20 Most Perfect Scenes In Cinema History

Whimsical, captivating and strange - that description could apply to any one of Terry Gilliam’s movies over the last four decades, and certainly fits The Fisher King to a tee. Here he’s added ‘romantic’ and ‘luminous’ to his usual oddball stew, and the result makes you wonder why he doesn’t attempt it more often.

A perfect showcase for the late Robin Williams’ dual talents as manic comedian and fearless dramatic actor, The Fisher King is both comic fantasy and redemptive melodrama. Williams plays Parry, a delusional homeless man who believes himself to be a knight on a quest to find the Holy Grail of Arthurian legend.

There’s a lot more to the movie than this scene - a fantastic lead performance from Jeff Bridges and an Oscar-winning turn from Mercedes Ruehl, for a start - but nothing seems to capture the brimming heart of The Fisher King better than the scene where Parry, smitten, follows the woman he’s fallen in love with through a suddenly magical Grand Central Station.

Filmed over one chaotic night with a thousand extras, all of whom had to be taught the waltz before a frame could be shot, the shoot overran, and Gilliam found himself frantically directing Williams to step through genuine crowds of commuters to get the last few takes he needed. The result is simply breathtaking cinema.