5. The Twist - The Usual Suspects
Here's
the example for how to use slow-motion to depict a revelation coming to light. Agent Kujan finally comes to realise the truth, that Kerbal Kint
is Keyser Soze, and Bryan Singer conveys the gravity of the situation by having Kujan let go of his coffee mug out of sheer shock, making it clear that we're about to learn something Earth-shattering. The almost graceful way the mug explodes as it hits the floor, spinning around and sending coffee everywhere, leading into the momentous reveal that, of course, the bad guy has been sitting opposite Kujan for the vast majority of the movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_6560AW1zQ So well-known has this shot become that it's now something of a cliche; a shocked character drops a drink, which shatters at their feet, and then we find out what shocked them. One cannot be sure if this was the first film to do it, but it's definitely the best - impactful, smart, and gorgeously shot.