Oh cinema! The art that has given us so many hours of entertainment, the pleasure to feel emotions through the screen and cry, laugh and empathize with the characters!
These are my personal 20 favorite and most memorable movie scenes, in no particular ranking order, that are kept in my mind as unforgettable ones. Share in comments which ones are yours! Do you share any of these ones or what others are your personal favorite ones?
20. Final shooting in “Road to Perdition”
Tom Hank‘s performance, the amazing picture of the scene under the rain, Paul Newman’s final words… I get goosebumps every time I see this one:
19. Jesus can roll in “The Big Lebowski”
The man, the legend, the… Jesus! What a scene in slow motion from one of the most iconic John Turturro‘s character!
18. The chicken scene in “Schindlers List”
So many memorable scenes in this movie that is difficult to choose just one, but my pick will go to this one, where the brutality of war, the irony and the intelligence to survive are masterfully combined:
17. Something forgotten it is in your beer, in “Memento”
What a fabulous script and what a direction by Christopher Nolan, and what great performances by Guy Pierce and Carrie Ann-Moss! But be careful what you drink, buddy!
16. Omaha beach scene in “Saving Private Ryan”
Probably the most realistic, shocking and brutal war scene ever filmed in cinema history by the genius Spielberg:
15. Tears in the rain – “Blade Runner”
Ruger Hauer delivering one of the most iconic monologues in the history of cinema to Harrison Ford, you cannot ask much more than this…
14. The gang is united till the end in “Toy Story 3“
There is no way I can see this scene without some tear escaping my eyes. A gang of animated toys showed us what unconditional friendship is about:
13. What a loving relationship is about in “Up”
We are not done with animation movies that shred a tear. This next one could go as the best ever scene made in any animation movie in history. What a mix of beautiness and sadness the masterminds of Pixar delivered at the start of “Up” movie:
12. The grief of Don Corleone in “The Godfather”
Marlon Brando‘s interpretation of Vito Corleone will go down the cinema history. Here you can see why, in this amazing scene of his grief from a lost killed son:
11. Pen scene in “Casino”
How can you be the smallest and at the same time the scariest guy in a room? Well, ask Danny DeVito about it and he will kindly explain it to you writing it carefully with a pen on you skin…
10. Shootout in “Miller’s Crossing”
We started our list with Tom Hank‘s handling the machine gun like a ghost of death, but has the song of death from a Thompson ever been displayed more beautifully as in this historical scene?
9. Bank robbery shootout in “Heat”
And if we have to remember another memorable scene of shootouts, here is this one from Heat, probably no shootout scene in cinema history has ever had the most realistic, defying and shocking sound as this one:
8. Laser sable fight in “The Phantom Menace”
As a die hard Star Wars fan, I could have completed the list with iconic moments from the saga, but here is my favorite one, something we had never seen before, 2 Jedi masters versus a Sith holding 2 sable swords… the choreography, the music, the epic of the encounter…
7. A final surprise in “Usual Suspects”
This one could very well be considered the most epic twist in the history of recent cinema. What a cherry on top of the cream for such an epic movie and such an epic cast!
6. Nobody puts Baby in the Corner in “Dirty Dancing”
Summer is gone, love seems lost… until Patrick Swayze enters the room and delivers one last epic dance. Brings you back to those times that were the times of your life…
5. The real William Munny shows up in “Unforgiven”
What a powerful performance by Clint Eastwood here. When the old killing machine wakes up on revenge of his old friend, they get to know whom they are messing around:
4. To read about life is not the same as living life in “Good Will Hunting”
I recently spent 10 days at hospital while my Dad was slowly abandoning this world, so it is difficult for me not to cry with this masterful speech by Robin Williams “…because the doctors could see in your eyes that the terms “visiting hours” don’t apply to you…” What a scene!
3. Balrog vs Gandalf in “Lord of the Rings”
Because we all need a friend like Gandalf when the most terrifying creature in Middle Earth decides to wipe us on a bridge. A scene that captures the essence of the book masterfully!
2. Opera to give hope in “Shawshank Redemption”
Shawshank Redemption is my favorite movie ever. A Masterpiece from start to finish. Here is my favorite scene from the movie, a little jewel full of defiance, beauty and hope:
1.Final Scene in “The last of the Mohicans”
This scene compresses to me what cinema is about. Impossible not to be touched by the display of emotions here: the tremendous and powerful music, the sacrifice, the fight, the love… These are minutes of pure CINEMA.