Yesterday I wrote a piece on my notion of a good death. One commenter rightfully pointed out the best possible death is “going down in a lightsaber fight against a Sith Lord, and then coming back as a sage spirit in the sequels but NEVER in a prequel.” Amen to that.
Well that got me thinking of the best death scenes in movies. I don’t like to use the word cinema as it seems snooty to me. Am I the only one? Anyway, what are your favorite death scenes in the movies. Here are some of my favorites in no particular order.
The Mission Opening scene where the Jesuit missionary gets sent over the falls on a cross.
Braveheart. Two scenes. First when Wallace’s wife has her throat so casually cut as she desperately searches the hillside for her husband who never comes. And of course the end when being eviscerated and tortured, Mel screams freedom. Plus, the death scene has a little person in it. Extra star just for that.
Goodfellas murder montage and Tommy getting whacked. There was nothing we could do.
The Last of the Mohicans 2 scenes. First when Heyward sacrifices himself and Hawkeye shoots him and when Uncas fights and loses to Magua but daddy takes care of business.
True Romance. Walken & Hopper. ’nuff said.
Life is beautiful when Guido marches off to be shot while still protecting his son from the horror.
American History X. The curb scene. This is remarkable for its shocking brutality.
Steel Magnolias. I like to see Julia Roberts die. I rewind. Play. Rewind. Play. Rewind. Play.
Boromir in LOTR (Agreeing with Nzie)
Anybody says Titanic and they are banned from the blog. I mean it.
Oh and the entire movie of Weekend at Bernies. The first one. After that it just got silly.
So what am I missing? What are your favorite scenes?
December 19, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Great additions by everybody. Well except the anonymous guy (or gal) who thinks we are going to hell by way of the cafeteria.
December 19, 2008 at 3:16 pm
How about the end of the Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, When “Angel Eyes” (Lee Van Cleef) gets killed in the cemetary by “Blondie” Clint Eastwood)
Or
Lethal Weapon 2 when the South Arican diplomat is about to get shot and yells out “Diplomatic Immunity”, and Murtaugh and Riggs shoot him, and yell back “Revoked”.
December 19, 2008 at 3:19 pm
-Darth Vader
-The Six-fingered Man (“My name is Inigo Montoya, prepare to die!”)
-The ending scenes of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. All three – the Sheriff stabbed, the corrupt Bishop tossed out the window with his gold, and of course the crazy evil witch slain by Morgan Freeman’s awesome battle axe.
Another personal favorite of mine is when the King/frog begins to die in Shrek 2 (or was it 3?). Everyone in the theatre (snooty spelling just for you) was silent and suddenly my 5-year-old son started cracking up because he thought the gasping sounds were so funny. Which they eventually were, but it started out fairly dramatic and his laughter ringing out at the serious part was/is one of my favorite sounds ever.
December 19, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Not a movie, but the best death scene I recall hearing about was a retired pastor from a local parish out golfing with his brother one day (true story). The priest looked up in the sky and said, “Look, John, it’s an angel!” Then he keeled over with a heart attack and went to the Lord.
Here’s hopin’ the angels come to bring us all home to the Lord when it is our time.
God bless and Merry Christmas,
Dan
December 19, 2008 at 3:25 pm
“How about the Black Knight scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail?”
Classic, but not actually a death scene, is it?
One more to add – the Nazi in Indiana Jones. “You have chosen poorly.”
December 19, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Ah, but the Black Knight didn’t die in “Holy Grail.”
(Speaking of which, there’s a hilarious mash-up on YouTube of that scene, with all the Black Knight’s dialogue replaced by Darth Vader lines.)
Vader’s death in Return of the Jedi was a pretty good death, if not the best scene cinematically.
Malone (Sean Connery) in The Untouchables.
HAL in 2010, sacrificing himself and the Discovery to save the crew.
Spock in The Wrath of Khan, even if it didn’t take. (And yes, I’m sad about Majel Barrett. Big-time geek sadness.)
