# Your favorite perfect scenes (could be spoilers!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 21, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-perfect-scenes-could-be-spoilers/369651 "2006-08-21T20:52:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Euthanasiast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Euthanasiast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euthanasiast)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-perfect-scenes-could-be-spoilers/369651/41 "2006-08-23T14:29:32Z")
**Identity** , the scene where Ed is forced, via a mirror, to confront who he is and what he is a part of, as well as the scenes that immediately follow it are some of the most riveting that contemporary film is capable of. The build up and the excruciating ending of **Seven**. No movie has bullied me so effectively since. _Any_ scene with Anthony Perkins in **Psycho** is the apotheosis of a world-class performance. **The Shawshank Redemption**. Too many scenes to list them all, but when Andy locks himself in the prison intercom room and plays the album with the intensely soothing sounds of the two Italian women singing and the sweeping shots of the prison reacting is perfect. You can almost see the spirits of the inmates being freed from the prison. The exchanges between William Munny and The Scofield Kid in **Unforgiven** after they complete their job of killing the men who cut up the prostitute are matter of fact and marvelous. The scenes immediately after involving the shootout at the tavern are without flaw. **Deadwood**. Almost every moment of that show is bursting with great scenes and wonderful dialog. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-perfect-scenes-could-be-spoilers/369651/42 "2006-08-23T15:53:10Z")
**Apocalypse Now** The hellicopter attack to the sound of Wagner. And the camoflagued head of the protagonist riseing out of the water. Though maybe that second one loses some points because there was no need for him to have been in the water at the time anyway (at least given the original version of the film) ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-perfect-scenes-could-be-spoilers/369651/43 "2006-08-23T17:02:43Z")
Well, I just saw **Mr. Holland’s Opus** again this weekend, which has a number of them, IMO. The two that stick out the most to me are: The confrontation between Glenn & his wife Iris, when Cole is about 8 or so, and can’t speak at all…they’re discussing the cost of deaf school. He yells (in response to Cole caterwauling), “What does he…? Give him what he wants!”, to which she responds, > [@Iris Holland](#): > > I don’t know what he wants, I don’t understand what he’s trying to say. Don’t you get it? You walk to school every day with all these children who are normal. I can’t talk to my son! I don’t know what he wants or what he thinks or what he feels. I can’t tell him that I love him, I can’t tell him who I am. I want to talk to my son! I don’t care what it costs, I don’t care what the stupid doctor says it’s right or wrong. I want to talk to my son! The other one has no dialogue. It’s after the special concert that the high school puts on for the deaf students. There’s moderately loud music, and Glenn & Iris come downstairs to find Cole sitting on one of the speakers, with all sorts of records spread out around him; he’s bouncing his feet in rhythem to the music. He makes a gesture (not speaking ASL) to the effect that he wanted to turn it up but wasn’t allowed to. His dad gestures back that _he_ can turn it up, and does so. The smiles on everyone’s face - the breakthrough - is wonderful. Of course, I’m an absolute sucker for that movie. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-perfect-scenes-could-be-spoilers/369651/44 "2006-08-23T21:06:31Z")
**The Conversation** , where Gene Hackman throws away the envelope and then, without pausing, walks back to retrieve it. A lesser director would have done it with a close-up, with Hackman stopping, registering the struggle, and then resignedly going back. Doing it in long shot with no pause - he tosses it, keeps on walking and then just loops back - is genius; you know _exactly_ what’s going on in Hackman’s head, why his conscience is going to lose out, and how he feels about it. And damn, but Hackman’s good: how is it even _possible_ to act in a long shot? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-perfect-scenes-could-be-spoilers/369651/45 "2006-08-23T21:34:41Z")
[QUOTE=Indyellen] Of course, I’m an absolute sucker for that movie. 😉 [/QUOTE] I’d have to go with the “beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy” part. I am quite susceptible to the tearjerker. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-perfect-scenes-could-be-spoilers/369651/46 "2006-08-23T22:24:38Z")
