# Amazingly well done scenes that leave you breathless **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 25, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985 "2004-10-25T03:05:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/1 "2004-10-25T03:05:03Z")
**There will be spoilers!** To avoid spoiling things, but without needing the boxes, post the name of the show or movie first, than list the particulars of the scene. Or, just go ahead and use the spoiler box. _ **Dead Poets Society** _ Amazing as it may seem, the girl I’m seeing now has never seen this movie. Just never came up, apparantly. I saw it when it first came out, but not since then. Til earlier tonight. One of the scenes that blew me away was coming up and I didn’t want to spoil it for her, so I said nothing. When it played, it got to me all over again. And she was beside herself. The scene: [spoiler]After Neil plays Puck in the play, his dad removes him from the school and informs him of his unyeilding plan of action for him. After the 'rents go to bed, Neil gets up, opens the windows to the cold Winter air, puts on his Puck laurel, finds something in his dad’s desk, and then we see the dad startled awake, even tho we heard no noise. It was the lack of sound that did it for me. As soon as the dad woke up, my Squeeze was crying her eyes out. “No. Oh, no. NO! Tell me he didn’t do it.” Then, we follow the dad into the room and actually see the gun on the floor and the dad sees what we never see, Neil’s suicide. You think it’s over? No, it isn’t Remember when Todd finds out? And he wanders out into that snowy prelight dawn, and says, “It’s so beautiful…” Then just breaks down. Who hasn’t lost a dream? Or lost a loved one… My God, they did that well.[/spoiler] I’m so glad I wasn’t watching it alone. Somehow, it seems the experience was deepend by sharing it. It was just a movie. it was just a movie… ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/2 "2004-10-25T03:52:28Z")
That scene gets me too. Mine aren’t spoilers. But, both are from Moulin Rouge. The Roxanne scene from Moulin Rouge, and the Show Must Go On scene. I just keep seeing Freddy Mercury, knowing that he was dying and having to keep up appearances and keep going. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/3 "2004-10-25T04:25:25Z")
I didn’t know he was in that. Worth seeing overall? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/4 "2004-10-25T05:28:10Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > I didn’t know he was in that. Worth seeing overall? Freddie Mercury isn’t in _Moulin Rouge_, instead he is the original singer of that particular song used in it. What _Moulin Rouge_ manages to do with most of its musical set-pieces is express the power and impact of the song’s lyrics so well. But I dare say Freddie Mercury would’ve loved _Moulin Rouge_. It seems like his kind of film. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/5 "2004-10-25T13:08:35Z")
I’d go with the season 1 finale of Deadwood: The confrontation between Seth and Alma’s father would be enough on its own merit, but when you include the scene in the hardware store immediately before it, plus the interwoven parade scene, with speech, followed by the confrontation with the “can be bought for a can of bacon grease” sheriff, and that was probably the best 10 solid minutes of drama I’ve ever witnessed. Then, to top that off, later in the same episode, the scenes involving the preacher’s and magistrate’s deaths, and how busy Al truly is, capped off with Al sharing a drink with Seth and then watching the Doc and Jewel dancing, that was the second best 10 minutes of drama I’ve ever witnessed. That season finale was far and away the best hour-long drama ever televised. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/6 "2004-10-25T13:45:22Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > **There will be spoilers!** > > _ **Dead Poets Society** _ > The scene: > > After Neil plays Puck in the play, his dad removes him from the school and informs him of his unyeilding plan of action for him. After the 'rents go to bed, Neil gets up, opens the windows to the cold Winter air, puts on his Puck laurel, finds something in his dad’s desk, and then we see the dad startled awake, even tho we heard no noise. It was the lack of sound that did it for me. As soon as the dad woke up, my Squeeze was crying her eyes out. “No. Oh, no. NO! Tell me he didn’t do it.” Then, we follow the dad into the room and actually see the gun on the floor and the dad sees what we never see, Neil’s suicide. I really liked the “no-sound” effect