5b) ‘Inception’ – …we will be together
Okay, fine. I’m cheating. Whatever. Let’s get on with the list.
Earlier I mentioned that Inception gave us lots of stuff to take in right before the ending, but this moment is why its worth it. It tugs on our heart strings with this boundless love story in order to give us a happy and resolved ending with Mal, someone whom we thought had already met a terrible fate.
Sure, it takes a lot of explaining, but we get to rejoice in the fact that this timeless couple was able to live out their lives in their fantasy dreamworld, so that’s just fine. Man, is someone chopping onions nearby or what? What is it about wrinkly old people hands that always gets to me?
4) ‘Memento’ – Ending
I feel a strange obligation to explain my absolute obsession with Memento, and you’ll find out why in a bit. Memento was the first DVD that I ever bought with my own money. I didn’t really know who Christopher Nolan was, and I certainly didn’t understand it the first time I watched it. But I showed it to every single friend I had, and they probably all thought I was weird because I was 13 years old.
Somewhere around my eighth viewing (during which I sat my cousin down and made her watch it with me), I actually understood the ending and saw it as Christopher Nolan intended a grown-up mind to see it. Until that moment, as far as I was concerned Teddy was the bad guy. Yeah.
Precious few endings are able to completely change a film and do so in a satisfying way. Memento gets better with every viewing, and it’s in part due to – you know, it’s probably best if I just shut up and let you watch it yourself.
3) ‘The Dark Knight’ – Good Cop Bat Cop
This scene was the headliner that everyone came to see when they bought a ticket to see The Dark Knight, and for good reason. Even before the confrontation gets physical, the Joker’s philosophical queries and manic quirks give us a raw look into his psychology. It sounds crazy, but in a way, you can’t help but agree with the guy covered in makeup.
“They’re only as good as the world allows them to be.” How do you get any better than that? You don’t. You don’t get any better than that.
When the fight elevates to become physical, we see Ledger at his absolute psychotic best, delivering a haunting laugh with the words that would define his character: “You have nothing to threaten me with. Nothing to do with all of your strength.” Ledger asked Bale to actually punch him during these scenes to help him react perfectly. Let’s just hope they used boxing gloves or something and not Batman’s reinforced gauntlets.
Also, sorry about not having any scenes from The Dark Knight Rises or Batman Begins. I had to make room for all these scenes from The Dark Knight. I’m sure you understand.
2) ‘Inception’ – Hallway Fight
Not many films can say that they constructed a massive spinning set in order to get the shot just right. Christopher “I just directed The Dark Knight” Nolan, however, convinced Warner Brothers to let him spend an embarrassing amount of money on a physics project that he disguised as a film-making venture.
This scene stands as a monument to practical effects over digital effects. It shows that with perfect engineering, endless imagination, and actors willing to step foot into the spinning hallway death-trap contraption, you can truly accomplish anything.
1) ‘Memento’ – Sammy Jankis
Although awesome effects and big budget tom-foolery can show you a ton about a director, nothing shows their chops like a really great short story. A story within a story, the tale of Sammy Jankis is woven into Memento expertly through the fact that Leonard and Sammy suffer the same memory affliction. Leonard even has “remember Sammy Jankis” tattooed on his hand to help him remember his own condition every time he snaps into consciousness.
I highly recommend watching the movie in its entirety, but if you want a short introduction to the protagonist’s brain injury and don’t want any real spoilers concerning the events of the film (depending on how you interpret the very open ending), then feel free to watch this heartbreaking collection of scenes above as a quick sample of what Memento is all about.
*Bonus* ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ – Ending
Okay fine! The Dark Knight threequel gets a lot of flack (and it DESERVES IT), but several scenes stand out in my mind when I really sit down and decide to let denial get the better of me. This ending perfectly encapsulates everything the series was leading toward, it wraps up the film in a satisfying way, and it keeps the symbol of Batman living strong.
Yes, it’s a little glib to actually name him Robin, and yes I wish they had just let Michael Caine look at the camera and start his blubbering without the shot of Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway, but you know what? I didn’t direct the rest of the film, so where do I get off thinking that I can direct this part?
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