Top 10 Movie Monologues

Basically an evil Sherlock Holmes, Hannibal Lecter can size you up with one glance and a whiff of your perfume. It’s a handy skill when you’re a psychopath, but not that fun when you’re an insecure rookie trying to outrun your past. After FBI trainee Clarice Starling accidentally offends this creepy cannibal, he delivers a spiteful speech that hits all her soft spots. When she strikes back, Clarice learns never to interrupt a supervillain when he’s monologuing.

While the 1980s gave us some awesome movies and horrible fashions, it’s probably best remembered as the decade of greed. And nobody personifies materialism like Gordon Gekko. This conniving corporate raider makes a living off the buying and selling of others and thinks scheming and selfishness are virtues. Microphone in hand, Gekko sums up his philosophy in this big scene with the chilling assertion that greed is the key to success.

Wearing evil incarnate around your neck is no easy task, and after falling under the Ring’s influence and nearly murdering his best friend, it’s not hard to see why Frodo Baggins is down in the dumps. Fortunately, Samwise Gamgee is the kind of hobbit who knows how to give a rousing speech to snap his friend out of his fog. As Frodo starts doubting his quest, Sam reminds him even though things look dark and grim, there’s still something hopeful to hold onto.

When he’s sent to terminate a rogue colonel, Captain Willard doesn’t expect a lecture on ethics. But when he’s captured by the ruthless Kurtz, he learns a frightening lesson on the nature of horror. In a truly terrifying speech, Kurtz remembers the atrocities he’s seen and claims judgment has no place on the battlefield. Convinced soldiers should check emotions at the door, he tries to persuade Willard that “horror” is the key to victory.

Rude, crude, and sporting the craziest sideburns since the Wolverine, Captain Quint seems little more than a crusty old kook with a fondness for booze… until he recalls the tragedy of his experience on the USS Indianapolis. With a captivated audience both on and offscreen, Quint remembers the time he was surrounded by hungry sharks after helping to deliver parts for the atomic bomb that hit Hiroshima. Not only does his monologue ratchet up the tension, it tells us everything we need to know about this grizzled fisherman.

On trial for a crime you didn’t commit? Better call Atticus Finch. This southern attorney might seem soft-spoken, but put him in a courtroom, and he’s the greatest orator in cinematic history. Defending a black man falsely accused of rape, Atticus delivers an eloquent monologue on the meaning of justice. Demanding fair and equal treatment, Atticus make one last plea for Tom Robinson’s innocence, and it’s enough to make you get up out your seat.

Tyler Durden is a man who loves to talk. Whether he’s doling out rules or dreaming about the future, this savage soap salesman has quite a way with words. Durden is especially loquacious when preaching to his space monkeys. Frustrated with a shallow consumer culture and suffering from feelings of emasculation, Tyler stirs up his followers with a fiery speech, claiming they’ve been betrayed by society… and now it’s time to fight back.

Serving a life sentence for murder, Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding is a weary soul who’s spent forty years behind bars. Of course, he’s had his shot at freedom: the first time we meet Red, he’s trying to convince a parole board he’s rehabilitated. Two rejections and another twenty years later, Red stops telling the board what they want to hear. Instead, he mourns the young man he once was and finally accepts responsibility for his crime.

Quentin Tarantino’s crazy crime flick is a movie jam-packed with awesome speeches; after all, who can forget Captain Koons’ story about the gold watch? But the most memorable monologue is delivered by the silver screen’s coolest hitman, Jules Winnfield. When Jules and his partner Vincent track down a group of hoods who’ve stolen their boss’s briefcase, the assassin goes into full prophet mode and lays down an angry sermon of Old Testament proportions. And, of course, that can only end one way.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Inch by Inch
“Any Given Sunday” (1999)
- Belfort’s Battle Plan
“The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013)
- Your Move, Chief
“Good Will Hunting” (1997)
- Smith’s Revelation
“The Matrix” (1999)
- F*** You
“25th Hour” (2002)
- Tears in Rain
“Blade Runner” (1982)

It’s ironic our top pick is spoken by a silent movie star, but “The Great Dictator” was actually Charlie Chaplin’s first speaking role. And when the Little Tramp finally opened his mouth, he had a lot to say. Playing a Jewish barber mistaken for a mustachioed dictator, Chaplin uses his power to repeal the emperor’s fascist laws. Addressing millions over the radio, the barber makes an impassioned plea for love, liberty, and world peace.

Do you agree with our list? What are your favorite movie monologues? For more awesome Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.