MovieChat Forums > Ikiru (1956) Discussion > Name a film scene in cinema better than ...

Name a film scene in cinema better than the swing scene

posted 19 years ago by arnoldlayne17
113 replies | jump to latest

No spoilers

When Watanabe is swinging in the snow on that swing, that right there is cinema. It's everything movies should strive to be, beautiful, emotional and symbolic. Theres not a scene i've witnessed as emotional and symbolic as that scene. I challenge anyone in a friendly way to name a scene as beautiful as that one in any film, contemporary or from the past. Maybe Raging Bull has some challengers but thats the best seen i've encountered. Definitely the most beautiful scene in cinema.

[–] Sir_Alfred 19 years ago

Agreed. In a word: stunning.

I played it over and over, its that good.

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[–] O_L_D_B_O_Y 19 years ago

I can't really think just now, but I was kind of underwhelmed by this scene. I'd heard it was such an amazingly beautiful scene but didn't see it that way myself.

[–] Sir_Alfred 19 years ago

Oh man OLDBOY, do you have no heart! :)

The snow falling, the camera moving into him, the hummed song, his face as he swung on the swing knowing in a few hours he'd be dead.....

.......
We love you West Ham, we do!

[–] StayCasual 19 years ago

me neither to be honest. A more powerful scene in my opinion was in Big Wednesday by John Milius when Jack returns home from Vietnam and meets Peggy with her child on the beach. Such a great scene in a perfect film

“Know why that is? We're too busy being smart-alecks. Too busy in a crazy competition for nothing"

[–] somers001 17 years ago

I actually liked the first time he sang that song, it was kind of funny and kind of heartbreaking at the same time. The swing scene was also great none the less.

[–] knullaman-1 17 years ago

I loved that scene.

[–] counterrevolutionary 18 years ago

"I challenge anyone in a friendly way to name a scene as beautiful as that one in any film, contemporary or from the past."

The "No Place Like Home" scene with the British and Japanese in Ichikawa's The Burmese Harp.

[–] thewakinghour 16 years ago

Another excellent choice. I'll add (and it was likely in homage to "Burmese Harp") the same song in "Grave of the Fireflies" when the sister dies.

I'm 49, but I can barely stay in the same room when the song starts because I am so filled with regret, sadness, and anger at the world that makes such a scene possible.

[–] km_poonacha 18 years ago

An equally moving scene is the final scene in "THE 400 BLOWS"
Antoine standing on the beach...

[–] Karl Aksel 18 years ago

Ikiru is possibly the single most beautiful film I have ever seen. Just had to say it. And at the end, where they all return to their normal routine as before, their drunken vows forgotten -- that's such a powerful scene, and such a tragic statement. But beautiful in that regard.

[–] selfparody 18 years ago

In Cries and Whispers, the moment with the broken glass if for me the strongest moment. It raised the rest of the movie greatly with its presence/

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[–] fredlafaire 18 years ago

The final scene from Tarkovsky's Zerkalo (Mirror).

[–] wishingstars7 18 years ago

i have not seen ikiru yet, but i like the floating bag in American Beauty

[–] bevelduc-1 18 years ago

I can't think of anything better I've seen. I am not an emotional person by nature, but the scene of Ikiru singing on the swing still affects me deeply everytime I see it (tears and all :). If the highest compliment art can have is to inspire emotion, then this scene is the epitome of that ideal. If someone were to ask me my favorite movie scene of all time, that image of Ikiru on the swing is what I'd always come back to.

[–] muskoxx 18 years ago

Almost all the most emotional scenes in my personal list involve a song.

The scene of the German girl being forced to sing at the end of "The Paths of Glory" and the soldiers singing along.

The scene in the middle of "Shanghai Triad" where Gong Li and the two kids sing the lullaby together at the lake.

"The Blue Angel". Marlene Dietrich singing Ich Bin Vonn Kopf bis fuss.

There's too many to think of for me right now, but its always a song. Off hand - Blue Velvet, Harold and Maude, there are many better ones but I can't think right now.

[–] thewakinghour 16 years ago

Also an excellent scene to mention.

[–] PriceOfAnarchy 18 years ago

I think the final scene of Ran is great, although it's not shot in a way that's as interesting.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] FavaBeansAndChianti 18 years ago

My personal favorite movie moment.

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