Realisation moments in movies

ChristopherJChristopherJ Posts: 976
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I like the poignant scene in The Apartment when Jack Lemmon realises from the broken mirror it is Shirley Maclaine who is seeing his boss.

Also the moment in Training Day when Ethan Hawke looks out the window to see the car is gone and he realises he has been left to his fate by Denzel Washington. I like the way everything that means is communicated by an empty space in the road.
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  • Eddie BadgerEddie Badger Posts: 6,005
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    The end of The Usual Supects
  • Gordie1Gordie1 Posts: 6,993
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    the first scene in Dumb and dumber to when you realise you just wasted £10:D
  • Heston VestonHeston Veston Posts: 6,478
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    LA Confidential; Captain Smith asks Ed Exley if the name "Rollo Tomassi" means anything to him.
  • 007Fusion007Fusion Posts: 3,657
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    Brad Pitt's character in True Romance. He's smoking a bowl, tripping out. Then these mobsters with guns bust in, asking him about where to find someone. He's so high, he doesn't take them seriously -- even thinking they're partly imaginary. He starts babbling, until the latch of the gun is removed ("Oh") and he snaps back into reality instantly, telling them sanely where they need to go. Even correcting himself, when he thinks he got a direction wrong.
  • Eddie BadgerEddie Badger Posts: 6,005
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    The Godfather Part II when Michael realises it was his brother who betrayed him.
  • ironjadeironjade Posts: 10,001
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    Brenda Blethyn in "Secrets and Lies" when she realises the girl she's just met is actually her daughter.
  • Johnny ClayJohnny Clay Posts: 5,315
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    One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest - When 'Chief' sees what they've done to McMurphy, and what he does next.
  • gasheadgashead Posts: 13,807
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    I like the poignant scene in The Apartment when Jack Lemmon realises from the broken mirror it is Shirley Maclaine who is seeing his boss.

    Also the moment in Training Day when Ethan Hawke looks out the window to see the car is gone and he realises he has been left to his fate by Denzel Washington. I like the way everything that means is communicated by an empty space in the road.

    I haven't seen these films, so do you mean audience realisation, or character realisation, i.e. a character comes to realise something the audience already knows? I'll assume the former.

    Seven - when it clicks with the audience what's in the box.
    The Sixth Sense - when you get 'it'.
  • TakaeTakae Posts: 13,555
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    Sway (2006) - the bridge and the last scene

    Platoon (1986) - the truth about Elias.

    Infernal Affairs (2002) - the dual realisation of two characters, which subsequently affects their only chance to survive.

    The Heartbreak Kid (1972) - newly wedded Lila's realisation and reaction.

    The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005) - the blind man.

    Land of the Pharaohs (1955) - the burial chamber.

    Blue Spring (2001) - there are three:
    - the baseball player
    - the flowers on a charcter's desk
    - the moment before a character enters the state of catatonia.

    The Last Picture Show (1971) - the housewife.

    New World (2013) - the moment a character realises he has a choice.
  • Metal MickeyMetal Mickey Posts: 1,606
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    In "Chinatown", when Jake (Jack Nicholson) is determined to find out why Evelyn (Faye Dunaway) is so obsessed with keeping the young girl safe, and keeps slapping her to force her to tell the truth...
    "She's my sister..." <SLAP!>
    "She's my daughter..." <SLAP!>
    "... my sister..." <SLAP!>
    "...my daughter..." <SLAP!>
    "She's my sister and my daughter..."

    ... at which Jake (and the audience) realises that Evelyn's father raped her and forced her to keep the baby...
  • degsyhufcdegsyhufc Posts: 59,251
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    gashead wrote: »
    I haven't seen these films, so do you mean audience realisation, or character realisation, i.e. a character comes to realise something the audience already knows? I'll assume the former.

    Seven - when it clicks with the audience what's in the box.
    The Sixth Sense - when you get 'it'.
    I was thinking both.
    Some of the realisation scenes are just when the twist is revealed.

