Top 10 Movie Quotes

For me, a sign of a successfully scripted film is that specific lines become timeless, and are remembered by generations for a considerably longer time than the movie itself. The following is a list of my top 10 favourite movie quotes, but bear in mind that I am yet to see countless movies which would most likely appear in a list similar to this if it were compiled by somebody else. This list contains some big spoilers for certain movies, so read on at your own risk. 

10 - "I like the way you die, boy." - Django: 
Django Unchained
When Dr. King Schultz takes Django to a plantation in search of three brothers who personally wronged the freed slave, they quickly come across the brothers repeating the same diabolical acts Django had to endure, except this time upon an innocent, defenceless young girl. A stylistic flashback shows Django's wife in the same position as this violated girl, with one of the brothers uttering a line which Django mocks; just as soon as he shoots him in the chest.

9 - "I have to believe..." - Leonard: Memento

In the closing lines to Christopher Nolan's non-chronological masterpiece, main character Leonard reflects on the revelations he has recently learned, but will soon evade his memory. He brings together all the events that occur throughout the film in a single monologue, and ends the movie perfectly by holding a verbal mirror up to the audience which leads you to question parts of your own life, and whether Leonard is more relate-able than he first appears. 

8 - "I wanna go home" - Bubba Blue: Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump will always remain one of my favourite Tom Hanks' movies, and Bubba Blue is easily one of the best characters in the movie. During their time in Vietnam, Forrest and Bubba become "best good friends", which makes Bubba's departure all the more crushing. With four words he managed to make millions of people cry, possibly more so than the multiple emotional lows towards the end of the movie. His previous words, "Why are we here?" could also be seen as powerful, as they encompass many people's feelings towards the entire Vietnam war itself.   

7 - "Has anything you've done made your life better?" - Lawrence: American History X

In a man filled with of racism and violence, it's pretty incredible that only a single question can change Derek Vinyard's outlook and aspiration in life. After spending a long period of time in prison due to murdering some black enemies, Derek gradually learns that all the hate and hostility he carries around has not benefited him in any way. As soon as this revelation hits him like a tonne of bricks, Derek urges his friend to help him change his ways; all of which is delivered incredibly by the talented Edward Norton. 

6 - "Fava beans and a nice chianti" - Hannibal Lecter: 

The Silence of the Lambs

After hearing about the notorious Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Clarice Sterling goes to where he is being held prisoner in order to interrogate him and hopefully gather some information about several missing girls in the local area. After an intense conversation, Hannibal gets inside Clarice's head and shocks her with a chilling quote which remains one of the best in horror movie history. 

5 - "What's in the box?!?" - Detective Mills: Se7en

After tracking the killer for the the entire film, Detective Mills & Somerset have him arrive on their doorstep with his hands covered in blood. The two men agree to accompany the killer (played by the incredible Kevin Spacey) out to the desert, where Somerset is given a brown box. Once he opens it, everything changes, and the only thing on Somerset's mind is convincing his partner not to shoot the murderer in the head, whilst Mills screams a line which sends chills down anybody's spine who has seen this amazing movie. 

4 - "Stop swinging the bat." - Jack Torrence: The Shining

Whilst most people know The Shining due to the infamous "Here's Johnny!" line, I believe that Jack's monologue whilst following his terrified wife up the stairs is far more memorable. He transitions from furious to terrifying to mocking within the space of a few seconds, which not only highlights the mental strain Jack is under, but also shows just how incredible of an actor Jack Nicholson is. 

3 - "Ezekiel 25:17" - Jules Winnfield: Pulp Fiction

Almost every single line in Pulp Fiction could be put on this list, but I chose Samuel L. Jackson's closing speech specifically because it wraps up the film perfectly and allows everything to come full-circle. One of the opening scenes features the same monologue delivered by his character Jules, but this final quote explains his reasoning behind using such a powerful Bible reference to scare those who wrong him. 

2 - "It's only after we've lost everything, that we're free to do anything." -Tyler Durden: Fight Club 

In one of the most intense scenes in a film filled with metaphors and philosophy, Tyler Durden continuously spews twisted inspiration and bitter realities about life. It's his final words before the Narrator calms down however, which are truly memorable. Fight Club is a movie which will change your life because of it's meanings and philosophical ideas, but this one specifically stands out as purely bitter-sweet. 

1 - "Why so serious?" - The Joker: The Dark Knight

And finally, a quote which is easily the pinnacle of summarising a character in a few simple words. The Joker is a deeply complex character, and the late Heath Ledger's portrayal of him remains the best ever placed on screen. It's in the scene where he confronts Gambol however, where his dark, twisted nature truly rears it's ugly head. Throughout the Joker's recollection to Gambol about his disturbed childhood, these three words repeat again and again, until the tension raises to an unbearable level and it ends abruptly with the Joker slicing Gambol's mouth open, but not before uttering them one last time.