[QUOTE=Alistair McCello] I would also mention the ferris wheel scene in **The Third Man** where Harry Lime calmly explains his complete disregard for human life. The acting is natuarally superb, what with Joseph Cotten and Orsen Welles, the music is beautiful, and the conversation chilling. [/QUOTE] Also, the closing scene in **The Third Man** after the funeral, in which Holly stands by the side of the road and waits for Anna to catch up with him so he can speak with her one last time. She walks past him without acknowledging him - she doesn’t turn her head, doesn’t blink, doesn’t change expression. He is invisible to her. One thing that makes this scene work is its length. The long build-up to an anticlimax summarizes one of the central themes of the movie: the shattering of Holly’s beliefs about himself, his friends and his place in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-perfect-scenes-could-be-spoilers/369651/47 "2006-08-23T22:52:05Z")
[QUOTE=Alistair McCello] I would also mention the ferris wheel scene in **The Third Man** where Harry Lime calmly explains his complete disregard for human life. The acting is natuarally superb, what with Joseph Cotten and Orsen Welles, the music is beautiful, and the conversation chilling. [/QUOTE] Harry Lime’s speech dismissing Switzerland’s centuries of peace and prosperity for only producing the cuckoo clock, while extolling Renaissance Italy’s murder, treachery and bloodshed for its benefits to mankind is breathtaking. ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-perfect-scenes-could-be-spoilers/369651/48 "2006-08-23T23:27:23Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] I’d have to go with the “beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy” part. I am quite susceptible to the tearjerker. [/QUOTE] Oh, from a tear-jerking standpoint, you’re probably right; but I love the fact that a visible breakthrough has been achieved _because_ of that scene. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-perfect-scenes-could-be-spoilers/369651/49 "2006-08-23T23:40:41Z")
One scene that I always find chilling in **The Birds** : when Melanie is waiting outside the school and you can hear the children singing one of those “counting songs” in the distance in the classroom. She’s sitting with her back to the playground equipment and can’t see what’s going on behind her. Thenthere’s a slight sound of flapping wings and she turns around to see hundreds of birds just sitting there, watching and waiting… ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2006, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-perfect-scenes-could-be-spoilers/369651/50 "2006-08-24T00:01:23Z")
In **The Professional** , when Mathilde lies down on the bed and tells Leon that she is in love with him…that scene is such a perfect expression of her innocence and her loss of innocence at the same time. She is both a child and a woman in that scene. And Leon knows this. And in some ways he is both a boy and a man. A very powerful scene that defines their relationship in many ways. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2006, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-perfect-scenes-could-be-spoilers/369651/51 "2006-08-24T01:44:14Z")
[QUOTE=Indyellen] Well, I just saw **Mr. Holland’s Opus** again this weekend, which has a number of them, IMO. The two that stick out the most to me are: The confrontation between Glenn & his wife Iris, when Cole is about 8 or so, and can’t speak at all…they’re discussing the cost of deaf school. He yells (in response to Cole caterwauling), “What does he…? Give him what he wants!”, to which she responds, The other one has no dialogue. It’s after the special concert that the high school puts on for the deaf students. There’s moderately loud music, and Glenn & Iris come downstairs to find Cole sitting on one of the speakers, with all sorts of records spread out around him; he’s bouncing his feet in rhythem to the music. He makes a gesture (not speaking ASL) to the effect that he wanted to turn it up but wasn’t allowed to. His dad gestures back that _he_ can turn it up, and does so. The smiles on everyone’s face - the breakthrough - is wonderful. Of course, I’m an absolute sucker for that movie. 😉 [/QUOTE] I don’t want to nitpick, I love this movie too. My oldest sister is Deaf and it has a very special place in my heart. It has been a long time since I was fluent in ASL, but I believe what Cole says to his dad is “Teach me.” and his dad replies, “i would love to.” Very touching moment. ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2006, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-perfect-scenes-could-be-spoilers/369651/52 "2006-08-24T03:36:56Z")
[QUOTE=Poysyn] I don’t want to nitpick, I love this movie too. My oldest sister is Deaf and it has a very special place in my heart. It has been a long time since I was fluent in ASL, but I believe what Cole says to his dad is “Teach me.” and his dad replies, “i would love to.” Very touching moment. [/QUOTE] Thanks for sharing that, actually; I only know a few signs. However, I think it is a testament to the power of the scene that even without knowing ASL, I understood the point being made. (I’ll stop hijacking now…) ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-perfect-scenes-could-be-spoilers/369651/53 "2006-08-24T22:19:18Z")
The first ten minutes or so of **‘Master and Commander, the Far Side of the World’** , from the overhead shot of HMS Surprise at night to the escape into the fog bank. Damn near perfect film-making. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-perfect-scenes-could-be-spoilers/369651.md?page=2)