The Phantom revealed scene (he is unmasked) from THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925) --- This is one of the classic scenes from the early silent films, and still one of the most shocking. It is the famous scene when Lon Chaney's Phantom is finally unmasked. He remains so mysterious in the early parts of the film, and finally when he takes the woman below and begins playing music to her, the woman slowly sneaks up to him and from behind, pulls off his mask. We see the Phantom's true face, and the scene works as great horror because the shot is set up to shock us twice -- first we are shocked by the Phantom's face, but since the girl is behind him, we are set up for the second shocking scene when the Phantom turns around and reveals his true self, and we see her reaction. Lon Chaney's transformation into the Phantom was remarkable, and no remake has ever managed to top this terrifying silent film version.
The ending where George Bailey reunites with his family from IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) --- This will forever remain one of the all time classic film moments in a lot of people's hearts. It comes at the end of one of the most loved films of all time, that Christmas perennial, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. The ending finally shows George Bailey, played by the incomparable Jimmy Stewart, celebrating with his family after being shown how much his life truly matters. He holds his little girl who points at the bell ringing on the Christmas tree, and tells his father, "every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings" and Bailey figures it's the angel who showed him what life would have been like had he never lived, and gave him a precious second chance at life. It's a warm and endearing closure to this warm and endearing film.
