In the tradition of the latest 'best of ____ in film' posts, how about a 'best film deaths' thread?
My personal pick goes to, in this order:
1. The Death of Lord Washizu (Toshiro Mifune) at the end of Throne of Blood. Stunning sequence and the death includes, in my opinion, the most flawless stop-motion effect ever in film.
2. Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) falling from the Nakatomi building in Die Hard. Easily the best 'man falling to his death' ever filmed.
3. Cain's (John Hurt) death from the chest burster in Alien.
4. Lord Macbeth's (Jon Finch) death in the Roman Polanski version of Macbeth.
5. Emperor Caligula's (Malcolm McDowell) assasination in Caligula.
Best Film Deaths
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[Syl]
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Wallace (Gibson) in Braveheart.
Marvin (Phil LaMarr) in Pulp Fiction
Major Kong (Slim Pickens) in Dr. Strangelove
Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) in Fight Club (you knew that was coming)
Marvin (Phil LaMarr) in Pulp Fiction
Major Kong (Slim Pickens) in Dr. Strangelove
Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) in Fight Club (you knew that was coming)
"It is not the literal past that rules us, save, possibly, in a biological sense. It is images of the past. Each new historical era mirrors itself in the picture and active mythology of its past or of a past borrowed from other cultures. It tests its sense of identity, of regress or new achievement against that past.”
-George Steiner
-George Steiner
All excellent choices (as was Hans Gruber's). I'd add Amilyn's (Paul Reubens) death in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.Syl wrote:Wallace (Gibson) in Braveheart.
Marvin (Phil LaMarr) in Pulp Fiction
Major Kong (Slim Pickens) in Dr. Strangelove
Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) in Fight Club (you knew that was coming)
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
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"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
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"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
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"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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Menolly
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I am sure these are not what you mean by death scenes, as they (mostly) occur off camera. But I am always affected the most by the deaths of Bambi's mother (Bambi) and Simba's father (The Lion King).
The killing of Yeller in Old Yeller gets me everytime too (man I love Disney films)...
And the "death" of HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey...
...yeah, I watch far more animated and family films than dramas and action...
The killing of Yeller in Old Yeller gets me everytime too (man I love Disney films)...
And the "death" of HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey...
...yeah, I watch far more animated and family films than dramas and action...
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[Syl]
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Classic!All excellent choices (as was Hans Gruber's). I'd add Amilyn's (Paul Reubens) death in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
"It is not the literal past that rules us, save, possibly, in a biological sense. It is images of the past. Each new historical era mirrors itself in the picture and active mythology of its past or of a past borrowed from other cultures. It tests its sense of identity, of regress or new achievement against that past.”
-George Steiner
-George Steiner
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aTOMiC
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Benjamin Moss (J.R. Bourne) in 13 Ghosts. Ouch!
Quellek (Patrick Breen) Galaxy Quest. "By Graphar's Hammer you shall be avenged!"
President Dale (Jack Nicholson) Mars Attacks!
Billy (Jack Black) Mars Attacks!
Quellek (Patrick Breen) Galaxy Quest. "By Graphar's Hammer you shall be avenged!"
President Dale (Jack Nicholson) Mars Attacks!
Billy (Jack Black) Mars Attacks!
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ItisWritten
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Which also qualifies as the longest death scene . . . so long as you're one of those who sticks around to the end of the credits.Cail wrote:All excellent choices (as was Hans Gruber's). I'd add Amilyn's (Paul Reubens) death in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.Syl wrote:Wallace (Gibson) in Braveheart.
Marvin (Phil LaMarr) in Pulp Fiction
Major Kong (Slim Pickens) in Dr. Strangelove
Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) in Fight Club (you knew that was coming)
ItisWritten
Oooohhhhh......Ahhhhhhhhhh....Oooooooooooooo.....Mmmmmmmmm
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
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Worm of Despite
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My favorite: Roy Batty's death in Blade Runner
Joe Pesci's character in GoodFellas
Gomer Pyle in Full Metal Jacket
Everyone who dies in The Godfather (especially Sonny)
Everyone who dies in Godfather, Part II (especially the old Don getting sliced open)
Randall P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The end of Taxi Driver
Russian roulette in The Deer Hunter
But nothing beats this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7gIpuIVE3k
Joe Pesci's character in GoodFellas
Gomer Pyle in Full Metal Jacket
Everyone who dies in The Godfather (especially Sonny)
Everyone who dies in Godfather, Part II (especially the old Don getting sliced open)
Randall P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The end of Taxi Driver
Russian roulette in The Deer Hunter
But nothing beats this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7gIpuIVE3k
Last edited by Worm of Despite on Fri Dec 07, 2007 9:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Menolly
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*blushing*Montressor wrote:Damn good choice . . .Menolly wrote:
And the "death" of HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey...
Thank you sir.
For some reason, I have always linked that scene in my mind with the degeneration of Charlie in the short story Flowers for Algernon. They have nothing to do with each other. Yet, when I think of one, I think of the other. So for me, it's sort of a double whammy.
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Cagney-freaking out on his way to the electric chair in Angels With Dirty Faces.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Alec Guiness falling on the dynomite plunger in Bridge on the River Kwai.
Bonnie and Cylde-nasty
Easy Rider when the rednecks blow Fonda and Hopper away.
And one of the most moving and gutwrenching is Henry Fonda and his sons trying to prevent Joe Stampers from drowning under a felled tree as the river rises in Sometimes a Great Notion-so Ken Kesey (who also wrote One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest) knows how to write intense death scenes...
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Alec Guiness falling on the dynomite plunger in Bridge on the River Kwai.
Bonnie and Cylde-nasty
Easy Rider when the rednecks blow Fonda and Hopper away.
And one of the most moving and gutwrenching is Henry Fonda and his sons trying to prevent Joe Stampers from drowning under a felled tree as the river rises in Sometimes a Great Notion-so Ken Kesey (who also wrote One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest) knows how to write intense death scenes...
Last edited by danlo on Sat Dec 08, 2007 1:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
fall far and well Pilots!
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Painful to watch is the french guy in "The Green Mile" the one the jerky guy purposefully doesn't wet the sponge for. Ugh.
Now if I could just find a way to wear live bees as jewelry all the time.....
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I think you may be refering to the clan leader being buried in the lake. It is the same movie though.
The Kagemusha, a thief originally, has been impersonating the clan leader, who died as a result of wounds received from a sniper, for nearly three years. He was exposed as an impersonator though and cast out. However he had a loyalty to the clan and followed them as they went into a battle wherethe clan's army were slaughtered by the firearms of the enemy. The end of the movie showed the Kagmusha, alone charging the enemy position. He was hit and stumbled into a nearby stream where he fell dead. The final scene a shot from above of the Kagemusha's body floating past the submerged but visible banner of the clan leader he was impersonating.
The Kagemusha, a thief originally, has been impersonating the clan leader, who died as a result of wounds received from a sniper, for nearly three years. He was exposed as an impersonator though and cast out. However he had a loyalty to the clan and followed them as they went into a battle wherethe clan's army were slaughtered by the firearms of the enemy. The end of the movie showed the Kagmusha, alone charging the enemy position. He was hit and stumbled into a nearby stream where he fell dead. The final scene a shot from above of the Kagemusha's body floating past the submerged but visible banner of the clan leader he was impersonating.
Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a good carpenter to build one.
Sam Rayburn