10 Killer Movie Assassinations
Assassins get a bad rap. All too often stereotyped as feckless, amoral killers, assassins are really agents of change, working in highly dangerous conditions to help facilitate the orderly transition of power between and within organized crime families, drug cartels and political dynasties. Some are politically or divinely inspired, while others seek more tangible rewards, like suitcases full of small, unmarked bills and one-way tickets to non-extradition treaty countries. All of them have serious cajones.
With the DVD debut of Assassination of a High School President, starring Bruce Willis and Mischa Barton, we decided to compile a list of some of our favorite big-screen assassinations (NOTE: most of the clips below contain graphic violence and/or naughty language, and are likely NSFW):
Tony Montana,
Scarface
It takes a lot to bring down a well-armed, coked-up Tony Montana. His criminal empire crumbling around him, the self-made mob boss mounts an impressive last stand, taking out dozens of anonymous, startlingly inaccurate gunmen before a shotgun blast finally fells him:
The Wicked Witch of the West,
The Wizard of Oz
The genius of Dorothy’s assassination of the Wicked Witch was that she made it all appear accidental, demonstrating the art of plausible deniability a good 50 years before the concept became fashionable. That girl is freaking ruthless:
Unknown Woman,
La Femme Nikita
Some people light up a cigarette or two after sex. Others prefer to simply cuddle. Nikita likes to assemble a high-powered sniper rifle and blow people away from the comfort of her bathroom. Whatever works.
Emperor Palpatine,
Return of the Jedi
After deliberating for what seems like hours, Darth Vader tires of his crybaby son’s overdramatic writhing and takes matters into his own hand, completing a galactic regime change in one quick stroke. Now, if only he’d thrown Luke over the rail as well, the whiny bastard:
Tango,
American Gangster
Even wonder what life was like before surveillance and cell phone cameras became ubiquitous? Well, in places like Harlem, mob kingpins blew the heads off of their rivals in broad daylight. In the middle of a busy sidewalk. Sometimes progress is a good thing:
Jesse James,
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
It’s tough living in the shadow of a famous person, especially one who looks like Brad Pitt. Jealousy breeds resentment, and resentment leads to some uncomfortable moments at the breakfast table. Still, Robert Ford’s method of alleviating the awkwardness seems a tad extreme:
Moe Greene,
The Godfather
Hyman Roth may have thought Greene deserved better, but we think a clean shot through the right eye is on the massage table is perfectly appropriate:
Adolf Hitler,
Inglourious Basterds
Hitler’s suicide in 1945 unjustly deprived the world of the catharsis involved in seeing the monstrous dictator subjected to a gruesome, painful death. Lucky for us, Quentin Tarantino specializes in gruesome and painful.
Sloan,
Wanted
The most shocking moment of this film wasn’t one of its many graphic kills, it was Morgan Freeman shouting the words “Shoot this motherf**ker!” James McAvoy, justifiably appalled by the avuncular star’s sudden use of such foul language, decided he had to make him pay.
Colonel Kurtz,
Apocalypse Now
Captain Willard uses a machete to bring an end to Colonel Kurtz’s bizarre reign, and for good reason. There’s no way he'd ever penetrate Marlon Brando’s monumental flab with anything less:
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