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THE 100 GREATEST MOVIE SEQUENCES OF ALL TIME Return to Main 100 Sequences Page | Enter Your Choices! |
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100 99 98 97 96 95 94 93 92 91 90 89 88 87 86 85 84 83 82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 NUMBER ONE
Cruise against Nicholson in the courtroom finale
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These final scenes in the courtroom battle to find justice for a murdered Marine show two top actors getting to show their all.
Tom Cruise is the Navy lawyer defending two Marines accused of murder in this film directed by Rob Reiner. The Marines hadn't
intended to kill, but received orders to torture this Marine, what the Marines call a Code Red by someone higher up, and Cruise
thinks it's Colonel Nathan Jessep, played by Jack Nicholson, whose presence in the film is a strong reminder of how powerful an
actor and amazing a screen presence as Nicholon is. When he finally puts Jessep on the stand, the two go at each other back
and forth, as Cruise attempts to get Nicholson so pissed off that he wants to admit he made a command decision and is sick of
hiding from it. It's an example of great contemporary acting, and a thrilling courtroom moment.