Most emotionally powerful scenes in movies

[Guts/Batman]

What are some of the most powerful scenes in movies?

The end scene of Last of the Mohicans is definitely one for me.

Also, the last charge, death scene of Katsumoto and Algren's sword presentation scene in The Last Samurai also qualifies for me.

[cactusmaac]

Little Red Girl in Schindler's List.

Death of Optimus Prime in TFTM.

"No Luke, I am your father."

[Tages]

Jerry Lundergaard's arrest in "Fargo" (shut up, Deathstroke and EZMOHR).

Jake LaMotta beating on the walls of his prison cell in "Raging Bull". "You're so stupid...so stupid..."

Rick sacrificing a chance to be with the woman he loves for a cause in "Casablanca".

The coronation scene in "Return of the King." "You bow to no one."

Susan Alexander's opera debut in "Citizen Kane" and the single, lonely applause.

The song "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" in "Cabaret," which seamlessly transitions from a song full of optimism and hope into horror when you realize who's singing it and what it's really about.

The final scene in "Grave of the Fireflies."

Alex's attempted suicide in "A Clockwork Orange."

Sam Spade's speech to Bridget at the end of "The Maltese Falcon."

The end of "La Dolce Vita" on the beach, when the girl across the water can't understand him and you realize all at once how lonely and pathetic his life is.

"Return of the Jedi," when Luke looks at his hand and decides to resist temptation, and Vader's final moments.

"Treasure of the Sierra Madre," when Dobbs reveals his madness almost by accident in explaining why he thinks his partner didn't shoot him.

Spencer Tracey's final speech in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner." You can see Hepburn fight back tears because she knows it's the last time he'll ever be on film.

Enid playing the record from her childhood in "Ghost World."

Fowler making his fatal decision in "The Quiet American," (the 2002 version, not the shitty Mankiewicz 50s version) when you can see that he's telling himself it's a matter of justice but it's obvious jealousy is consuming him.

The heartbreaking scene at the end of "Million Dollar Baby" when Frankie does something for which he'll never forgive himself.

And of course, the end to "E.T."

[Davideaux]

Death of Boromir in "Fellowship of the Ring"

Heiman Roth's "I didn't ask who killed Mo Green" speech in "Godfather pt 2"

Seabiscuit's final race.

[Magneto_X]

The fate of Brigitte Fitzgerald's character and when she finally sees the werewolf for the first time in "Ginger Snaps: Unleashed".

[Phil Clark]

The end awards ceremony in "Best of the Best". Only martial arts film that about brings a tear to my eye every time I watch it.

[slayer2005]

Charging Fort Wagner - Glory

[Dark Soul # 7]

Ok, people are going to tease me now but here goes.
I cry during Aunt May´s "real hero" speech in the second Spider-man movie. It surprised the hell out of me the first time I heard it. But it was just so sweet and true. I love that scene.

[SlightlyMad]

Ok, people are going to tease me now but here goes.
I cry during Aunt May´s "real hero" speech in the second Spider-man movie. It surprised the hell out of me the first time I heard it. But it was just so sweet and true. I love that scene.

That's a great speech, plus a really subtle "I know you're Spider-Man & it's OK" moment.

My picks of the top of my head:

Beavis' "We're never gonna score" speech from Beavis & Butt-Head Do America Just gets you right there doesn't it? (Good job no-one can see where I'm pointing ;) :D ).

Seriously though, Heather's death in Highlander is beautifully done; Christopher Lambert's speech plus "Who Wants to live Forever" - Not a dry eye in the house.

[Adaptoid]

How about the scene in "Ben Hur" where he is dying of thirst and "Jesus" gives him water in defiance of the Roman centurian?

[Aggie]

That's a great speech, plus a really subtle "I know you're Spider-Man & it's OK" moment.




i second that one...the 4 off the top of my head:

1) the color purple: everyone singing from the juke joint down to the church and shug says..."even sinners got a song."

2) Whale Rider: Pai's speech while looking out into the audience and doesn't see her grandpa there

3) steel magnolias: the cemetary scene...one of sally fields' finest moments

4) The Children's Hour: the shadow of martha swinging from the rafters

[artemisboy]

In addition to the Shugg Avery/Preacher moment mentioned earlier re: The Color Purple, I also think the end scene when Whoopi's character is reunited with her children is also very heart touching.

