10 Best Final Speeches In Movie History

A good speech can be a powerful thing, and when executed perfectly by each of the holy trinity of actor, writer and director, it tends to really stand out.

It's a shame, then, that speeches in movies have become somewhat of a cliché.

Whether you're thinking of the oft-quoted "I don't know who you are..." speech from Taken, or "My name is Inigo Montoya..." from The Princess Bride, odds are you've heard at least one monologue used for comedic purposes, regardless of the filmmaker's initial intentions.

There are countless examples of times that these speeches felt forced or unnecessary, but every so often they actually work as intended, enriching the movie in which they exist while simultaneously evoking whatever emotion the filmmakers were hoping for.

When this happens, not only is it something of a triumph for everyone involved, but it goes a long way toward cementing a particular moment into the viewer's mind: after all, is any scene in Taken as memorable as Liam Neeson's threatening rant down the phone to the unknown kidnapper? Certainly not.

When used to mark a character's final words or the closing lines the movie, these speeches take on another quality, becoming a sort of meta farewell, and here are 10 of the best times that this was the case.

There are a number of moments in 1994 classic The Shawshank Redemption that have the power to move just about any viewer, but one of the most poignant comes in the last few minutes of its 140 minute runtime.

Red has spent the majority of his life behind bars. Despite maintaining what appears to be a carefree and optimistic facade, the time he has spent locked up has worn on his spirit so heavily that it seems that he may be well and truly institutionalized, a fact that he himself openly admits.

After countless parole hearings in which his hopeful bids for a life outside Shawshank are denied, Red finally drops the optimistic facade.

When asked if he thinks he has been rehabilitated, Red lectures the parole board on what rehabilitation means before telling the board to stop wasting his time, and that he doesn't give a sh*t.

The board grants him his parole, and upon gaining his freedom, he lists several of his hopes for the future as he travels to meet old friend Andy Dufresne.