100 Most Memorable Film Characters Of All Time: Nominations 11 thru 20
of who keeps you on edge so strongly every moment they are on screen. I can vividly remember that feeling when I first saw Martin Scorsese's mob drama in 1990. Joe Pesci deservedly won an Oscar for this performance, as he seethes such rage and violence that can break out at any moment. One wrong move, one wrong phrase, and Tommy is a loose cannon. This is never more evident than when the guys are out at a bar playing cards one night, and Tommy accidentally shoots the kid working in the bar in the foot. The next night when the kid tells Tommy to go fuck himself, he pulls out his gun and shoots him dead. I can't think of too many characters who can evoke that kind of anxiety in the audience whenever they appear on screen. And at the same time, the character can also be incredible funny, such as the famous scene where he tries to make Ray Liotta sweat "How am I funny?"
11) Rick Blaine in CASABLANCA (Humphrey Bogart) If Ingrid Bergman's Ilsa is the heart of this immortal romance, Humphrey Bogart's Rick Blaine is its brain and spine. At the beginning of the film, Rick is a nightclub owner who "sticks his neck out for no one", trying to weather World War II by not making enemies. But when the love of his life returns to Casablanca, all that changes, as we see this strong and suave man slowly melt as his past catches up to him. And in the end, Rick must stand strong as he makes the choice to convince his love to leave with Victor Laszlo. CASABLANCA will always be one of the most immortal films in all of cinema, and Rick Blaine will most likely always be the performance for which Humphrey Bogart is always remembered.
And that finally brings us down to the Top Ten ... I'm certain by now you must be guessing which ten have made the top of my list, and they will be revealed soon in Part 6, the final article in this summer series. Feel free to share your guesses and try to predict which ten characters I ultimately chose as the ten most memorable of all time. You'll find the top ten just as varied a list as we've seen all along ranging across the history of cinema. The top ten contains characters who have so
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