because of the realism. I’ve been startled awake by loud noises at night without actually “hearing” the noise. Just laid there and wondered why my heart was racing. Didn’t find out until morning that a skillet had fallen off the wall onto a couple baking sheets in the sink. But anyway a couple of amazing scenes come to my mind. The final gunfight in _Unforgiven._ When everybody looks at the door and Clint is there. And you KNOW somebody is Going. To. Die. The revelations of _The Sixth Sense._ Both the little girls’ video tape and the big secret at the end. So well done because they totally hit you from out of nowhere. In \*Schindlers List \* the scene where the jewish jeweler is appraising gems taken from other jews and someone empties a bag of gold teeth in front of him. The shot of him just sitting there and looking at the teeth while he thinks of the implications really helps drive home the impact of the holocaust. ---
**Author:** ![TastesLikeBurning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@TastesLikeBurning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TastesLikeBurning)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/7 "2004-10-25T14:36:00Z")
**Clockers** - The scene where Victor Dunham (played by Isaiah Washington) breaks down and confesses to killing a man. **Last of the Mohicans** - The scene where the young english girl throws herself off the cliff after her love is killed. **The Thin Red Line** - When the character played by Jim Caveziel commits himself to certain death by drawing the enemy soldiers into the river clearing. **The Royal Tenenbaums** - Baumer attempts suicide in the bathroom with one of the most fittingly beautiful songs in existence setting the scene, “Needle in the Hay - Elliott Smith”. **Return to Me** - David Duchovny’s character returns home from the hospital after losing his wife in a car crash, whereupon he greets their dog who seems perplexed at the absence of Natasha Richardson’s character. The dog’s reaction causes DD to slump against the front door and sob uncontrollably. The thing I hate about these threads is that I know there are so many worthy scenes I have experienced, but not enough brainpower to recall them on command. That reason, plus the fact it reminds me that I truly am a sook. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/8 "2004-10-25T14:37:49Z")
The movie: _ **Amelie** _. Too many scenes to mention individually; the whole movie is a spine-tingling, orgasmic feast of beautiful, careful attention to detail and incredible cinematography. ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/9 "2004-10-25T16:28:52Z")
Not a well-known movie at all, I believe. Nor a ‘four stars’ one. **’Without a Trace’** Judd Hirsh [_as always, excellent - I’ll never forget his acting in ‘Running on Empty’_] is the police officer who has to tell the mother [Kate Nelligan] her young son - who had been missing for a long time - is dead\*. He rings her doorbell, she opens, \*And they don’t say a word! \* Just his facial expression - then she knows. He nods - and then she moans: “Nooooooooo” That’s it. Beautifully done. [\*turns out later, he isn’t] ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/10 "2004-10-25T16:38:31Z")
There are a ton of great scenes in _The Elephant Man_, but the one that stands out for me is when Treves first sees Merrick. ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/11 "2004-10-25T17:30:40Z")
The firecracker scene from _Boogie Bights_ was extremely intense. I look back on that and laugh that Anderson could maintain so much tension with such a cheezy song. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/12 "2004-10-25T18:13:13Z")
**Smack my bitch up** by prodigy, the final scene. **Lock stock and two smoking barrels:** Big Chris acts extremely calm while someone holds a knife to his son. When he later gets a hold of the guy the scene goes into slow motion while Big Chris, with all the rage in his eyes that a father can have, violently smashes the car door on the guys head. **Unforgiven** , that final scene defined the movie. The movie is nothing without it. **Taxi:** the episode where Alex gets his old dog and finally gets it to play dead. The dog does not move for the longest time. **A raison in the son:** When Walter (I think) has to tell Mamma he lost the money. Danny Glover did this best. