The Greatest Scenes

This is arguably the most difficult list I've ever tried to compile; even settling on the number of scenes to mention proved difficult. I decided to select 15, each with a heavy impact on both me and the history of film.

15. Carnal Knowledge (1971) - "Try Vacuuming!"

Jack Nicholson finds his way onto my list very early with the most memorable scene from his career. This moment, for all intensive purposes, created a legend.



14. The Odd Couple (1968) - "The cooking, the cleaning, the crying."

One of the most prevalent screen duos ever share their greatest scene in the only comedy represented on my list. No two actors have ever shared such wonderful chemistry as Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon.



13. The Deer Hunter (1978) - Russian Roulette

Robert DeNiro in his prime and an upcoming Christopher Walken share one of the more universally memorable moments in cinema history. The film is unshakable for those who have seen it and this scene captures the movie's climactic moment.



12. ...And Justice for All (1979) - "You're out of order!"

The greatest courtroom moment ever (even trumping Nicholson's, "You can't handle the truth!"). Al Pacino is electric, as usual, in one of the defining moments of his illustrious career. Even more importantly, this single scene was able to elevate what would have otherwise been a mediocre film. It would be fair to state that no other scene, on this list or anywhere, had a greater impact on the movie it was in than this one.



11. Goodfellas (1990) - "You're a funny guy."

The highlighting moment to Scorsese's '90s masterpiece shouldn't need much of an introduction. It earned Joe Pesci a permanent status in the annuls of cinema history as well as an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.



10. Silence of the Lambs (1991) - "A census-taker once tried to test me..."

The greatest character introduction ever (slightly edging out the famous Harry Lime from "A Third Man"). Anthony Hopkins delivers an epic performance, one that rivals anything Marlon Brando has done. Hopkins does an unprecedented job with the little screen time he is given (less than 20 minutes, yet he was still able to walk away with the Academy Award for Best Actor). Just note the way he is standing at attention as he creeps onto the screen in the opening moments; he is able to convey impossible amounts without even speaking his first word.



9. Amadeus (1984) - Mozart's Requiem

An intricate battle between brilliance and mediocrity. This beautiful scene captures the curse of envy in every frame. Salieri's love and contempt for Mozart is played out here in perfection.



8. Closer (2004) - "Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her cloths off..."

I could easily make a top-ten list of the greatest scenes from "Closer" -- it's a brilliantly written script with a collection of some of the greatest scenes any actor could hope to be involved with. This scene stands out above all the rest though as it both transcends and represents the anti-romance motif woven within the film. The line between love and lust has never been better blurred.



7. Network (1976) - "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!"

Few films can claim to be more ahead of their time than "Network," but it's the scene that is really able to speak volumes for the era. The 1970s represented a massive shift in how humans all over the globe lived their lives. It was met simultaneously with an equally large shift in how the global economy was run. This scene represents the disillusionment of modern-man, and I can safely state that no film or scene since has better grasped the concept.



6. Before Sunset (2004) - "Baby, you are going to miss that plane."

My favorite final scene ever filmed. This one is tough to look at without the context of the two films it concludes though (it is the last scene of a sequel). The final moments before the credits roll were the most hollowing of any I've ever experienced while viewing a movie. The two films, and this scene, represent everything love can ever be. (I apologize for the subtitles.)



5. The Godfather, part II (1974) - "An Abortion."

I'm often asked what my favorite performance is and I usually respond with, "Marlon Brando in 'A Streetcar Named Desire,'" but if I were able to limit a performance to one scene, Pacino would take the prize for these masterful moments. He owns the scene in ways that amaze me differently every time I view it.



4. Apocalypse Now (1979) - "Gardenias."

It was only a matter of time before Brando found his way into one of the scenes on this list. A greatest scenes list without the greatest actor just wouldn't seem right. In truth, I feel that his performance in this movie is what sealed his fate as the greatest actor of all-time. He showed up to the set having not read a word of the script and a hundred pounds overweight (which was an issue since he was portraying a rogue soldier living in a jungle at 100 degree temperatures). Regardless, with the help of the great Francis Ford Coppola, he made it work. Instead of a malnourished man, he played a hulking beast draped in shadows, as he recited the philosophy of a man amid a decent into madness.



3. True Romance (1993) - "You're part eggplant."

This scene created a new era in film and a career for Quentin Tarantino...and it's probably the most entertaining scene ever filmed to top it off. Two of the greatest actors of the last generation, Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken, go head to head with the words of the greatest screenwriter of the current generation.



2. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) - "Keep your loving brother happy."

If I could be granted the wish of being credited with the creation of any singular moment in art history, it would be this scene. Not DaVinci's Mona Lisa, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel or even Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven;" this one scene. Director Sergio Leone and Composer Ennio Morricone created a perfect, stand-alone moment in film history. It can be viewed separately from the entire film and surprisingly little is lost.



1. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966) - Ecstasy of Gold

It's difficult to top the previous scene, but Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone find themselves owning the top two slots. This scene almost doesn't belong on the list because it stands above any list. It is, in all senses of the word, perfect. The beautiful cinematography combined with what is, in my opinion, the greatest piece of music ever crafted, elevates the moment to heights never reached before and doubtfully reached again. The scene doesn't have to mean anything -- the plot, the actors, everything about the film is irrelevant -- it sits atop the list because of its absolute and unquestionable greatness.



Honorable Mention

Closer (2004) - "Tastes like you, but sweeter!"

While there are many scenes I could select for an honorable mention, this is probably the only one that would find itself on the actual list if I chose to not allow a film to only be represented by one scene. The razor sharp dialogue and pitch-perfect performances echo the concepts of love, lust and life.