The most amazing movie scene in film history

[Lucky Jack Aubrey]

I think numero uno for me has to be the destruction of the Death Star in the original Star Wars movie - when it was on the big screen. I was a kid, and I remember the audience getting to their feet and cheering.

In second place is the scene in Gettysburg where Lee is cheered by his troops just before Pickett's Charge. It sums up in a moment why the Army of Northern Virginia was so difficult to defeat, despite substantial disadvantages.

[BobbinThreadbare]

The last scene from Unforgiven, where Munny goes into town to avenge Ned's death.

"That's right... I've killed women and children. I've killed everything that walked or crawled at one point or another... And I'm here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you did to Ned."

Deserve's got nothing to do with it

[BobbinThreadbare]

The Good the Bad and The Ugly : Final showdown scene in the cemetery.

Dr. Strangelove : Riding the bomb

I would put these two movies on my list, but different scenes.

For TGtBatU: The scene when Tuco finds the cemetary

Dr Strangelove: When the air force general is asked if the bomber has any chance at getting through, and he gets way over excited

[DancinJack]

The end of "Rudy" is really, really good. I'm a sucker for sports movies too though.

e: From the point they all come into Coaches office and lay down their jerseys for Rudy until the very end of the movie. So good.

[mcnabney]

The entire final battle scene in Conan the Barbarian (1982) when Conan and Subotai (plus Mako and the Valkyrie Valeria) stand against Thulsa Doom and his elite troops. Amazing score, emotional climax, great action!

The battle over the Death Star in Star Wars (1977). Same reasons.

Roy Batty's death in Blade Runner.

The end of Donnie Darko.

The assault on Ft. Wagner in Glory.

The scene with the older James Ryan at the end of Saving Private Ryan

The cavalry charge of the Rohirim in Return of the King

The 'ending' of The Mist

The opening montage in Up

[RickyTick]

The Good the Bad and The Ugly : Final showdown scene in the cemetery.

+1 This was near the top of my list.

Also this...
I know you're busy just now...

but I want to tell you some things I never told you.

I know sometimes I act stupid and say stupid things.

But you kept me around when others would have said, "Drop that bum."

You give me respect.

It's hard for me to say these things because that ain't my way...

but if I could just be someone else, I'd want to be you.

You're all heart.

Paulie to Rocky just before the fight with Drago in Rocky IV.

[derFunkenstein]

The last scene from Unforgiven, where Munny goes into town to avenge Ned's death.

"That's right... I've killed women and children. I've killed everything that walked or crawled at one point or another... And I'm here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you did to Ned."

What in the actual F! This movie is not available on Netflix for instant queue. Neither is Tombstone, which is another great modern western.

My pick for "best scene" is the botched execution/dry sponge from The Green Mile. I can smell the burnt skin through my TV every time I watch it. Ew.

note: also not available for streaming. Wtf am I giving Netflix money for, anyway?

[Dieter]

(already mentioned)
I agree about Shawshank. And I liked the finale of Legends of the Fall, as well (mentioned earlier). Braveheart. Contact had a couple of great scenes, too, especially when she sees the "exchange".

One I haven't seen anyone mention yet is the scene in Taken when he's impersonating a French policeman and he says to the guy "... we spoke on the phone two days ago. I told you I'd find you..." and serious @$*-kicking ensues.

Also:

End of Sixth Sense
End of Fight Club
Intro to the Matrix (I remember seeing it in the theater thinking WTF is going on; what's happening, and why would you run into a phonebooth???)
Red, when Willis steps out of the car and starts firing while the car is still spinning. One of the coolest and most original SFX I've seen in a long time.
The heist flashback in Ocean's 11
Scene in Unbreakable when he discovers he's invincible and can sense the evil in people and the rescue. I think it's the score that makes it so good.
Most of the scenes with Dr. Lecter in Silence of the Lambs
SFX in Terminator 2 (shocking and awesome at the time)

I'm not sure how you define "amazing" (as someone pointed out, it doesn't mean it has to be good!), but for funny, just about 1/2 of There's Something About Mary. Too many scenes to list.

Fun thread!

[TurtlePerson2]

A few of my favorites:

The Diner Scene (Memento) - Changed my life, I've never looked at memory in the same way.

The War Scene (Children of Men) - Easily the greatest single take scene I have ever seen. I have no idea how they managed to film this. If this discussion were the greatest technical achievement, then this one would win without question.

The Ending/Final Scene (Saving Private Ryan) - I've never seen something so authentic or emotion-inducing in the history of film.

The Climax/Ending (Leon: The Professional) - The best summary of a theme that I've ever seen. It's neither cheesy nor pretentious.

[Bensam123]

A lot of memorable scenes you guys are pulling up, most I can remember clearly merely from you guys mentioning them... The saving private Ryan beach scene and the end to Shawshank (made me smile)bb for instance.

