In no particular order. Whether it is the ending or a scene in the middle of the film, I think these 5 scenes have had powerful messages delivered to audiences, and critics alike.
5. Schindler's List - Mamatschi
Children being taken away from the camp while singing.
4. Angel with Dirty Faces - Last Request
I have never seen a more powerful scene and the fact that James Cagney was able to perform such a scene is phenomenal and so fucking powerful. An amazing actor.
3. The Eagle and the Hawk - Fredrich March/I've Lost Five
Way too many scenes to name I remember seeing this on TCM and was stunned at the acting of Fredrich March and the violence and subject matter that the film showed in the year 1933. Notable scenes include: when discovers the German ace he shot down is just a kid. His speech after being congratulated is powerful. When Stevens falls out of the aircraft is so powerful, his face explains the horror of it all. Fredrich March makes Cary Grant look like an amateur. Only war movie I have considered to be a Masterpiece.
This isn't a movie scene, but rather a TV show scene. The end moments of The West Wing in seasons 2 and 3 are better than any scene in any movie I've ever seen. I'll look for them on YouTube. (After Season 4 the show changes writers and drops in quality significantly.)
To be honest, these are so well done that seeing them without seeing the rest of the episode is like reading famous passages of Shakespeare without having any idea what the rest of the play is about. I'll do my best to explain the episodes (Including some blatant copies of YouTube comments.), but really... Watch this show it is the best film/show I've ever seen.
Synopsis "Two Cathedrals": The White House is about to release information that Bartlett has kept secret his MS condition during the election. His secretary, Mrs. Landingham, died in a car accident and after attending a funeral, he curses God in Latin.
Right before this scene, he has a vision with Mrs. Landingham and she tells him she doesn't want to know him if he doesn't want to run because he thinks it's too hard or won't win. So he's struggling with whether or not to run for reelection. The ending implicitly shows he will.
Season 2 - "Two Cathedrals"
Synopsis "Posse Commitatus": With the election around the corner President Bartlet goes to a Catholic event charity showing of all the King Henrys. His opponent, Robert Ritchie, was also planning on going, but didn't show in time. It was a political maneuver. All the while Bartlet makes a life-and-death decision about assassinating a foreign diplomat with ties to terrorism.
Part one opens with the murder of a secret service agent who was very close to C.J. Cregg as well as the rest of the staff.
EPT
