Every once in a while one watches a movie that leaves an impression that lasts beyond the couple of hours spent in the theater. More than the movie itself, it is the that characters stay with you for long and sometimes for life. Here are my favorite characters from Hollywood movies
1. Coach Boone in Remember The Titans : By far the most inspiring movie I have seen. Each time I watch it, I get an andrelaine rush and a feeling that I can achieve something in life. Denzel Washington's brilliant potrayal of a Virginia high school team football coach, who resurrects not only the fortunes of his school football team but by doing so brings the racially split community as one, was at once moving and motivating.No wonder Team Indias coach showed the same movie to his boys before the WC 2003. Outwardly harsh, outspoken and rude, Boone in reality is only trying to toughen his boys. His path is met with full resistance initially from the Hall of Famer Coach he is replacing, from the community and from the white players as well. However eventually Boone wins them all and guides them all the way.Super effort from Denzel,brilliant script and outstanding dialog
Memorable quotes :
1. Adressing the team on first day "This is no democracy. This is dictatorship and I, am the law."
Memorable Scene : 1) Football practice is over for the day. The Offense and the Defense make a huddle and chant "Left Side, Strong Side". Finally, Coach Boone has got his squad as one.
2) The Standing Ovation to Gerry Bertier's Mom even as Gerry lies injured in his hospital bed.
3) The early morning 3.30 am practice jog to the land where their" forefathers died fighting for the nation"
2. Col. Nathan R Jessop in A Few Good Men : No movie character has impressed me more and am yet to see a person so dominating in real or reel life. When I watched the movie for the first time I was stunned by the sher force of Jessop's dialog delivery. Unshakeable in his convictions about the manner of executing his duties, Jessop beleives that ends are more important than the means used to achieve it. Entrusted with the duty of defending his nation Jessop will go any lengths and use any means to do it.When someone attemps to get to the bottom of whats happening in his "Shangri-La" he doesnt take it too well. (This blog owes its name to this movie) Subjected to a court trial about a misconduct in his unit, Jessop looses his calm under intense questioning proving what was feared all along.
From the first line where he is seen questioning the integrity of PFC Santiago to his last wherein he threatens laywer Kaffe that he would "rip your heart and piss in your dead skull"Jessop plays his role with an intensity and passion that would can arise only from a man who has absolute control and confidence over what he is doing. I would love to have that level of confidence in me.
Fittingly, the end of the movie poses more questions than it answers. Who are the Few Good Men ? Is it Kaffe and Galloway for uncovering the truth ? Is it the pair of Dawson and Downey who were only following their orders ? or is it Col. Nathan R Jessop, Commanding Officer,United States Marines, Guantanamo Bay Cuba ?
Memorable Quote :
1. During the court room " You need me on that Wall. You want me on that wall"
2. You have to ask me nicely. You see son I can deal with the blood bombs and teh bullets, I dont want money and I dont want medals.What I do want is for you to stand there in that faggoty white unform of yours and with your Harward mouth extend me some F***ing courtesy. You have to ask me nicely.
3. I eat breakfast 300 yards from 400 Cubans trained to kill me.
1. The breakfast scene at Guantanamo where he humiliates and lets the lawyers know exactly what he thinks of them without so much as shifting from his seat, with a cigar dangling in his mouth full time.
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3.Maximus Decimius Meridias in Gladiator
Russel Crowe plays Maximus in this Ridley Scott directed movie set in Rome.The movie is visually stunning and depicts ancient Rome 180 AD in engrossing detail.Maximus,set to be appointed as the General of Rome,instead finds himslef sold into slavery as a Gladiator.He reutns to take his reveng. Maximus's chilling cold gaze,cool head under the threat of certain death and his thrist for revenge are what stay with the viewer.
Memorable Quote :
1. "What we do in life echoes in eternity"
2. "..............Father to a murdered son, Husband to a murdered wife, and I will have my vengenance, in this life or the next"
3."On my command,unleash hell"
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4. Forrest Gump in and as Forrest Gump: This Oscar winning moving performance established Tom Hanks as once of the finest actors of his generation. Forrest's strong point as well as his drawback is his simplistic view of life. Whereas everyone sees life and see things in shades of gray,Forrest sees in a Black and White. He follows orders qithout questioning why and how. He doesn't think too much and keeps his life simple and uncomplicated. It is an attribute that only an young innocent child can have. As one grows and experiences the big bad world life becomes more mean and devious plotting and thinking about the underlysing meaning or message or implications of everything that is being said or done.
Memorable Quote
1. "My mama always said, Life is like a box of chocolates Forrest. You never know what you are gonna get"
Memorable Scene
1. The one where he discovers that his child is 'perfect' and sits down to watch TV with him
5. Black Mamba in Kill Bill: Not many will agree here but what the hell. In the hands of a lesser director Kill Bill would have been just another action flick. But Quentin Tarantino sets up this revenge saga in style, led by the stylish Uma Thurman in the lead role . The action in the film is as unconventional (the use of Japanese anime) as it is mind blowing.The story move at a nice pace throughout from Texas to Japan .Thurman is brilliant in all the action scenes and looks stunning. I might be a little gruding in granting this spot but my first reaction after watching part One was "Whens 2 coming ?"
Memorable Scenes
1. Sword fight against the snow background against O Ren Ishii. Its visually stunning and gory yet beautiful at the same time
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Honorable Mentions :
1. Lt. Daniel Kaffe by Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men
2. Tony Montana by Al Pacino in Scarface
3. Captain Jack Sparrow by Johnny Depp in The Pirates of the Carribean
4.Donnie Brascoby Johnny Depp in Donnie Brasco
5. Blondie, by Clint Eastwood in The Good,The Bad and The Ugly