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/13 "2004-10-25T18:37:55Z")
**Prizoner of Azkaban** The Scene where future-Harry summons the most powerful Petronas ever, to protect his God-father (and his other self). The sound and visuals in that scene were breathtaking LotR is _full_ of well done scenes that leave me breathless. Even FotR, which I have seen countless times now, still has me welling up… Shortly after Gandalf ‘falls into shadow’. When all the characters are weeping And In awe… When they see those massive statues either side of the river Moments in LotR TT [spoiler] The reveal of ‘Gandalf the White’ to Theoden. The elves arrival at Helms Deep. Gandalf’s arrival at The battle for Helms Deep[/spoiler] And FotR [spoiler] Pippin and Merry are seperated. The beakon lighting sequence (after Pippin has lit the first one) Gandalf scaring off the Nazgul with a beam from his staf (I remember looking forward to that scene as I had seen it in previews for FotR) And Sam: “I can’t carry it for you. _But I can carry you!_”[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/14 "2004-10-25T19:40:20Z")
In the movie **Miracle** about the U.S. Olympic Hockey team when they finally win against the Russians. Herb (Kurt Russell) hurriedly walks out of the arena by himself and into one of the tunnels. He is so overcome with emotion he pumps his fists and breaks down with joy and was too emotional to do it in front of the team or fans. ---
**Author:** ![raz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@raz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raz)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/15 "2004-10-25T20:24:04Z")
Sorry to be a bummer, but I hated dead Poet’s Society. Bored the hell out of me! That said, I do have a memorable scene that sticks out in my mind. Remember the short-lived series Freaks and Geeks? The very last episode, Lindsay gets all packed to go on a school trip. Her parents walk her to the bus and wave good-bye as she is going to be gone for two weeks. The bus goes a few blocks and drops her off at a van where her friends are waiting to follow the Grateful Dead on tour. That was the end of the series, and I loved it because it seemed like the perfect ending to a wonderful show, that just left you wondering. ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/16 "2004-10-25T20:34:32Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > The movie: _ **Amelie** _. > > Too many scenes to mention individually; the whole movie is a spine-tingling, _orgasmic_ feast of beautiful, careful attention to detail and incredible cinematography. Agreed, and funnily enough, the orgasm scene was fantastic, “thirty-seven” (I think) We just got the DVD the other day, I will have to watch this soon. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/17 "2004-10-25T20:39:50Z")
Warning: **Freaks and Geeks** hijack coming. > [@raz](#): > > Sorry to be a bummer, but I hated dead Poet’s Society. Bored the hell out of me! > > That said, I do have a memorable scene that sticks out in my mind. Remember the short-lived series Freaks and Geeks? The very last episode, Lindsay gets all packed to go on a school trip. Her parents walk her to the bus and wave good-bye as she is going to be gone for two weeks. The bus goes a few blocks and drops her off at a van where her friends are waiting to follow the Grateful Dead on tour. That was the end of the series, and I loved it because it seemed like the perfect ending to a wonderful show, that just left you wondering. Left you wondering, like, how seriously is everyone going to panic when her parents try to call up and talk to her at camp, and she’s not there, and they think she’s been kidnapped, and call the police? I love the show, but I HATE the ending… the anti-intellectualism of it, the TERRIBLE and CRUEL irresponsibility of Lindsey’s actions… yack. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/18 "2004-10-25T22:05:13Z")
The LotR - RotK scene that got me: My friends, you bow to no one. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/19 "2004-10-25T22:09:47Z")
The end of _Leon_ (aka The Professional) where Stansfield (Gary Oldman) gets what he deserves. Damned good movie all around. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985/20 "2004-10-26T00:12:23Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > The end of _Leon_ (aka The Professional) where Stansfield (Gary Oldman) gets what he deserves. > > Damned good movie all around. Gary is one of my fave actors. For me, a powerful scene in that film is the one where Matilda has walked right past her apartment (being ‘searched’ by Stansfield and his cronies) and you can see her through his spy-hole, weeping for him to let her in [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-well-done-scenes-that-leave-you-breathless/270985.md?page=2)