Others include *SPOILERS* :

Imitation of Life (Lana Turner version) - When Sara-Jane runs to her mother's coffin

Big Fat Greek Wedding - When Tula's father hands Ian an envelope after the wedding and Ian says to Tula that he bought them a house

The Last American Virgin - When Gary walks in on Rick and Karen in the kitchen at the end of the movie

Sixteen Candles - When Jake tells Samantha to make a wish and she tells him that it already came true

Love Actually - When Jamie proposes to Aurelia

Muriel's Wedding - When Rhonda confronts Muriel at the wedding shop

Beaches - When Hillary dies

Always Remember I Love You - TV movie where Stephen Dorff's character leaves a note for his biological mom Patty Duke to read on the Christmas tree at the end of the movie

After The Promise - Another TV movie when Mark Harmon's character finally gets his children back

And thought its not a movie, when Ricky finds out that Lucy is pregnate in I Love Lucy.

- Peter

[Dennis K]

What are some of the most powerful scenes in movies?


I won't even name the scene, I'll just give you the movie and you'll be able to guess I'm sure.

Old Yeller
Brian's Song
Shawshank Redemption
King Kong
Philadelphia
Bad Boys
The Road To Perdition
The Exorcist
Patton
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

[HomerJay]

The scenes that give me goosebumps everytime:
- The end of HOOSIERS (especially "I love you guys")
- The end of THE KARATE KID
- David climbing out of the pool in UNBREAKABLE
- "Merril, swing away" and the reveal of all the glasses of water in SIGNS
- Neo flies into the camera at the end of THE MATRIX


The scenes that turn me into a puddle:
- Sam's speech to Frodo near the end of THE TWO TOWERS
- Lester reminiscing about his life before he dies in AMERICAN BEAUTY
- The "baby of mine" montage in DUMBO (I'm such a pussy)
- Forrest visits Jenny's grave in FORREST GUMP

I'm sure there's a bunch I'm forgetting.

[yeoman]

Death of Optimus Prime in TFTM.


Okay, I know it's a little geekish to go with that scene, but, really, it's a fantastic death scene. Music, voice acting, everything.

[artemisboy]

"You got the touch!"

"Arise Rodimus Prime"

"Optimus?"

LOL

- Peter

[Scottsdale_Saint]

couple off the top of my head...

final scene at the end of 'se7en'. from david's (b.pitt) realization that his wife is gone, to the resignation of somerset (m.freeman), that the world is a terrible place.

death scene of maximus in 'gladiator'-when lucilla sobs "you're home," brings a tear to my eye every time.

field of dreams-"hey dad, wanna have a catch?" 'nuff said.

[Tages]

The Road To Perdition
You know what got to me more than the end of that movie?

"I'm glad it's you."

[stealthwise]

- The tragic finale to Se7en
- Adaptation - "Imagine me and you..."
- Spider-Man's battle with the Green Goblin in the first movie
- Gandalf's arrival in Two Towers
- Munny takes a drink and what follows in Unforgiven...

[Guts/Batman]

Death of Optimus Prime always gets me as well.

In Rudy: When the whole crowd starts chanting his name and he actually gets in always gets me.

The field preparer's (Charles Dutton's character) speech is friggin awesome, I think. One of the best inspirational speeches I have heard in movies. I'm not exactly the movie goer so that could explain it.

[LordEd1976]

Charging Fort Wagner - Glory

Oh yeah.

That and Saving Private Ryan "Earn This."

[Guts/Batman]

- Munny takes a drink and what follows in Unforgiven...

The last 20-30 minutes of that movie is just badass as it gets, I think.

[Buzz Dixon]

Bambi's mom getting shot.

[Dennis K]

Charging Fort Wagner - Glory

The burial afterwards.

[Kirayoshi]

Jimmy Stewart running down the main street of Bedford Falls in "It's a Wonderful Life". "MERRY CHRISTMAS, YOU WONDERFUL OL' BUILDING AND LOAN!" Heck, pretty much the entire movie, especially once Clarence shows up.

The death of Spock, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan".

The memorial for Oskar Schindler at the end of "Schindler's List", where the surviving Schindler Jews and the actors who starred in the movie each placed a stone on Schindler's grave.

Everyone standing on their desks shouting, "O Captain My Captain!" at the end of "Dead Poet's Society".

Gandalf hanging from the cliff in "Fellowship of the Ring". "Run you fools!" Plus the moments afterward.

