It seems in many of todays films they don’t have the courage to leave anything to the imagination. Given the chance the audience can always come up with something in their mind that will be better than anything you can put on the screen. Some the best death scenes may just be implied, or a quick cut away from the the moment of violence.
It should go without saying this list contains SPOILERS. If you have not seen the following films you may want to hit Netflix first: Se7en, American Beauty, Thelma and Louise, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Fargo. Bambi, Dr. Strangelove and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.
7) The last of the 5 great off screen deaths in Se7en (remember one of the 6 wasn’t dead).
6) The last day of the rest of Lester Burnham’s life in American Beauty.
5) Thelma and Louise take the plunge.
4) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid make their last stand.
3) The infamous wood chipper scene from Fargo.
2) Open season on Bambi’s Mother.
1) Slim Pickens rides the nuke in Dr. Strangelove.
EXTRA:
This scene from “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” is my favorite death scene of all time. Having already put Slim Pickens at #1 I’m going to cheat and include it here.
4 Comments
Wcmartell
15. Oct, 2009
Oh come on! Have you seen no films pre-STAR WARS?
LEOPARD MAN has one of the greatest off screen deaths, ever…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmhZ0VSIhsE
It beats almost everything on your list! And I could easily make a list of 6 more which are better than your list, but made before STAR WARS.
- Bill
Dennis
15. Oct, 2009
@Bill Half of those films are “pre” Star Wars. But, now that you mention it Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru from “A New Hope” maybe should have been included. So what else is on your list?
Karel
16. Oct, 2009
Some people might put NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN in this category.
For me, that offscreen copout ruined what could have been a memorable movie.
Etienne
17. Oct, 2009
let me add lee marvin in the killers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5KgrC95gqU
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