10 Epic Final Showdowns In Movies

5. The Bride vs. O-Ren - Kill Bill Volume 1

Kill Bill Volume 1 Though not the final showdown of the Kill Bill saga - that honour was saved for a bizarre and disappointing stand-off (or rather, sit-off) between The Bride and Bill - the final fight in the first Kill Bill movie far outshines the equivalent one at the end of Volume 2. It certainly has a lot to live up to given that it follows the famed fight in the House of Blue Leaves, where The Bride tore O-Ren Ishii's Crazy 88 goons to shreds with a samurai sword. The finale is a one-on-one swordfight, with the atmosphere perfectly set by Tarantino's use of Santa Esmerelda's disco take on Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. The slow-moving, atmospheric sword fight ends with The Bride slicing off the top of O-Ren's head, allowing her to die with dignity, her blood artfully splayed over the white snow as the film comes to a close.
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Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.