    A character realisation for me would be Jules in Plup Fiction when he doesn't get shot when in the room retieving the suitcase - either then, in the diner or the time inbetween.
  • Eddie BadgerEddie Badger Posts: 6,005
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    The Sting when the audience realise they've been stung :)
  • ChristopherJChristopherJ Posts: 976
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    gashead wrote: »
    I haven't seen these films, so do you mean audience realisation, or character realisation, i.e. a character comes to realise something the audience already knows?

    Both, I think. I suppose it depends how the film's plotted whether we know something the character doesn't – and sometimes never does. But in my two examples we realise something along with the character.
  • rfonzorfonzo Posts: 11,771
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    There are 2 moments in Goodfellas.

    They both come towards the end after Henry has been busted for his cocaine dealing to people in Pittsburgh behind Paulie's back.

    The first when his wife goes to see Jimmy to discuss Henry's case. At the end of the meeting Jimmy insists on Karen picking out a couple of dresses which happens to be in an empty shop down the street. As wanders down you can feel her tension and she looks in from the outside as Jimmy directs her to go in. She realises that she will be either taken as hostage or even killed, in order to scare Henry from testifying against Paulie and Jimmy in trade for his freedom. Another scenario may have been that Jimmy wanted to scare Henry to stop him from saying to Paulie that he was also involved in the drug dealing in Pittsburgh.

    There is also the moment when Henry later goes to meet Jimmy in the Diner and he asked by Jimmy to go to Florida to do a job for him. Henry narrates at that point that if he had gone to Florida 'he would not be coming back alive.'

    Consequently, as the viewer, we realise that the life glamorous life that Henry and Karen had whilst Henry was in the Mafia has come to an end. All the riches and the lifestyle is over and his friendship with Jimmy is gone. Henry's past had eventually caught up with him.
  • yaristamanyaristaman Posts: 1,840
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    Jaws - When Brody realises they're 'gonna need a bigger boat'
  • f_196f_196 Posts: 11,829
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    F/X when Rollie (and the audience) find out that DeFranco isn't dead at all, even though we're led to believe Rolly really killed him, despite only supposably performing a mock assassination for witness protection purposes.
  • rfonzorfonzo Posts: 11,771
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    The Hand That Rocks The Cradle when Annabella Sciorra's character realises the nanny they hired and has been cohabitating with them was the wife of the Doctor who sexually abused her whilst she was pregnant.
  • AlrightmateAlrightmate Posts: 73,120
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    Angel Heart - When Harry Angel realises why he was hired for the case and what it means.
  • AlrightmateAlrightmate Posts: 73,120
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    Dead of Night - The ending itself.

    Vertigo - When the mystery all becomes clear to Scottie.

    What Ever Happened to Baby Jane - When Blanche tells Jane the truth about what happened years before.

    The Third Man - When we see a cat at the feet of a man who is obscured by shadow, and we know exactly who that man is without even seeing his face.
  • Heston VestonHeston Veston Posts: 6,478
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    'The Spy Who Came In From The Cold' - Alec Leamas (Richard Burton) suddenly realises who is the real target of his assignment.
  • rfonzorfonzo Posts: 11,771
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    Memento- When Leonard Shelby played by Guy Pearce realises what has happened to his wife.
  • gemma-the-huskygemma-the-husky Posts: 18,116
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    Clearly, The Shawshank Redemption when the governor finds out Andy has escaped.

    Less well known, Spy Game when they all realise Nathan (Redford) has been playing them.
  • ChristopherJChristopherJ Posts: 976
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    Not a major plot point, but one I always enjoy: the moment in The Lost Weekend when Ray Milland realises he bought two whiskey bottles the day before and so still has one left, though he's forgotten where he put it.

    The moment in Fanny and Alexander when I realised the second dvd, and so the second half of the film, wouldn't ****ing play. >:(
  • eva_prioreva_prior Posts: 2,509
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    The end of my favourite movie: 'Raise the Red Lantern' when the snitch is revealed - total shock 'n' horror !
  • rfonzorfonzo Posts: 11,771
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    Manon Des Sources, where Cesar realises he had the son who he always wanted and mistreated him.
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