Most Powerful Shot or Scene in a Film

A

ASchear

Well-known member
For my 100th post...Got an old favorite in the mail from Netflix today - it's one of those ones that I put on my queue a while ago just so I'd get it eventually; Renoir's Grand Illusion. Anyone else LOVE this film?

Anyway, one of the many reasons it's so great to me is it has the single most powerful shot / scene that I've seen in a film. If you've seen this gem, it's near the end I believe and involves a flower. Blows me away when I see it.

Anyone else have any favorites? Care to beat this one? One of my friends told me that there was a more powerful scene / shot in The Third Man, but I failed to see anything in that film when I watched it that beat Grand Illusion. Insight on that?
 
When I think of particular shots that stood out in films to me, I always think of--

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Delicatessen, when the lady that always wants to commit suicide realizes there are mole people in her trash chute. The quick boom up coupled with the expression on her face is something I will never forget.
 
I like the payback at the end of Michael Clayton, where Tilda Swinton's character drops to her knees in the background as Clooney walks to camera.
 
The dueling-anthems scene, in Casablanca. Holy sh*t, what a scene. Courage, defiance, and redemption all in one scene with no scripted dialog at all.

The moments before going over-the-top to assault the Turkish positions, in Gallipoli.

The last shot of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, standing alone in the rain as the synagogue doors are closed on him.
 
The scene at the end of "Seven" when Brad Pitt is trying to decide whether or not to shoot Kevin Spacey! "Ahhhh, what's in the box?!! What's in the f**king BOX?!!"
 
Sad Max said:
The dueling-anthems scene, in Casablanca. Holy sh*t, what a scene. Courage, defiance, and redemption all in one scene with no scripted dialog at all.
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this one goes double for me. and it was my dad who showed it to me for the first time. some of the context is missing by jumping right into the scene, but the cut to the french girl who had been whoring around with german soldiers, singing the french anthem always hits me pretty hard.

 
Yeah. That's your redemption, right there...

Watched it again while visiting with my Mom over the 4th weekend. Every time I see that movie, I notice something new or make a connection I hadn't made before. Amazes me how much is left to be found there, particularly considering the hideous gorilla gaggle that was reportedly the process of making it.
 
The Wizard of OZ.
A few scenes but there were several:

-The wicked witch being crushed under the house.

-The wicked witch of the North flying on the broom stick during the hurricane.

- The flying monkeys.


Also the pit scene from 'The Pit and the Pendulum.'

Really, way too many to mention.
 
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TimurCivan said:
I'm a sucker for the coin scene in the gas station in No Country for Old Men.
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The cinematography in that scene too...the shot of the cashier with all the belts hanging down is beautiful! The only thing that threw me about that scene was the Jack Links, kicked me right out of it whenever it was in the background.
 
TimurCivan said:
I'm a sucker for the coin scene in the gas station in No Country for Old Men.
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That one had me holding my breath longer than anything else I've seen. For emotional impact though, I have to go with What's Eating Gilbert Grape? The scene when Johnny Depp loses it and hits Gilbert - I felt physically ill.
 
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