The 20 best dialogue scenes in movie history (2023)

When two people get together in a room to talk about things like adults, it's usually quite normal; If all goes well, the two of you join hands and go out into the world with a smile on your face and one less reason to worry.

However, in the world of movies, when you see a scene full of dialogue, you know you are about to die.

Unlike in the real world, a conversation between two people can't just be a friendly encounter (unless you're watching an indie, low-budget, or Richard Linklater movie); There has to be tension, with a lot of drama and fury. In short, mischief is likely to occur and at least something important will be revealed that could change the course of the plot.

If you decide to keep reading this incredible list, you'll find the 20 greatest one-on-one verbal confrontations in movie history.

20. My dinner with André

This film consists of a single two-hour dialogue scene in which the protagonist meets up with an old friend named André, who has been involved in an interesting series of activities in search of the true meaning of his life.

Wally listens quietly as his friend excitedly describes what he's been doing all this time: being buried alive, putting on a strange play in a forest with no audience, adopting a Buddhist monk for a few weeks, joining a group of people who are trying to achieve some kind of enlightened extrahuman state. Andre seems interested in New Age culture, and he and Wally are very different from each other.

It is very interesting to watch them talk non-stop for almost two hours. The protagonist disagrees with André's extremism that the modern world is meaningless, but appreciates the comforts that technology offers, while André prefers a more animalistic and natural state of being, and strongly criticizes the vices and problems of our contemporary civilization.

His philosophical lectures reveal some of the obvious problems facing Western society, such as alienation, routine, self-delusion, and a lack of empathy. A review you can't miss.

Best lines:André:"Our minds are only focused on these goals and plans, which in themselves are not reality." Wally: "Goals and plans aren't… they're fantasy. You're part of a dream life."

19. Manhattan

All Woody Allen movies are based on dialogue. His scripts are influenced by various literary authors, and most of his writing could easily be adapted into a play. He also often borrows from the golden age of Hollywood and classic foreign masterpieces like Casablanca, 8½, Citizen Kane and The Seventh Seal.

"Manhattan" is a mix of many of his inspirations, including New York, which can be considered his biggest inspiration. Allen plays Isaac, a talkative New Yorker dating a 17-year-old girl named Tracy. He doesn't seem to take the relationship seriously, but Tracy has fallen for him.

Throughout the film, Isaac treats Tracy like a child and patronizes her in order to undermine their affection for each other. He prefers the pseudo-intellectual Mary, but it's clear that if it weren't for her age, he would rather be with Tracy.

In the end, Isaac's attempts to seduce Mary are thwarted by his best friend. Isaac runs up to Tracy's building and realizes that he has always loved her, as Tracy's wonderful soundtrack transports us into Hollywood history. Gershwin's famous "Rhapsody in Blue" carries the entire film to the end.

She is preparing to go to London on a scholarship and when he realizes it is too late to convince her, Tracy comforts him that she will still love him when he is six months old. Isaac isn't so sure, but he's convinced when Tracy says, "You have to believe in people a little bit."

This scene closes the movie nicely with a nice loop. Shot in glorious black and white and with incredible performances from both actors, it's some of the best dialogue in movie history.

Best lines:Tracy:"You have to have a little trust in people."

18. The Third Man

Regarded as one of the greatest classic thrillers of all time, this film's clever plotting was decades ahead of its time and inspired future generations of filmmakers with its impeccable black-and-white aesthetic and unforgettable set pieces; namely, the famous dialogue about the Ferris wheel.

Holly Martins came to Vienna after World War II at the invitation of her old friend Harry Lime. Shortly after her arrival, Holly discovers that Harry was hit by a truck and died instantly. She helps with the funeral and everyone seems to think that Harry was a criminal. Holly then begins a difficult investigation to prove the innocence of her best friend.

After asking questions, the protagonist is convinced that his friend is no longer who he used to be. Everything points to Harry being a vicious bully who faked his death, so Holly tells one of Harry's associates that she'll be on the Ferris wheel waiting for him to figure things out.

Harry, played by none other than Orson Welles, joins Holly on the date as if everything is normal. Holly starts talking about all the evidence she found against her; Meanwhile, the Ferris wheel has started to spin and we can see the scenery behind Harry moving. He doesn't seem to care and threatens Holly's life if she betrays him. The dialogue itself becomes very poetic, as Welles's character is beautifully written and leads the conversation as a master manipulator, while his friend is bewildered by his personality transformation.

This is a pivotal moment for the film, as Welles solidifies his terrific performance and the mystery is revealed.

