Best single scene in film

[N.E. Brigand]

For a long time my favourite single film scene was the dueling songs from Casablanca. Recently, though, I re-watched Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V (in itself a very fine film) and I was struck by the power of the aftermath of the Battle of Agincourt. I know we had a thread a while back on the best battle scenes in film, and Branagh’s Agincourt was nominated. And while I think the battle itself is very well done, the St. Crispin’s day speech beforehand and the singing of Non Nobis Domine afterwards really makes it. I also love the way that this particular scene goes as one shot -– the camera never cuts away: Non Nobis Domine. Your nominations?

I've never seen that film apart from a few clips. (I've also never seen the play either nor read it. Comparing one scene now to Kenneth Branagh's film, I see the latter cuts the text heavily.) When Ian Holm passed away in 2020, a lot of people shared another scene ("For I am Welsh, you know") of Holm and Branagh after the battle:

In the vein of really great scenes in otherwise just good movies, I have to nominate Edward Scissorhands. While the movie has its weaknesses, there are a couple of scenes of pure magic: The Ice Dance Hold Me. I can't.

A high school marching band here in Ohio put on a modest but engaging Edward Scissorhands show in 2024. This music is mostly Danny Elfman's film score -- including "Ice Dance" -- but also features Alanis Morisette's "Uninvited" and one of Frederic Chopin's Nocturnes:



I saw that show three times. (I can't remember if I've noted before now that over eleven weekends this past fall, I managed to see, in person, 520 performances by 286 different bands from 21 different states.) The show would go on to place 67th out of 112 bands at the Grand Nationals. This is a case where some close-up shots would help. You can't really make out details like the featured dancer's scissored hands in that video.

My favorite is the spoon scene from Akira Kurosawa's Red Beard (1965). (The film as a whole is only fair, though the fight scene is also very good.) Also:
--The return of Apu's father near the end of Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali (1955). The moment Apu discovers the necklace, as well.
--The last scene of Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci's Big Night (1996), fixing some eggs, with no dialogue.*
--The moment that reality overtakes fiction (or is it the other way round?) in Abbas Kiarostami's And Life Goes On (1991).
--The swaying hammocks in Sergey Eisenstein's Potemkin (1925).

*Ian Holm also features prominently in Big Night -- "Bite your teeth into the ass of life!" -- but not in that scene.

What inspired me to revisit this thread was thinking about this scene from Red Beard, the first one I mentioned, which was not yet on Youtube when I posted before:

[Sunsilver]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Boromir's death scene in Fellowship. His final moments with Aragorn - "My Captain my king" would wring tears from a stone. Then, that was followed by the beautiful scene where they send his body over the falls. Gorgeous bit of cinema!

Another of my favourite scenes is Don Quixote's death scene in the film version of Man of La Mancha. I think Peter O'Toole got it exactly right. And so did Sophia Loren at the end of the scene when she says "My name is Dulcinea."

[Sunsilver]

The Karate Kid is another of my favourite films. The scene where Mr. Miyagi gets drunk and talks about his wartime experience and the death of his wife in childbirth never fails to move me. I can't believe the director wanted to cut this scene - it is the heart of the film!

[Snowdog]

The Karate Kid is another of my favourite films. The scene where Mr. Miyagi gets drunk and talks about his wartime experience and the death of his wife in childbirth never fails to move me. I can't believe the director wanted to cut this scene - it is the heart of the film!

Yes, I agree. That scene is the most memorable one of the movie.