20 Most Satisfying Movie Moments

By Adrian Smith / November 19, 2013

7. Belloq's Head Explodes - Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Raiders of the Lost Ark introduced us to eminent archaeologist Indiana Jones, who might just well be the coolest hero in movie history (though to be fair, his only competition is Han Solo, who's also played by Harrison Ford). But to make sure we could really support Indy's mission to recover the Ark of the Covenant, director Steven Spielberg had to ensure he was facing off against a worthy adversary. That's to say, Indy went up against the Nazis for much of the serial-inspired picture - could the filmmakers have picked a more satisfying target? Still, it was French archaeologist Belloq who proved to be Raiders' most memorable villain, who teams up with the Nazis but has his own ideas about what she happen to the Ark. Anyhow, watching his head explode during the film's iconic climax is nothing short of cathartic.

6. Harmonica Gets Frank - Once Upon A Time In The West (1967)

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly might be Sergio Leone's most famous movie, but Once Upon A Time In The West is perhaps his greatest achievement in the western genre. Rich, operatic, sad, beautiful, and - at times - even hilarious, this epic story follows Charles Bronson's near-silent gunslinger Harmonica, nicknamed for the instrument he carries on a string around his neck, who's out to seek revenge on the man who murdered his brother. There's more to Once Upon A Time In The West than simple revenge of course, but it's the climax of this particular story that makes for entirely satisfying viewing - after three hours of beating around the bush, our hero and his target, Frank, face one another in dust, pistols drawn, as Ennio Morricone's haunting musical score swirls around them. When they both finally fire, Frank is too slow, and he goes down. It was worth the wait.