MovieChat Forums > Instinct (1999) Discussion > Best scene of the movie

Best scene of the movie

posted 18 years ago by Spsh4
17 replies | jump to latest

Dr. Ethan Powell: I was wrong about you, juha.
Dr. Theo Caulder: Explain that.
Ethan: Tell them to open this door. You're not the one, juha.
Theo: I'm not the one?
Ethan: No.
Theo: I'm not the one who cut your medication? I'm not the one to say you're competent for a hearing, a chance to get out of here? I'm the one, Ethan.
Ethan: Are you?
Theo: I'm the one.
Ethan: The one in control, huh?
Theo: Yes.
(Ethan violently grabs Theo by his jacket and throws him to his back on the table. They wrestle, Theo struggling)
Ethan: WHO'S IN CONTROL?
(They continue to wrestle, but Theo is clearly overpowered. Ethan gets behind Theo, trapping his arms, putting duct tape over Theo's mouth. His arms are around Theo's neck; he could easily break it. He speaks right into his ear throughout the monologue.)
Ethan: So who's in control, huh? Are you? Am I? The guards outside? The warden in his office? Yeah? Who's in control? (picks up the cassette recorder) Testing, testing, testing, 1, 2, 3, 4. Dr. Ethan Powell interviewing Dr. Theo Caulder. Now, this will be a very simple test, pass or fail, life or death. Now you write on this paper what I have taken from you. What have you lost? (violently) Write it! WRITE IT! (Theo starts to write 'control,' Ethan tears the paper away) WRONG! You never had control, you only thought you had it! An illusion, tabibu juhu! And what do you control - for sure, huh? The volume on your stereo? The air conditioning in your car? What else? WHAT ELSE? ... Alright. Another chance. You were nervous. Too much presure. Try again. What have you lost? What did I take? Write it. Write it! (Theo starts to write 'my freedom,' again Ethan tears the paper away) You're a fool, juha! Ha! Did you think you were free? Where were you going at 2:00 today? Into the gym, right? In the morning, your wake up call. In the middle of the night, when you wake up sweating with your heart pounding. What is it that has you all tied up, juha? Is it ambition? Yeah... You're no mystery to me, boy. (whispering) I used to be you. Okay. One last chance. You think I won't do it? Ha. What's one psychiatrist less to the world. I'm already deep in the pit. So what else can they do to me? Last try. Get it right. What have you lost? What did I take from you? Write it.
(Theo is crying. He writes 'my illusions.')
Yeah. Congratulations. (he releases Theo, kissing him on the cheek, taking off the duct tape) You're a student, after all. And you're lost nothing but your illusions... and a little bit of skin.

[–] Jabbapop 18 years ago

I didn't like how hopkins gave him the answer and it took gooding another wrong guess just to get it. the two of them must have taken each other for idiots.

[–] apperception 18 years ago

The best scene, in my opinion, the only time that I thought that this movie was a great companion piece to 'Ishmael,' was with the illustration of social control within the prison via the 'card system' and Cuba's subversion of that. It was a fairly effective criticism of capitalism by example.

[–] jessicabetando 17 years ago

That is an absolutely beautiful scene, but my favorite, in terms of the acting, is the scene in which Hopkins' character is first captured in the forest. I think the emotion of that scene is just so heartbreaking. Hopkins' acting is nothing short of breathtaking. I'd watch anything with him in it - he's just so incredible!

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] KellieQTpie 16 years ago

I absolutly agree, Hopkins is one, if not the best, of all time,

[–] robocat893 16 years ago

Anthony Hopkins is by far one of the best actors of our time. He was so good at portraying Richard Nixon I really believed I was watching Nixon and not a British actor. I believe that's hard do but Hopkins did it.

I smell of death, I reek of hate, I will live forever!

[–] beeryusa 11 years ago

I agree - the scene in the forest is the best scene, when Hopkin's character's world comes crashing down due to human greed.

"Oh no, not the bees! NOT THE BEES! AAAAAHHHHH! AAAAAHHH! OH THEY'RE IN MY EYES! MY EYES! ARGGGHH!"

[–] DeAd_MiKe_187 16 years ago

That was my favorite scene too.

[–] francescodarcangeli-1 16 years ago

My favourite scene?
Of course when Dacks (the guard) gets the beating anyone who abuses of his power deserves. Too bad the beating is interrupted before its rightful ending, that is, Dacks getting his fingers, hands, arms, feet, shins, knees and legs (in this order) beaten into a bloody pulp. That's the end all abusers should meet.
Of course I know that the guard is only a movie character and I do not wish anything bad for the actor who plays him (indeed, he does a great job!):D

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] merlinsbeard 14 years ago

I loved the way that the very end of the scene when Ethan was subdued (and taken out of the prison for trying to help the poor guy who was being attacked by Dacks) is made to parallel the moment when Ethan is subdued by the Africans and watches the gorilla die. In both scenes, the two look into one another's eyes with such depth and complexity--love, awe, gratitude, heartbreak-- but the roles are reversed in the second scene. Ethan is the dying gorilla, so to speak, who has sacrificed himself for his family. A little later there's a line that Theo speaks about Ethan's "protecting his family" (meaning the men in the institution) to make sure that we get the parallel, but I kind of wish they'd left that line out-- the parallel scenes and the acting had done it all, already. Beautiful.

[–] scipio23 14 years ago

My favorite scene was when Cuba held his arms out in the rain, looking up. I loved The Shawshank Redemption and it had a scene just like that. So when they did it in Instinct, it was like "hey! that reminds me of a really good movie!" I think it's cool when movies take something from another movie and use it. I wish more movies would do that.

Je suis Marxiste, tendance Groucho

[–] Fire God 13 years ago

They did no such damn thing. The rain SCENES in Instinct were a very well constructed freeing of the mind of two characters and were not taken from Shawshank. You'd know that if you hadn't had your head up your ass at the time of watching this movie, and you might have been able to absorb one or two of life's most important lessons.

[–] Maegnas 12 years ago

No need for name calling mate, you made your point, there's no need to diminish it by using insults.

As for my best scene, it was a bit scene actually but, imo, it was golden. The moment Lester (the inmate that kept wetting himself) goes out after the card system was "abolished", the expression on his face is pure and utter bliss!!

Cute and cuddly boyz!!