Recently I went to a funeral, and while there I began to ponder about death. Yes, a common thing to think about at a venue of that nature. But my mind doesn’t necessarily work in conventional ways, and it leads me down a path to today’s article. So in this piece, we’ll look at five cinematic deaths that left an impacting my mind. (And just to set some guidelines, these deaths can take place in movies or television shows.)
Why Such a Topic
With a topic like death, many people will view this article entry as strange and macabre. But in reality, we all face death every day in one way or another. And we all deal with it in our way, and writing is my catharsis.
John Dillinger- Public Enemies
The film Public Enemies in 2009 starring Johnny Depp was an excellent movie. However, the emotions it would elicit from me ten years ago was utterly unexpected. The story would follow two men Dillinger, played by Depp, and a “Fed” play by Christian Bale. Bale’s character, Melvin Purvis, would pursue Dillinger at all cost. The way that John Dillinger would be gunned down in the street would leave a lasting impression on me. And this would be the first movie to make my eyes water.
Madeline Westen- Burn Notice
Anyone that watched the USA Network show “Burn Notice” knows the kind of lasting impact that Madeline Westen left on your heart. The mother of super-spy extraordinaire Michael Westen, Madeline would deliver some of the best performances among the incredible cast. In the end, Maddie’s sacrifice would leave such an indelible mark that I would be unable to watch Burn Notice on replay for a couple of years. And I rewatch my favorite shows on a regular basis. The display of a mother’s eternal love for her children is something epic.
Jim Hopper- Stranger Things
In the finale of season three of Stranger Things, we would see “the end” of Eleven’s father figure Jim Hopper. Hopper wasn’t a character I was overly invested in despite being one of the main characters in the show. Hopper would knowingly make the sacrifice of his own life to close the gateway to the other side. The most moving part of Hopper’s death was not his death itself. However, it was the reaction on Eleven’s face when Hopper did not emerge from the wreckage of the mall.
Tony Montana- Scarface
Now this entry is different than the rest in the way it impacted me. The impact that Tony’s death left me with was one of unbelief, and a feeling of wow this is epic for all the wrong reasons. For anyone who has seen Scarface, you understand that the life that Montana lives was only going to end in death. So his death was expected and anticipated from the beginning. But what made such an impact was the unwavering brash nature Montana would display until his death blow. Tony Montana would go out as one would expect in that style of life.
Tony Stark- Avengers End Game
Lastly, we end with another Tony, this time Tony Stark during his death in Avengers End Game. This death would hit me with a wave of sadness I did not expect at all. During much of the MCU, I could not stand Tony Stark, his arrogant and self absorbed nature made him a villain (in my eyes) despite being the protagonist in the films. But something changed over the last two team-up films in the MCU, Avengers Infinity and End Game.
Tony Stark went from brash egotist to a genuinely lovable person, which made his unheralded self-sacrifice all the more devastating to endure. And thinking about the one thing that Stark told Captain America was about not dying because of having too much to live for now (his daughter.) Tony gave his life to save the world, and for that, I must say to you, Mr. Stark, ” We love you, 3000.”