Bruce Willis showing his son the newspaper headline without saying a word, quietly confirming that he was the guy who saved those girls from the psycho killer in "Unbreakable". Just the look on the kid's face when he realized his dad was a real hero.

MJ standing in Peter's doorway, then saying, "Go get 'em, Tiger" when the sirens went off, "Spider-Man 2". Loved the bittersweet look on her face at the very end.

[Erik Lehnsherr]

When Michael Corleone sees the newspaper of his father being shot up and you can LITERALLY see him snap and become a different man before your very eyes...he went from law abiding soldier for his country to black souled version of his father that would kill his brother to continue his means.

[Albert]

Spencer Tracy's contempt of court in Inherit the Wind

Randy Quaid's sacrifice in Independence Day "Hello boys, I'm baaaack!"

[GabrielleWP]

Field of Dreams The whole ending. And Costners voice cracking when he says 'Hey Dad, wanna have a catch?'. F'in gets me every time.

Million Dollar Baby Frankie telling Maggie what mo chuisle means while doing what he has to do.

Black Widow When Paul walks out at the end. Doesn't shock me now since i've seen it so much, but when I first did, I was.

The Bridges of Madison County Her shaking hand, on the car door. While his car is in front of her in the rain with the turn signal on.

All I can think of atm,

GWP

[Trystenn]

I nominate the scene in Shawshank Redemption when Tim Robbins character finally breaks out of the prison and is standing there crying in the rain, always hits me in the heart.

Honorable mentions to The Iron Giant......"Sooo..Per..Man"

And Green Mile, the whole scene with Joe Coffee singing "Im In Heaven", D*mn near cried when that happened.

[Doom]

The scene in Unbreakable after Bruce Willis finally understands who he is, what he can do, the good he can do and vows to make up for lost time. And he's pushed into the pool and is drowning. It's his one and only weakness. But just seeing something special and unique in the world almost getting destroyed like that...
Really powerful.

But another one is the scene in Finding Nemo after they fail to rescue Nemo thinking him dead.
And Marlon is left with nothing and just swims away. While Dorean begs him to stay, because she knows if he does she'll have nothing.
And suddenlly we see something worse then death. Now that was great.

And in the opposite direction, the scene in the Incredibles where Bob thinks he's lost his family and Mirage tries to let him go.

Mirage: Hurry, there's not much time.

Bob: You're right. There's no time left at all.
(And almost snaps her neck.)

Man that was a good scene.

[shades of eternity]

"I am a leaf on the..."

Serenity

[Cyke]

The memorial for Oskar Schindler at the end of "Schindler's List", where the surviving Schindler Jews and the actors who starred in the movie each placed a stone on Schindler's grave.


Additionally, right before that scene, when Schindler's finally forced to get out of there. His self-imposed guilt about how many people his car and his jewelry could've saved was masterfully played by Neeson. Ben Kingsley is every bit as fantastic himself.

[artemisboy]

When Michael Corleone sees the newspaper of his father being shot up and you can LITERALLY see him snap and become a different man before your very eyes...he went from law abiding soldier for his country to black souled version of his father that would kill his brother to continue his means.

Oh, this reminds me: In Godfather III when Mary gets shot at the end.

- Peter

[kmeyers]

Easily the best for me was the end of Big Fish, when he tells his dad that story.

It really makes the whole movie just that much better. Gets me every time.

[BlairH]

6th June 1944
Omaha Beach, Dog Green Sector

The juxtaposition of dying men praying to their God, and Jackson praying for vengance whilst sniping Nazis is particularly powerful.

[Forefinger]

In Jenna loves Rocco when he kissed her even after ejaculating on her face.

[The Mirrorball Man]

The scene that always does it for me, no matter how often I watch the movie is in Princess Mononoke. San stabs Ashitaka in the chest, and Ashitaka just takes her in his arms, and holds her tightly. "I'm sorry. I tried to stop them."

In The Godfather, part II: "Oh, Michael, you are blind. It wasn't a miscarriage. It was an abortion.", etc.

In Annie Hall, the final monologue: "I thought of that old joke... This guy goes to a psychiatrist and says, "Doc, my brother's crazy; he thinks he's a chicken." And the doctor says, "Well, why don't you turn him in?" The guy says, "I would, but I need the eggs." Well, I guess that's pretty much now how I feel about relationships: they're totally irrational and crazy and absurd but I guess we keep goin' through it because most of us need the eggs."