# Movie where main character is dead before the movie begins(SPOILERS) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 15, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278 "2004-02-15T01:23:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/1 "2004-02-15T01:23:39Z")
I was watching _Once upon a time in mexico_ and one of the things that annoyed me a little is that Seyma Hayek has third billing or so but is only in the movie for roughly 10 minutes. But it also made me think. Aren’t there movies where the main character is only seen in flashbacks(not counting sequels where that characte died in the previous movie) because he/she is dead when the movie starts? \*Citizen kane \* is the only movie I can think of off the top of my head. _Laura_ kind of fits the bill, for the first half anyway. However, I can’t think of any others. ---
**Author:** ![ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ed)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/2 "2004-02-15T01:56:16Z")
_Courage Under Fire_ Billed as starring Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan, even though Meg Ryan’s character is actually dead at the outset of the acutual movie and is only portrayed through the (wildly conflicting) descriptions about her last moments from her fellow soldiers. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/3 "2004-02-15T02:07:07Z")
Does **The Big Chill** count? You don’t actually see the dead guy ever (although I understand it was supposed to be Kevin Costner, and they just cut him out altogether.) Not sure if he counts as the main character, but he is the reason for the entire movie, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/4 "2004-02-15T02:11:28Z")
Most of the movie _Gandhi_ is a flashback. At the outset we see him assasinated, then it goes back to his early career in South Africa, and moves forward to his death again. I heard once(not sure if it is accurate or not) that the Prince of Wales was interested in playing the character of Lord Louis Mountbatten, last British governor of India. Mountbatten was Charles great-uncle, and he was very fond of him, before Mountbatten in turn was assasinated. ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/5 "2004-02-15T02:26:12Z")
There’s _Escape From New York_. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/6 "2004-02-15T02:27:16Z")
I think we should eliminate a lot of the biographical movies too otherwise this thread would have a huge amount of movies to include. (Just one that came to mind was Oliver Stones’ “The Doors” in which Jim Morrison, the main character is dead). I think **“Sunset Boulevard”** is something you were looking for. William Holden’s character is dead at the very beginning of the film and he tells the entire story in flashback. ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/7 "2004-02-15T02:40:54Z")
Hitchcock’s Rebecca, famously. ---
**Author:** ![Goofus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7feea3/32.png) [@Goofus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Goofus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/8 "2004-02-15T02:41:05Z")
Joe Pantoliano’s character in _Memento_ gets killed at the beginning, comes back in flashbacks, then we see him get killed again at the end. ---
**Author:** ![riserius1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@riserius1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/riserius1)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/9 "2004-02-15T02:42:07Z")
Just off the top of my head , I would think \*American Beauty \* and _Sunset Boulevard_ Chris W ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/10 "2004-02-15T03:12:24Z")
Would _D.O.A._ count? Sorta? Dennis Quaid is narrating the movie in his dying gasps… ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/11 "2004-02-15T03:35:22Z")
How about _Moulin Rouge_? Satine is dead long before Christian “writes” the movie–the whole movie is a flashback. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/12 "2004-02-15T06:08:56Z")
> [@Ferrous](#): > > There’s _Escape From New York_. Not quite what I’m looking for. Dead man walking is not quite the same as story told entirely in flashbacks or some such. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/13 "2004-02-15T06:10:28Z")
Good points. **Evita** fits the bill as well. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/14 "2004-02-15T06:14:48Z")
There’s _Saving Private Ryan_. ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/15 "2004-02-15T06:21:40Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > Not quite what I’m looking for. Dead man walking is not quite the same as story told entirely in flashbacks or some such. Well, crap. You make a lousy straight man. 😉 See, someone was supposed to come in and say, "Huh? The main character in _Escape From New York_ wasn’t dead. 😕 " And then I, shaking with glee, would say “Snake Pliskin? I _thought_ he was dead…” Bwa ha ha! I kill me. Yeah, it’s a long way to go for a lame joke, but such is my life. 🙂 Okay, I’ll shut up now. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/16 "2004-02-15T06:27:56Z")
_The Man Who Loved Women_. Burt Reynolds and Julie Andrews. The movie starts at Reynolds’ funeral and is told all in flashbacks. And it has one of the funniest scenes that has ever been put on film. Think Reynolds, Kim Basinger, a little poof dog, a white shag rug, cowboy boots, a leather belt, a Rolls Royce, and a tube of Krazy Glue. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![raizok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4491bb/32.png) [@raizok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raizok)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/17 "2004-02-15T06:31:04Z")
How about my buddy Steven Segal in\* Executive Decision\*? ---
**Author:** ![IrishRideGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b4bc9f/32.png) [@IrishRideGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IrishRideGirl)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/18 "2004-02-15T07:07:09Z")
Sunset Boulevard. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/19 "2004-02-15T07:23:18Z")
> [@Ferrous](#): > > Well, crap. You make a lousy straight man. 😉 > > See, someone was supposed to come in and say, "Huh? The main character in _Escape From New York_ wasn’t dead. 😕 " > > And then I, shaking with glee, would say “Snake Pliskin? I _thought_ he was dead…” > > Bwa ha ha! I kill me. > > Yeah, it’s a long way to go for a lame joke, but such is my life. 🙂 > > Okay, I’ll shut up now. Crap. I had forgotten all about that. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/20 "2004-02-15T07:28:07Z")
> [@Achernar](#): > > There’s _Saving Private Ryan_. I’m not sure if that really counts. At the beginning you see the old man, who then “remembers” omaha beach, 1994, but everything focuses on Miller for the entirely of the movie and then at the end, it goes back to the present day and the old man is revealed to be Ryan. What’s even wierder is that he’s remembering things that he wasn’t privy to for 90% of the film. He didn’t see Miller land on Omaha beach. He didn’t meet miller until they ambushed the Half-track in the field. On the other hand, \*Lawerence of Arabia \* works for the most part. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278.md?page=2)