale, directed by Martin Campbell
One of the early scenes in Casino Royale is also one of the best. James Bond (Daniel Craig) chases a bomb maker through a construction site. Thing is, the bomb maker is played by Sebastian Foucan, one of the French originators of parkour. Also known as freerunning, parkour is an activity in which the runner gets from point A to point B making it look as cool and acrobatic as possible. Craig and Foucan do so, in styles very different from each other. The scene is fast, well-filmed and an absolute blast to watch.
“Kill the Queen!”
Shaun of the Dead, directed by Edgar Wright
I consider this scene to be the culmination of Edgar Wright’s masterful comedy Shaun of the Dead. The jukebox comes on in the Winchester as Shaun (Simon Pegg) and his friends whack the bartender, a zombie, over the head with pool cues to the beat of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.” It’s really funny, and it pretty much defines the film’s brand of comedy. It’s British, it’s dark, and it’s hilarious.
“Twist and Shout”
Ferris Bueller's Day Off, directed by John Hughes
This scene is so famous that it is recreated in the streets of Chicago every year. In the movie, Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick), one of the coolest high school students ever to grace the silver screen, tries to demonstrate to his friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) just how much fun they’ve had on their day off. Ferris dances and lip-syncs in the middle of a parade, and The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” eventually comes on. The entire parade joins Ferris in one of the most euphoric scenes ever put to film. I want to get up and dance every time I see it.
“Stuck in the Middle With You”
Reservoir Dogs, directed by Quentin Tarantino
I can’t choose one single scene from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction for this list, but one certainly stands out from his debut Reservoir Dogs. As the rest of the gang leaves to find where Mr. Pink stashed the heist loot, Mr. Blonde (Michael Masden) decides to stay behind, say some cool lines, and torture the cop they captured during the confusion of the heist. He does just that, eventually cutting the guy’s ear off and drenching him in gasoline, all the while with “Stuck in the Middle With You” by Stealers Wheel playing on the stereo. Just as Blonde is about to torch the cop, a gutted Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) pops up, riddles Blonde with bullets, and reveals himself as the rat within the heist operation. It’s a ridiculously cool reveal, and one of my favorite “aha!” moments in film history.
Obviously there are more great scenes in film history. Pulp Fiction and Goodfellas should be on the list, but I honestly think it'd be a disgrace to try and pick just one or two defining scenes from those movies. Post your favorite scenes below, I'm curious to read them!
1) The scene between Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper in True Romance
ReplyDelete2) Bank shootout scene in Heat
3) The ending swimming pool scene in Let The Right One In
4) The "Water trembling in glass" scene in Jurassic Park
5) The oil well on fire scene in There Will Be Blood
6) Pretty much any scene with Daniel Day Lewis in from Gangs of New York (rest of the film was pretty poor though)
7) Horses head scene in The Godfather Part 1
8) "I know it was you Fredo" in Godfather Part 2
Thumbs up to your Charlie Brown choice! Love that show -- you're right, it's still so relevant.
ReplyDeleteI think Jimmy Stewart has some classic scenes -- the endings of "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" both give me chills. Also, the "Are you trying to seduce me?" scene in "The Graduate"; "You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling" in "Top Gun"; Ringo's solo excursion in "A Hard Day's Night"; and, one of the /Film commenters was right, the piano store scene in "Once."
I know I'm missing something.