10 More Best Movie Characters Who Only Appear In ONE Scene
2. Perrier LaPadite - Inglourious Basterds
This might seem like a bit of a cheat given that the opening sequence to Inglourious Basterds runs over 20 minutes in length, but it is one long unbroken scene, so it still counts.
As much as Christoph Waltz stole every scene he was in with his Oscar-winning portrayal of SS colonel Hans Landa, don't let his outstanding work overshadow his primary screen partner in that opening set-piece.
The scene revolves around Landa interrogating French farmer Perrier LaPadite (Denis Ménochet), who he believes is hiding a Jewish family, the Dreyfuses, under the floorboards of his farmhouse.
The whole exchange, as Landa slowly but surely breaks LaPadite down by promising to spare his family if he gives the Dreyfuses up, is terrifically tense, due to both Landa's chillingly calm demeanour and the rising fear with which LaPadite regards him.
It's a superbly understated performance from Mencohet, taking a character who could so easily be a passenger to Landa and making him incredibly interesting and memorable in his own right.