August 9, 2011
We've all seen countless deaths occur across numerous Hollywood films over the years. Sometimes, the only element that separates a truly memorable death from the rest is one good parting line. Certain heroes and villains just know how to go out in style.
I've picked 15 of my favorite final lines of dialogue from deceased Hollywood heroes (in no particular order).
Russell Franklin (Deep Blue Sea)
Line: "We're gonna pull together, and we're gonna find a way to get outta here! But first, we're gonna seal off this..."
Only a genetically enhanced Mako shark would be brave enough to interrupt Sam Jackson in the middle of a rousing speech. This death scene is memorable not so much for the inspirational value of Franklin's words, but the sheer shock value of seeing the hero of the movie get eaten.
Roy Batty (Blade Runner)
Line: "All those moments will be lost in time, like tears... in rain. Time... to die."
Roy Batty may have been a superhumanly strong, homicidal android, but all he really wanted was the freedom to seek his own destiny and the lifespan to enjoy it. Sadly, the latter was never to be. But this Replicant showed the poet within when he delivered his own eulogy on a rain-soaked rooftop while a battered Deckard looked on.
William Wallace (Braveheart)
Line: "Freeeeddoooomm!!!!!"
This scene is a heavily romanticized account of what really happened to William Wallace, but it's certainly an iconic portrayal of a hero's death. Not many people could keep such a brave face while being publicly disemboweled and drawn and quartered.
Spock (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
Line: "I have been, and always will be, your friend. Live long... and prosper."
No death in the Star Trek franchise affected viewers quite like Spock's. The Vulcan science officer remained stoic to the very end as he bid a fond farewell to Kirk. Never mind that Spock was brought back in the very next Trek film – this scene remains a classic.
Charles Foster Kane (Citizen Kane)
Line: "Rosebud..."
The very first line spoken in Citizen Kane is the one that drives the entire plot. Who or what is Rosebud? What made the bitter and lonely Kane cry out for it on his deathbed? The answer is at once surprisingly simple and tragic, cutting to the very heart of who Kane was and the themes of the film.
Colonel Walter E. Kurtz (Apocalypse Now)
Line: "The horror. The horror."
Francis Ford Coppola explored various potential endings for his surreal Vietnam War epic, but ultimately he decided on this quiet death for Col. Kurtz. The result was a satisfying finish and one of the most memorable quotes in cinematic history.
Grand Moff Tarkin (Star Wars)
Line: "Evacuate? In our moment of triumph?"
Overconfident much? Even at the very end, Tarkin couldn't imagine that a ragtag band of Rebel fighters could bring down his mighty space station. Next time, it's probably safe to assume that at least one pilot has some experience bullseye-ing womp rats in his T-16 back home.
Taylor (Beneath the Planet of the Apes)
Line: "It's doomsday."
As far as Apes sequels go, Beneath was probably the most depressing. After all, it ended with Charlton Heston's astronaut hero Taylor pressing the button that destroyed the world. Heston demanded this ending in order to ensure no more Apes sequels would be made. Clearly, that didn't work out as planned.
Tommy DeVito (Goodfellas)
Line: "Oh, no..."
Poor Tommy thought he was finally becoming a made man, but all he got for his troubles was a bullet in the back of the head. This brief line was all he managed before the end came. Apparently the bosses didn't think he was very funny or amusing after all.
Pvt. Vasquez (Aliens)
Line: "You always were an asshole, Gorman!"
This tough-as-nails soldier was never much for sentimentality. So when it comes time for her and squadmate Gorman to detonate a grenade and take out a few Aliens with them, this is all that comes to mind. Not a bad way to go.
Boromir (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)
Line: "You were my captain... my brother... my king!"
Boromir very nearly became the villain of the first LotR movie with his attempt to steal the ring from Frodo. Luckily, he redeemed himself in a noble but futile attempt to rescue the Hobbits from being captured. In the end, he proved there was strength and goodness left in men.
Fredo Corleone (The Godfather Part II)
Line: "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed art thou among women."
A Corleone always gets his revenge, even against a fellow Corleone. Fredo should have remembered that before going out on a fishing trip with Michael's bodyguard. The irony is that, in death, Fredo's own mother could no longer protect him.
The Wicked Witch of the West (The Wizard of Oz)
Line: "I'm melting!!!"
The Wicked Witch of the West was certainly talkative in her final moments, lamenting her cruel fate and cursing Dorothy and friends as loudly as possible. But for children who spent half the movie being terrified of the Flying Monkeys and the killer hourglass, this cruel fate was well deserved.
Major T.J. "King" Kong (Dr. Strangelove)
Line: "Yahoooo!!!!"
If the end is coming, why not have a little fun first? Major Kong embraced Armageddon in this iconic scene where he rode an atom bomb, hooping and hollering like a rodeo cowboy.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars)
Line: "You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."
Star Wars geeks had only begun to witness the power of the Force in Episode IV. This line hinted at the greater mysteries of the Star Wars universe and paved the way for Kenobi's return as a spectral guide to Luke Skywalker in the sequels.
