My 15 Favorite Movie Scenes from the Last 20 Years
May 31 2012 12:17am
Great movies are comprised of great scenes. (Captain Obvious is smiling.) Now and then, though, among the great scenes is a great scene, one which inspires or haunts or moves you to your very core. Below are fifteen such scenes, in my opinion at least. Please feel free and encouraged to share favorites of your own in the comments.
I s'pose I should note there might be spoilers (nature of the beast), but the newest movie on this list is still over a year old. I've always believed in a spoiler statute of limitations of a year, maybe two. But, yes, to the spoiler wary, consider yourselves warned!
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15.
A perfect moment of humanity, chaos, and urban energy in a wonderful film fascinated by those elements and sensations. Cage at his unpredictable, live-wire best.
14.
An intimate and disturbing murder scene, one which, in an instant, turns a subtle tale of homoerotic obsession into a more ferocious suspense film.
13.
Many films over the last 20 years have dealt with the nature of reality and the manipulation/simulation of our environments. Vanilla Sky never receives as much praise as, say, The Matrix or Inception, which is a shame. This scene is as poignant as it is mind-bending, and the visual elements (atop a skyscraper under a painted sky) are striking. The paternal, serious therapist, played with intelligence by Kurt Russell, becoming desperate as he argues for his existence and then accepting he is "mortality as home entertainment" is a wonderful and unsettling moment.
12.
One of the most terrifying endings in the history of horror cinema. So simple, so effective. Yes, it, in its brevity and abrupt terror, has been copied by numerous films now, but I do not believe the impact of these rough-hewn, poorly lit images has been reduced or compromised by the coattail riders.
11.
Tarantino has penned and/or directed several great scenes of confrontation/conversation, from the vicious, hilarious Sicilian scene in True Romance to the tense dialogue between Hans Landa and the French farmer at the beginning of Inglourious Basterds. This is perhaps his most underrated and has always been a favorite of mine. The way the tension rises between the two men is acted to perfection, and the eventual gunshot is startling. And beneath the violence, there is a strange, but potent poignant quality: a pair of old friends saying goodbye, one mourning the loss even as he pulls the trigger.
10.
Michael Mann films often end with a chase and a shootout, and he often infuses these scenes with a mythic quality. Here, he dramatizes one of the most iconic moments in the history of American crime and law enforcement: the shooting of gangster John Dillinger outside a Chicago movie palace. Mann stages this brutal moment in an interesting way: at first, the scene feels enormous, from the rousing music to Dillinger's ice-cold turn and stare, but then it feels small, sad, and grotesque, eons from glamorous or meaningful. History, yes, but also just a moment of violence: a criminal shot through the face and then the chest, people staring in morbid fascination, blood on the street, move along.
9.
What can one say? These moments capture almost too well the confusion and sorrow of the Holocaust. Giving the doomed child's coat a slight, devastating hint of color in a sea of otherwise austere B&W compositions proves an effective decision on Steven Spielberg's part. One of the most enduring cinematic images of the 1990s.
8.
One of the Charlotte Brontë novel's best and most memorable exchanges is brought to powerful cinematic life by Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender in this scene, which also features gorgeous, natural cinematography. Perhaps an even superior scene if one knows Rochester's secret: a tortured soul, he is well aware he is transgressing and deceiving Jane, but he cannot bear to see her leave, so he enters into a flawed contract. A highly romantic scene with thoughtful, intense depths.
7.
I have always admired the aching honesty of this scene: a blue-collar average joe recognizing his friend is more intelligent and has more potential in life and telling him, with force and passion, he is foolish to stay put and settle for less, to settle for what the rest of them have and will always have until their dying days. It is an interesting and touching dynamic. Both actors are in fine form.
6.
An isolated moment of serenity and awe, followed by an almost instant return to carnage and anger. A visceral portrait of modern humanity.
5.
A real moment of connection between two lifelong friends and lovers, with every pretense and barrier falling away. A final understanding and a firm, unforgettable farewell. Such a sad and violent scene, yet laced with romance and compassion.
4.
This film has many beautiful moments blending music, memory, reality, and dreams. This may be the most magical. "See yourself on stage, inside out, a tangle of garlands in your hair." The mystery, menace, and sadness of glam captured on film. A movement where style revealed substance. Also, for the Comic-Con types in the crowd, it's Batman and Obi-Wan Kenobi going at it!
3.
Badass, right? From Russell Crowe's wrenching delivery (instantly cementing his A-list star power) to Joaquin Phoenix's sullen, sniveling portrait of villainy to the roar of the crowd, this declaration of vengeance has real impact.
2.
Such a rich scene. It can almost be read as a conversation between man and God. At the exit door of the studio (his prison), Truman's dilemma seems to represent a decision every individual faces, a decision the human race faces: to stay inside the lines and submit to the rule of others or to embrace one's self and pursue one's own desires. These heavy notions are blended with poignancy and humor here. How was Jim Carrey not nominated for an Oscar for this performance?
And my choice for the very best scene of the last 20 years is:
The whisper (not) heard 'round the world. To be honest, I feel inadequate to even put the tender beauty of this early-morning fare-thee-well embrace into words. Pure cinema. Pure magic. Will they meet again? Even if the answer is no, these gestures indicate theirs is a bond which will never be forgotten.
I totally agree to the Blair Witch, Schindler's List, Gladiator, and Truman Show all being represented. For Gladiator, the scene at the end when he gets carried out and the Emperor is left on the ground had more weight, but your's was still a great clip.
