Greatest 'Death Scene' in Cinema History?

[JudgeWapner]

In one of the most tautly directed, unforgettable, harrowing sequences of any film in the 1930s, Rocky is taken away for his last walk. The scene is bathed in dark suggestive, oppressive shadows, and the musical score (by Max Steiner) resembles a plodding, relentless death march as he walks to his death. Rocky asks that Jerry accompany him "going down the last mile." Still cocky and glaring with hatred, he snarls at and punches the sarcastic prison guard - it appears that Rocky will be stoic to the end. Other prisoners on death row stare at the doomed man, bidding him goodbye through their jail cells. He shakes Jerry's hand goodbye.

In the final moments before his execution as he enters the death chamber, he breaks down. [It is unclear whether or not his true nature or motives are revealed - is he pretending or not?]. Rocky is transformed into a screaming, snivelling, cowering coward begging not to be killed. Awful, heart-rending screams of pathetic cowardice are heard. Seen only in large shadows projected on the wall, Rocky's cowardice is never fully revealed:


Oh, I don't wanna die! Oh, please. I don't wanna die! Oh, please. Don't let me burn. Oh, please. Let go of me. Please...
Rocky's climactic cowardice brings tears to Father Connolly's eyes. His yellow-ness in the face of the electric chair will kill the kids' unhealthy adoration. Grateful love fills Jerry's face - his prayers are answered.

The newspaper headline announces that Rocky turned yellow during his cowardly execution:


ROCKY DIES YELLOW KILLER COWARD AT END.

 

[RobFunk]

how about alive? the death scene lasts a good portion of the movie.

1. people die in a plane crash
2. survivors eat the peoples buttocks to stay alive
3. it is based on a true story!

 

[wilheim]

Rob- how about the 1950 movie D.O.A. starring Edmund O'Brien who wakes up one morning to find out he has been poisoned and has (tops) a week to live. The entire movie is about his search for his own murderers while he slowly dies. The character Frank Bigelow is desparate to catch them before he ends up D.O.A. The movie is a two hour death scene. Remade in 1988 starring Dennis Quaid and Meg Tilly.


wil.

 

[JOddessa]

I was pretty shocked when the main charachter got killed in To Live And Die in LA, one of my fav movies. Next the movie 15 Minutes. Who would figure DiNiro 2 go out like that after being tortured. Neither was really graphic, but its a shocker when the main charachters die like that.

 

[wilheim]

I hated to see DiNiro's Niel get shot and killed by Al Pacino's Lt. Vincent Hanna at the end of "Heat". Then I always root for the bad guys. Nice scene was when DiNiro's character wasted slime ball Waingro (no sure of actor's name) in the hotel room.


wil.