New Top List Idea: Movie Monologues

The other night, my wonderful dad and I caught Jaws on TV, making it easily the millionth viewing we have shared of Spielberg's masterpiece. Before Robert Shaw himself had the chance to deliver the speech yet again, Pop had already mentioned how much he loves the Indianapolis Monologue. He always talks about how haunting he finds it, how well-worded and well-acted it is. He then went on to ask me..."What do you rate as the top movie speeches?" Well, there was a new Top List idea dropped right into my lap. Thanks, Pop!

So, at the time I mentioned three that immediately came to mind, one of them being the Indianapolis speech by Robert Shaw as Quint. He tells Brody (Roy Scheider) and Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) of his experience as a survivor of the torpedo attack on the Indianapolis, of how sharks caused many deaths in the water for the three and a half days before they were found.

Probably the saving grace of a very controversial movie, Marlon Brando delivers one hell of a speech to the embalmed body of his wife in Last Tango In Paris. Brando plays tortured soul Paul, who is clawing after any sense of happiness, or really pleasure, after his wife's suicide. He finds himself in a masochistic relationship with a young French woman, whose name he never wants to know. The film contains copious sex with many supposed complaints: Brando is twice the age of his co-star Maria Schneider, she is always naked and he remains clothed, a rape, and general lack of feeling or passion from either party. The stars later criticised writer/director Bernardo Bertolucci, as a predatory pervert who had exploited them. It may have been controversial, it may have been somewhat humiliating, but they really did create a very artistic and emotional movie. Brando's monologue had me reduced to tears: he is the epitome of desperation and despair. It's a truly class performance.

The third I mentioned was Piper Laurie's fought-for speech in Brian DePalma's Carrie. Apparently, this speech was due to get cut from the script, but Laurie demanded she be allowed to film it, as she had rehearsed it so much. The film makers soon agreed that it belonged. Not only that, it is the big explanation in the movie, and it was in Stephen King's words in the novel. Margaret White is not just a crazy, abusive fanatic- this fantastic performance gives Margaret's traumatic side of the story. This role was so, so worth Piper Laurie coming out of retirement for!

The last one I must mention, which has only just come to me, is undoubtedly the most upsetting performance in a film I can recall. Ellen Burstyn delivers Oscar-worthy material as reclusive widow Sara Goldfarb in Darren Aronofsky's disturbing masterpiece Requiem For A Dream. Obsessed with fitting back into her special red dress, poor Sara is given amphetamines by some dodgy doctor, and is soon faced with a visit from her absent heroin-addict son Harry, her only love. Knowing his field, he immediately notices his mother is "on uppers," and demands she discontinue them. Sara's true loneliness and misery come flooding out in a devastating one-shot delivery, which starts to slump due to the cameraman bursting into tears on set. "I'm lonely...I'm old..." she sobs. Oh boy, I don't know what kind of mood you have to be in to watch Requiem For A Dream, but I'd advise anyone with a heart approach it with caution. It is the saddest movie I've ever seen.

So, on a lighter note, this is the founding of another Top List. I shall be collecting answers for this poll, as well as finalising the Top Scary Movies list, and they'll be up soon!