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Ladies And Gentlemen: 20 Great Movie Speeches

The greatest movie speeches are vitally important, and difficult to achieve. They are important because - when used at just the right moment - they draw the audience in, galvanise their emotional connection to the plot, and thrust the narrative forward. They are difficult to achieve because it is not just about the writing – though that is crucial. The greatest movie speeches are the result of many elements combining in the perfect way to create an iconic moment. They are about the writing, the performance, the direction, the score, and the editing. When you watch a great movie speech, you are glimpsing each and every production department working in concert to deliver a powerful moment within the story.
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17) “You know, it’s a blur…” – Batman Returns (1992)

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In this darker sequel to his 1989 movie, Batman, director Tim Burton and writer Daniel Waters deliver a chance for Michelle Pfeiffer to create an incredible performance as Selina Kyle – also known as Catwoman. Without a doubt, it is her portrayal of a bullied and downtrodden woman experiencing a psychotic break that turns an average movie into a gripping and interesting superhero film.

As “lowly secretary” to the powerful and greedy Max Shreck (Christopher Walken), Selina Kyle is nervous and victimized. When she stumbles upon evidence of a particularly shady deal, he throws her out of his office window – assuming it would kill her. It doesn’t, and in her resulting psychosis, she develops an alter-ego – distinctly feline in nature. Selina returns to her the Shreck offices just as a meeting between her boss and Bruce Wayne is ending. Shreck is surprised to see her and, when Wayne asks what caused the cut on her head, Shreck urges her to lie. Her response is the first demonstration of her changed personality to anyone outside of her own apartment.

“You know, it’s a blur… I mean, not complete amnesia. I remember Sister Mary Margaret puking in church, and Betsy Riley saying it was morning sickness, and I remember the time I forgot to wear my underpants to school and the name of boy who noticed was Ricky Friedberg. He’s dead now. But last night – complete blur. Couldn’t you just die?”

Her speech is delivered in a voice that is lower than before – like a cat’s purr. As she speaks, she absent-mindedly paces up and down between the two men, swinging her hips as if she is twitching an invisible tail. Her words are a stream of consciousness from a clearly fractured mind, but are offered in such a way as to be completely informal and disarming. This Selina Kyle is the embodiment of the feline essence, and she is finally speaking her mind – random, challenging and risqué though that may be.


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Author
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Sarah Myles
Sarah Myles is a freelance writer. Originally from London, she now lives in North Yorkshire with her husband and two children.