Top 10 Movie Opera Music Death Scenes

Here are the top 10 movie opera music death scenes. From the tragic to the triumphant, these scenes feature some of the most beautiful and moving music ever written for the big screen.

Introduction

An opera is a musical drama in which the characters sing rather than speak their dialogue. Opera music is often beautiful and emotional, making it the perfect accompaniment to a tragic death scene in a film.

Whether it’s Tosca plunging to her doom from the parapet of the Castel Sant’Angelo or Butterfly handing her baby over to Pinkerton before leaping into the sea, these are some of cinema’s most heartbreaking moments, made all the more poignant by the use of opera music.

Here are our picks for the top 10 movie opera music death scenes:

1. Tosca – Giacomo Puccini
2. La Bohème – Giacomo Puccini
3. Madama Butterfly – Giacomo Puccini
4. Carmen – Georges Bizet
5. André Chénier – Umberto Giordano
6. Samson et Dalila – Camille Saint-Saëns
7. La Wally – Alfredo Catalani
8. Pagliacci – Ruggero Leoncavallo
9. Werther – Jules Massenet
10. Fedora – Umberto Giordano

The Godfather – Michael Corleone’s Death

Michael Corleone’s (Al Pacino) death in The Godfather is one of the most famous movie opera music death scenes. Pacino’s character is assassinated while attending his son’s first communion. The music that plays during the scene is “Intermezzo sinfonico” from Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni.

The Phantom of the Opera – The Phantom’s Death

The death of the Phantom (played by Robert Englund) is one of the most operatic and memorable moments in the film. The entire scene is done in one continuous shot, following the Phantom as he sinks into the depths of the Paris Opera House. As he dies, he watches Christine (played by Minnie Driver) through a hole in the floor – she is his only love and he knows that she will never return his affections. The music that accompanies this scene – “Don Juan Triumphant” – is absolutely beautiful and haunting, and it perfectly captures the heartache and tragedy of the situation.

The Shawshank Redemption – Andy Dufresne’s Death

One of the most well-known and popular opera music death scenes is in The Shawshank Redemption when Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is killed by the warden (Bob Gunton). The music playing in the background is Verdi’s La Donna è Mobile from Rigoletto.

The operatic death scene has become such a popular trope that there are now entire websites and YouTube channels dedicated to compiling them. If you’re a fan of operatic death scenes, or simply want to see what all the fuss is about, check out some of the most memorable ones below.

1.The Shawshank Redemption – Andy Dufresne’s Death
2.Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Sweeney Todd’s Death
3.The Godfather – Vito Corleone’s Death
4.Apocalypse Now – Colonel Walter E. Kurtz’s Death
5.Casablanca – Major Strasser’s Death
6.Braveheart – William Wallace’s Death
7.Gladiator – Commodus’ Death
8.Amadeus – Salieri’s Death
9.Tosca – Scarpia’s Death
10.Phantom of the Opera – Erik/The Phantom’s Death

The Godfather Part II – Michael Corleone’s Death

In “The Godfather Part II,” Michael Corleone’s (Al Pacino) death is one of the most memorable in cinematic history. It’s also one of the most heartbreaking, as we see a man who was once so full of life and compassion reduced to a cold-blooded killer.

As Michael lies dying in his hospital bed, he thinks back on his life and all the choices that led him to this point. He recalls his father’s words: “Don’t ever take sides with anyone against the Family again. Ever.” And with those words, he finally understands what it means to be a Corleone.

The music that plays during this scene is Giuseppe Verdi’s “Requiem.” The Requiem is a Mass for the dead, and its somber tones perfectly capture the mood of this scene. As Michael slips away, we see flashbacks of all the people he’s killed over the years, and we realize that he is truly alone in the world.

This is one of the most masterfully edited scenes in all of cinema, and it is made even more powerful by Verdi’s beautiful music.

The Dark Knight – Harvey Dent’s Death

The death of Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight is one of the most tragic and impactful scenes in all of superhero movie history. It’s also one of the few that features an operatic music score, making it all the more powerful.

The scene opens with Dent (Aaron Eckhart) being held captive by the Joker (Heath Ledger) and his men. The Joker has placed bombs all around Gotham City, and is threatening to detonate them if Batman (Christian Bale) doesn’t reveal his identity to the public.

With Dent’s life on the line, Batman has no choice but to turn himself in. However, as Dent is being driven away by the police, the Joker attacks the convoy, causing it to crash. Dent is left horribly disfigured from the explosion, and this is where the operatic music comes in.

As he lays in a hospital bed, slowly dying from his injuries, Dent begins to lose hope. His girlfriend Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) visits him and tries to convince him that there’s still good in people, but he doesn’t believe her. It’s only when she tells him that she loves him that he finally relents, and the operatic music swells to a beautiful crescendo.

Dent dies soon after, but not before uttering one last words: “You were right, Rachel…Good always wins over evil.” These words have become something of a mantra for Batman fans in the wake of tragedy, and they serve as a reminder that even in our darkest moments, there is still hope for a better tomorrow.

The Silence of the Lambs – Hannibal Lecter’s Death

The Silence of the Lambs – Hannibal Lecter’s Death is a classic example of an operatic death scene in a movie. In this case, it is used to great effect to create suspense and tension. The music, by Howard Shore, is eerie and unsettling, and it helps to create an atmosphere of dread. The scene itself is shot in a very static way, with long takes and few cuts. This adds to the feeling of unease, as we are given time to really take in the details of the characters and the situation.

The death itself is not particularly graphic, but it is still shocking. Hannibal Lecter is killed by Clarice Starling, who finally catches him after a long game of cat and mouse. The music swells as she finally gets her revenge, and we are left with a sense of relief that justice has been done.

This is a great example of how music can be used to heighten the emotional impact of a scene. It also shows how opera can be used effectively in non-opera movies.

The Godfather Part III – Michael Corleone’s Death

In The Godfather Part III, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) is an old man, haunted by his past. He is dying of cancer, and he knows it. In this scene, he makes his peace with his fate, and with God. He asks for forgiveness, and for a chance to make things right.

The music is “Don Michael’s Farewell” from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Don Carlos. It is a beautiful piece of music, and it perfectly captures the mood of this scene. Michael’s death is not just a movie death, it is an opera death.

This is one of the most emotionally powerful scenes in all of cinema, and it is made even more so by the beautiful music. If you are not moved by this scene, then you are not human.

Amadeus – Mozart’s Death

One of the most heart-wrenching scenes in all of cinema comes at the end of Milos Forman’s Amadeus. As Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) looks on, a sick and delirious Mozart (Tom Hulce) staggers around his study, trying to complete his Requiem. After a touching moment in which Salieri agrees to help finish the work, Mozart expires with his wife Constanze (Elizabeth Berridge) at his side. The music that accompanies this scene is, quite fittingly, a Requiem – Lacrimosa by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Conclusion

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it does represent some of the most stirring, powerful and well-loved movie opera music death scenes. What are your favorites?