The 10 Most Powerful Movie Scenes Of All Time

The legendary scene in Rick's Cafe when the German officers are singing their national anthem but are drowned out by the raw passion of 'La Marseillaise' is sometimes called 'The Battle of the Anthems'. It is an extraordinarily moving moment because it signals that the Allied spirit is not dead and is a moment of freedom and soul.

I find it similar to De Gaulle's famous line: "the flame of the French resistance must not be extinguished". I get goosebumps everytime I watch this scene.

We all know the great scene in the courtroom where Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) makes his impassioned speech to the racist jury in defense of the innocent Tom Robinson.

As Atticus walks out the courtroom door, Scout watches him in the gallery above with the black people). When her father passes underneath, an elderly man tells her: “Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’”. The respect and admriation for Atticus is deeply moving and this remains one of the finest lines in any American movie. Ever.

This epic Holocaust story is arguably the most haunting yet beautiful movie ever made. Spielberg's black-and-white masterpiece is a testament to redemption and human goodness.

Liam Neeson plays Oskar Schindler superbly and in the closing moments of the film, he breaks down crying, lamenting the fact that he was unable to save the lives of more Jews. This scene is at once searing and tragic...

Jeremy Irons and Robert De Niro excel as Jesuit missionaries who travel to the New World to bring Christianity to the natives. They soon transform the community with education and kindness.

In the end they sacrifice their lives to protect the village against the brutal Euopean mercenaries who want to colonise. The cruelty and arrogance of the monarchs in trying to desecrate an ancient race makes the blood boil. However, the sacrifice of the missionaries is deeply poignant.

No real need for an explanation here...Jimmy Stewart is perfect as honest, principled George Bailey who fights for the common man against the villainous capitalist Mr Potter.

The final scene is one of rejoicing and a true celebration of life and friends. As everyone floods to the Bailey home to give money to the bankrupt George, they break out into a stirring rendition of 'Old Lang Syne'. The best scene from one of the finest films of the Hollywood Golden Age.

Jack Nicholson is breath-taking as the rebellious Randal P. McMurphy in one of the greatest works in cinema history...

Nicholson displays his masterful acting skills in a scene where he and the other patients are denied being allowed to watch the Superbowl on TV by the evil Nurse Ratched. Instead he commentates on a blank screen with such energy and realism that the whole ward cheers along to a fictional game. This scene is so simple, yet the creativity and intelligence of Nicholson is sublime.

Russell Crowe richly deserved an Oscar for his nuanced, accomplished portrayal of troubled maths genius John Nash. The films itself won Best Picture. It is one of the most amazing I've seen in a long time...

At the end of the movie (SPOILER ALERT!) an elderly Nash is receiving the Nobel Economics Prize. He delivers a touching speech and in it he pays a beautiful tribute to his wife and her sacrifices for him. A tear-jerker, it shows great compassion and warmth.

The greatest, most controversial war picture ever filmed contains so many iconic shots that I had trouble choosing.

The opening sequences of Coppola's spellbinding tale of man's descent into darkness are probably the most memorable of all time. For what seems like an eternity, the camera focuses on jungle with angry helicopters darting past...all to the ominous sound of The Doors' 'The End'. Truly spectacular!

As on so many occasions, Jack Nicholson turns a so-so movie into a classic one.

In the magnificent courtroom scene, a young Navy lawyer (Tom Cruise) duels with a menacing, old-school Marine general (Nicholson) who is accused of violating army law. As tensions flare, Jack roars the famous line: "You can't handle the truth!". His monologue that follows is hard-hitting and compelling.

Widely regarded as the greatest film ever made, the ending of this Orson Welles masterpiece is one of the saddest I've ever seen.

The camera travels around the endless mountains of worthless items in the dead Charles Foster Kane's palace, Xanadu. It then zooms in to reveal the burning sledge with the engraved word 'Rosebud'--the enigmatic final word of the media giant. We then see a clip of Welles playing on the same sledge many years ago as a child before he was taken away from his parents. As replusive a character though he is, we realise that all Kane wanted was to be a child again. He was not a monster: just a deeply unhappy man...