Best lines:Harry Lima:"Don't be so sad. After all, it's not that bad. As the guy says, there was war, terror, murder, and bloodshed in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance". In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that bring? The cuckoo clock. Goodbye Holly.

17. Good companions

In an attempt to reprise the role of "himself," Joe Pesci plays a psychopathic gangster named Tommy, who is as crazy as he is funny, though Pesci's character denies these aspects of his personality.

Martin Scorsese beautifully structures this dialogue scene, using two camera angles that allow us to see each character's reactions.

Tommy tells a story to a group of other gangsters at a diner about how he refused to be questioned by police officers when they accosted him while he was lounging in a park. Everyone laughs at the actor's hilarious delivery of the story, and Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta) instinctively tells Tommy that it's funny, who replies, "What's funny?" Henry doesn't know what to say and starts mumbling, so Tommy asks him again with some anger in his voice as silence falls over the table.

Henry soon finds out that Tommy only makes out with him and they all start laughing again. However, we also see how crazy Tommy is, which makes us wonder if Henry is safe by his side.

This scene is based on a real life experience Joe Pesci had while working at a restaurant. He told a gangster it was funny and things went downhill from there as the guy didn't take the compliment very well. The director didn't add that part to the filming schedule, only he and Joe knew about it, so the other actors improvised around Pesci's great performance, and his reactions are real and priceless.

Scorsese portrays the relationship between the two in a unique and masterful dialogue that is not only funny, but also sets the overall pace of the film, which is dynamic and unexpected.

Best lines:Tommy DeVito:"No, no, I don't know, you said that. How was I supposed to know? You said I'm funny. How the hell am I funny? What the hell is so funny about me? Tell me, tell me, how funny!" Henry Hill: [long pause] "Get out of here, Tommy!" T: [everyone laughs] "Son of a bitch! Almost got it, almost got it. You stutter, period. Frankie, was I shaking? Sometimes I think about you, Henry. You can fall apart under a question.

16. Fome

Steve McQueen cast the young Magneto and Davos Seaworth in his first feature film. I was surprised when I didn't find any sword fighting or bending metal/murders throughout the movie, although I did find a nice dialogue scene.

Michael Fassbender plays Bobby Sands, an Irish republican who is on a hunger strike in prison. He chats with Father Domingos about his life, his religion and his motives, a relaxed talk while smoking and with a lot of chemistry. The camera remains static as the two men question each other.

Both actors do a great job, as filming a single take from the same angle and with an extreme number of lines to remember could not have been an easy task. Although we only see their forms for most of the scene due to low lighting, the performers manage to express every emotion and keep us engaged for almost 30 minutes and with minimal cuts.

Best lines:Father Dominic Morán:"I want to know if you're just trying to kill yourself here."
bob arena:"Do you want me to argue about the morality of what I'm about to do and whether or not it really is suicide? For one thing, you call it suicide. I call it murder. And that's just one more small difference between the two of us." We're both Catholic, we're both Republicans. But while you were salmon hunting in beautiful Kilrea, our house in Rathcoole burned down. Similar in many ways, Dom, but life and experiences have aligned our beliefs differently. Do you understand?"

15. Casablanca

Casablanca holds the unbeaten world record for having "the most film title mentions during its runtime" and is truly the classic among classics. People don't usually think of it as the greatest movie of all time, but in its historical context, Casablanca set the tone for cinema for decades to come.

American Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) and his girlfriend Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) were forced to flee Paris when their relationship went sour because Hitler simply couldn't go down without committing every crime imaginable, it made Humphrey Bogart close his tail as well. . . However, Ilsa suddenly decides to break up with him with a letter, which is the equivalent of sending her lover a Snapchat raising her middle finger as a breakup tactic.

They meet again after a long time at Rick's popular nightclub. He has special visas that Ilsa and her revolutionary husband need to escape persecution by the Third Reich and flee to the United States. He is hesitant to publish these documents because Ilsa has caused him great harm; Bogart's character often says that he only cares about himself after what happened to him.

However, in the final scene, Rick makes a great sacrifice for the greater good. He planned to give the visa to Ilsa's husband, but stay with his ex-girlfriend in Casablanca because she said she still loved him. At the moment of truth, he hands over the two checks and is left alone, with one of the most memorable lines in movie history.

Best lines:ilsa:"But what about us?"
Almiar:"We always had Paris. We didn't, we lost it until you got to Casablanca. We got it back last night."
UE:"When I said I would never leave you."
R:"And you never will. But I also have work to do. Where I'm going you can't follow me. You can't participate in what I have to do. Ilsa, I'm no good at being fancy, but it doesn't take much to see that." The problems of the Three Little People in this crazy world are not many beans. One day you will understand."

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