Second best death scene?

[Plane Sailing]

I was very disappointed by Boromir's death in the FotR movie - I thought his death in the books was epic, and it should have been possible to capture that on screen. The film version seemed more about the badassitude of the orc archer than about Boromir himself.

One of the most moving novel deaths that I've ever read has probably not been read by anyone else on these boards, even though it is a sci-fi novel.

In the first of the Cities in Flight series by James Blish, the protagonist is walking with his dog too near to a place where a city is about to take off. A group of soldiers comes to grab him and bring him to safety, but the boy doesn't want to leave his dog. A fight starts, and the trusty dog joins in to rescue him, but the boy is knocked out. He comes to as he is being carried away, and he wants to know where his dog is. One of the soldiers says 'he got away' but the boy spots out of the corner of his eye his faithful friend lying dead by a boulder.

I can't believe that I'm choking up writing this, and it must be a quarter of a century or more since I read that passage

 

[Hypersmurf]

A group of soldiers comes to grab him and bring him to safety, but the boy doesn't want to leave his dog.

Why can't the dog come to safety too?

-Hyp.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Why can't the dog come to safety too?

As I mentioned, it was a quarter of a century ago that I read this (probably more), so you'll forgive me if the details are a little hazy

(I think quarter of a century sounds much better than 25 years, don't you?)

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

I'll have to nominate one character from a certain Disney Movie that was just released... I will not say who, but all I will say is that if you see that movie you will know who I'm talking about by the special effects involved in that scene.

Aw c'mon, at least use spoiler tags! I'm guessing you're talking about Pirates 3, and I'm guessing you're referring to either

Spoiler

Davy Jones pulling a mind-flayer on that snooty crag-faced British guy

or

Spoiler

Will Turner's death

, though that one didn't involve a lot of special effects.

Or maybe there's some Disney movie just recently I've completely forgotten about.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

A group of soldiers comes to grab him and bring him to safety, but the boy doesn't want to leave his dog.

Speaking of which, has anyone mentioned Old Yeller?


Threadjack!
What's the most touching scene involving the death of an animal?

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Speaking of which, has anyone mentioned Old Yeller?

Post 146.

 

[Dioltach]

Tony Montana's death in Scarface, and Carlo Brigante's death in Carlito's Way, were both very gripping.

Arnold 'Ace' Rimmer's death (or rather, his funeral) in Red Dwarf also got to me.

 

[billd91]

I was very disappointed by Boromir's death in the FotR movie - I thought his death in the books was epic, and it should have been possible to capture that on screen. The film version seemed more about the badassitude of the orc archer than about Boromir himself.

I dunno. Boromir's death in the books is actually very subdued. The fight isn't even recounted since Aragorn comes on the scene as Boromir is dying. The power it has is partly because we, the readers, are mentally filling in the details of the picture. That said, I thought Boromir's death scene in the movie, including the action, was wonderfully done and ranks right up there with excellent death scenes in the movies. But it's Peter Jackson's vision and not necessarily everyone else's.

 

[billd91]

I've been watching James Bond movies lately, thanks to Casino Royale reinvigorating my interest, and there are some good death scenes in those movies. Standouts for me include Tracy Di Vicenzo Bond and Vesper Lynd. What is it about being a Bond girl that numbers your days?

The Australian officers executed in Breaker Morant also make for a good death scene. "Shoot straight, you bastards! Don't make a mess of it!"

 

[Plane Sailing]

I dunno. Boromir's death in the books is actually very subdued. The fight isn't even recounted since Aragorn comes on the scene as Boromir is dying. The power it has is partly because we, the readers, are mentally filling in the details of the picture.

Hmmm.

In the book, Boromir is surrounded by slaughtered orcs, and in the end the orcs obviously had to back off and shoot him full of arrows to stop him (twenty arrows was it?)

In the film, he gets show three times with big arrows and has an extended death scene that almost veers into comedy as he keeps getting up and getting shot once more. Hardly kills any orcs in the process (just a handful).

I know which one says to me 'great warrior' - and it didn't appear on the screen, more the pity.

Cheers