For me it's the Matrix 2 - Freeway Chase, Matrix 3 - Final Xion Battle, I'm truely astonished neither of these have been mentioned. The end of the second LoTR movie, when Helms Deep was about to be overrun.

For your more exotic tastes, I would say the best action and emotional scenes are actually found in anime. Fate/Zero the whole thing is one amazing ride, Katanagatari, Macross F, the last few episodes, Bleach 269-272, Gurren Lagann, the new Evangelion movies, Redline (fricking ridiculous animation)...

[phileasfogg]

Witness for the Prosecution (book by Agatha Christie)

Marlene Dietrich in the 'Want to kiss me ducky?' scene.

[derFunkenstein]

The scene in Die Hard where they crack the vault is pretty hilarious, fwiw

[Arclight]

From my personal experience, the scene that stuck in my head the most was when Neo takes the red pill and gets pulled out of the Matrix. I mean that scene was effing incredible.

[mikehodges2]

Almost any scene from Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengance. Watched it the other night, nearly killed someone it was so s**t.

Usual Suspects: ending
The scene in Black Swan
Pulp Fiction monologues.

[Frenetic74]

I'm surprised nobody listed the ending scene of The Last of the Mohicans. Epic score and awesome vengeance scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9SEFMIBwAs

[pedro]

Opening scene of 'Disciples of The 36th Chambers of Shaolin'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OUbJHNOoCc.

[tanker27]

Last of the Mohicans when Uncas goes after Alice and faces Magua, ultimately Magua kills Uncas and then finally the scene were Chingachook kills Magua!

Also from LotM: the sniper scene where Hawkeye protects the messanger.

And the Opening Scene for the movie where they are running down the Elk.

(And dont get me started on the soundtrack, I love it. and to this day In other movies I find that there are bits and pieces of the score re-used)

[FubbHead]

The corridor fight scene in Oldboy.

[derFunkenstein]

Oh, all the scenes from Boondock Saints with Willem DeFoe in them. That movie is just one giant amazing scene.

[trackerben]

Shiri - final confrontation, husband vs. wife

Curious about this one. Bollywood is it?

South Korean action spy drama. A South Korean CI agent discovers his loving wife is an enemy deep plant who never betrayed him. But she has been called to one last mission....

[trackerben]

I'm surprised nobody listed the ending scene of The Last of the Mohicans. Epic score and awesome vengeance scene.

No finer epic. Only Jeremiah (1998) equals it in the unwanted-vindication/untold-vengeance department - "He said I would not die by your hand." "He did? Well, we must keep your life, then."

[xtalentx]

I found the train crash in Super 8 pretty epic

I am also tossing in a vote for the bank robbery in Heat.

I have a pretty serious home theater going on and both of these scenes were enhanced a lot by it.

[lex-ington]

I would say the part in Platoon where the helicopter has to leave and the soldier kneels down and lifts up his hands with all the enemies coming up behind him.

And the second would be the part in Shawshank Redemption when Tim Robbins gets clear of the sewer pipe and raises up his hands to the rain.

Powerful scenes.

[kamikaziechameleon]

It ain't a movie but all of season one of game of thrones. God I'm in love!

[Scrotos]

Shiri - final confrontation, husband vs. wife

Curious about this one. Bollywood is it?

Other epic scenes that haven't been mentioned in this thread yet:

The Mist : ending

Another Earth : ending

Endhiran : battle scene (this is Indian/Tollywood)

Shiri is Korean: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0192657/
Bollywood is a term used for Indian/Hindu films: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollywood

The ending of The Mist was awesome, yes, but totally not worth sitting through that horrible movie. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't.

[Scrotos]

The corridor fight scene in Oldboy.

Oh, all the scenes from Boondock Saints with Willem DeFoe in them. That movie is just one giant amazing scene.

Yes and yes!

[DLHM]

Napoleon Dynamite - Dance Scene

[thegleek]

Bollywood is a term used for Indian/Hindu films: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollywood

lol having watched over 100-200 (maybe more) bollywood filmi, i'd like to think i know the definition for that is!

[Vrock]

Napoleon Dynamite - Dance Scene

Um...really? A century of film, and that's what you come up with for most amazing scene ever?

Not the sword fight between Gisbourne and Hood in the Adventures of Robin Hood?
Not the bridge demolition in Bridge on the River Kwai?
Not the final scene of Casablanca?
Not the chariot race in Ben-Hur?
Not the Mexican standoff at the end of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly?
Not the chest burster in the original Alien?
Not the revelation of Luke's parentage in The Empire Strikes Back?
Not even the fall of the Nazgul King in The Return of the King?

Wow.

[JustAnEngineer]

Napoleon Dynamite - Dance Scene

Um...really? A century of film, and that's what you come up with for most amazing scene ever?
Wow.

He's probably never seen any of these:
http://www.afi.com/100years/movies10.aspx