December 19, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Yea, yea. Good point about the Black Knight not dying, I guess. I still crack up picturing the knight (with no arms or legs) looking up at Arthur and saying, “shall we call it a draw?”
December 19, 2008 at 3:36 pm
The six-fingered man.
Most satisfying revenge ever.
December 19, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I find it surprising that none of you have included Stephen Boyd’s incredible death in BEN-HUR. That is easily the best of the bunch.
December 19, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Let’s not forget the tragic end of Fredo in Godfather II. However I go, I’d hope to be praying the Hail Mary on the way out.
December 19, 2008 at 3:56 pm
In Independence Day, the drunken crop-duster father in the fighter pilot whose missile jams, flies the whole plane up the butt of the alien ship.
December 19, 2008 at 4:06 pm
The Italian priest in Scarlet and the Black who was executed by Nazi Colonel Herbert Kappler when the Italian firing squad refused to shoot him when the priest said “I forgive you my brothers… Viva Italia!”
December 19, 2008 at 4:13 pm
ooh, that is a good one, Anon at 11.06!
December 19, 2008 at 4:13 pm
“Hello, Boys! I’m Ba-aack!”
December 19, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Major Kong is tough to beat in Dr. Strangelove.
But I humbly suggest Dr. Zhivago’s death from heartbreak
December 19, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Oh, how could I forget the death of Smiler Grogan (Jimmy Durante) in “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World”?
December 19, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Dating myself, as in age.
*Ratzo Rizzo’s “slipping into darkness” under the arms of Joe just as the bus reaches Florida. (Midnight Cowboy)
*from “Repo Man”- Otto’s “white, suburban punk criminal” friend’s sputtering monologue before his coughing croak of a death after the botched shootout at the generic liquor store.
*Kevin Spacey’s “Lt. Jack” in “L.A. Confidential-the total shock on his face that he didn’t figure his boss was the bad guy after being shot by Dudley, and then the shift in his eyes as he’s challenged by Dudley for a valediction, to which a slight smile comes up as he gasps “Rollo Tomasi.”
*Vasquez and the incompetent Captain in “Aliens” giving their comrades a chance to escape by holding onto a grenade in an air duct (where else?) until they pull the pin and obliterate the alien posse.
*Lt. Pazzi’s re-historical hanging and evisceration at the hands of Hannibal Lector in Florence (“Hannibal”)Hopkins, as Lector, chirping “Okey dokey, here we go” and humming “rock a bye baby” before he slits Pazzi’s belly open.
*Not technically a death scene, but-when Ed Harris revives his hypothermic, drowned, almost ex-wife (Mastroantonio) in “The Abyss.”
*Christopher Walken’s inevitable bad luck in “Deer Hunter” just as De Niro’s “Michael” finally gets Walken’s character to barely remember their past, in the Russian Roulette back parlor in Saigon during the fall.
*Last one I can remember for now-Kate Winslett’s passing in “Neverland.” Tears pouring down my face.
December 19, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Sean Connery telling Eliot Ness while dying, gun-shot-riddin on the floor, “What are you prepared to do?” in the Untouchables.
To the poster who mentioned A Man for All Seasons, More actually tipped his executioner as well, he must have once lived on Long Island.
Braveheart was mentioned, but not the death of William Wallace, “FRREEEEDDDOOOOOMMMMM!!!”
December 19, 2008 at 5:39 pm
This reminds me of that great Far Side comic where the cowboys are preparing for an old west shoot-out in a little town. they guy in charge is telling everybody where to position themselves. He says something like,
“Jenkins, you head up to the roof of the saloon. And for godssake if you ARE plugged, don’t just slump over and die! Put some drama into it and throw yourself screaming over the edge.”
December 19, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Stephen Baldwin in “The Usual Suspects”, last line – “The strangest thing…”
Ah-nuld in T2 – giving the thumbs up in the smelter.