# Best death scene in a movie (General spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2006, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232 "2006-05-18T05:14:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/21 "2006-05-18T13:52:47Z")
How is it no one has mentioned \*\*Roy Batty’s \*\* death in **Blade Runner**? It always moves me. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/22 "2006-05-18T13:54:31Z")
When Indiana Jones shots the swordsman. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/23 "2006-05-18T14:00:36Z")
Duke’s death in _Repo Man_: Duke: The lights are growing dim Otto. I know a life of crime has led me to this sorry fate, and yet, I blame society. Society made me what I am. Otto: That’s bullshit. You’re a white suburban punk just like me. Duke: Yeah, but it still hurts. ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/24 "2006-05-18T14:16:53Z")
The uniformed policeman in _Resevoir Dogs_. I have a hard time with that one. I’ll also second the scene from _Saving Private Ryan_ mentioned above. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/25 "2006-05-18T14:26:10Z")
[QUOTE=Electronic Chaos] For me it would have to be SLC Punk (Starring a pre-Scooby Matthew Lillard). Steveo, a hard as nails anarchist punk awakes at the end to find his best friend and roomate dead from an overdose of percocet. He transforms to a slobbery mess almost instantaneously as his whole world pretty much crumbles around him. [/QUOTE] That scene is perfection. I saw it by myself and just had to rewind the scene and see it over and over again. It’s so moving and so _real_. It’s all in the performance. That makes me want to see it again. ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/26 "2006-05-18T14:28:01Z")
I nominate **The Grifters**. Because this scene basically comes from out of nowhere I’ll have to spoiler box it, I can’t bear to ruin it for someone who hasn’t seen it: When John Cusack cuts himself with the broken glass by accident in the jugular and Anjelica Huston (his mother!!) just stands there watching him die…truly chilling and a reason I have never watched that movie again. Also, in **The Hunt for Red October** : “I would like to have seen Montana…” ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/27 "2006-05-18T14:33:23Z")
As I said on a very silmialr thread on this Sonny on the Causeway in the GodFather Hands down best death ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/28 "2006-05-18T14:40:21Z")
Probably the guy who played Jesus in the “Passion of Christ”. I mean, the whole movie was one long murder. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/29 "2006-05-18T14:43:43Z")
I just had to add that the whole audience burst into applause when Steven Siegel met his end, ten minutes into Executive Decision. It was very satisfying. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/30 "2006-05-18T14:47:39Z")
[QUOTE=Sage Rat] I just had to add that the whole audience burst into applause when Steven Siegel met his end, ten minutes into Executive Decision. It was very satisfying. 😃 [/QUOTE] Damn, I’d forgotten about that. The same thing happened when I saw it. Ah, that was sweet. I’m going to show my all-out nerdiness, but…Optimus Prime. A hero’s death. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/31 "2006-05-18T14:59:05Z")
For sheer tear produceability, you can’t beat “children’s” movies. Specifically, the death of Bambi’s mother, and the poor dog in Old Yeller. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/32 "2006-05-18T15:12:19Z")
The Steven Seagal reference made me think of a couple of _satisfying_ death scenes that wouldn’t rank with the _best_ ones: 1. Gene Simmons having his head blown to pieces in _Wanted: Dead or Alive_ starring Rutger Hauer 2. Billy Zane getting zapped by a flare in _Dead Calm_ starring Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman I’m praying that the asswipe playing the President on _24_ gets to play the best death scene in history. I want his character to be in so many pieces they have to vacuum him up. The only TV character in many years who is so despicable that watching him die 40 times wouldn’t be enough. I wonder if Gregory Itzin is aware how much his acting is making people wish he were dead. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/33 "2006-05-18T15:51:56Z")
Someone has to say it first: the most heart-rending death in the movies is that of Setsuko in [Grave of the Fireflies](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095327/). The fact that, in many wars, many five-year-olds have died and continue to die that way, does not make it better: in fact, Setsuko stands for all those millions of children who die in the insanity of war. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/34 "2006-05-18T16:01:18Z")
[QUOTE=HelloKitty] I nominate **The Grifters**. Because this scene basically comes from out of nowhere I’ll have to spoiler box it, I can’t bear to ruin it for someone who hasn’t seen it: When John Cusack cuts himself with the broken glass by accident in the jugular and Anjelica Huston (his mother!!) just stands there watching him die…truly chilling and a reason I have never watched that movie again. [/QUOTE] That ending has been softened from the book; in the book She kills him with the broken glass… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/35 "2006-05-18T16:29:43Z")
[QUOTE=Giles] Someone has to say it first: the most heart-rending death in the movies is that of Setsuko in [Grave of the Fireflies](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095327/). The fact that, in many wars, many five-year-olds have died and continue to die that way, does not make it better: in fact, Setsuko stands for all those millions of children who die in the insanity of war. [/QUOTE] I can’t think of a death in a movie that affected me more than that one. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/36 "2006-05-18T16:34:24Z")
In **Unfogiven** there is a scene where they ar on a hillside looking to shoot what I beleive is the “good” bad cowboy. Morgan Freeman is supposed to shoot him, but he can’t do it, he hasn’t got the nerve for it anymore. So William Munny (Eastwood) grabs the gun aims and shoots. But he misses. The cowboys take cover, but Eastwood manages to get off another shot and hits the young guy just as he takes cover under behind a rock. Then we can hear the boy wailing, “They shot me! They shot me!” Clint and the others are obviously affected by this wailing. The kid goes on, “I’m dying here! I’m so thirsty.” and his voice is echoing in the canyon. Munny finally says, 'Would ya give him some water! We ain’t gonna shoot!" The whole scene so perfetly deglamorizes killing. I tihnk this was the first scene in the movie that really emphasized to me that this was not your normal Clint Eastwood cowboy flick. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/37 "2006-05-18T16:38:49Z")
[QUOTE=Hung Mung] Damn, I’d forgotten about that. The same thing happened when I saw it. Ah, that was sweet. I’m going to show my all-out nerdiness, but…Optimus Prime. A hero’s death. [/QUOTE] [Andy Weir] Optimus Prime was a saint! A SAINT! He turned the tide of battle and saved the Autobots at the cost of his own life. ::sobbing:: [/Andy Weir] ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/38 "2006-05-18T16:44:33Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] I wonder if Gregory Itzin is aware how much his acting is making people wish he were dead. [/QUOTE] He was just as icky in [Jaynestown](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0579530/), the Firefly episode, albeit in a much smaller part. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/39 "2006-05-18T16:56:37Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] When Indiana Jones shots the swordsman. [/QUOTE] Good one. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232/40 "2006-05-18T17:12:53Z")
[QUOTE=BwanaBob] How is it no one has mentioned \*\*Roy Batty’s \*\* death in **Blade Runner**? It always moves me. [/QUOTE] DING! DING! DING! “All these memories will be lost…like tears in the rain.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-death-scene-in-a-movie-general-spoilers/357232.md?page=3)