Perhaps the most famous "change of heart" moment in the movies comes when Han Solo decides to come running to the rescue at the end of Star Wars. (Oh, dear. Spoilers?)

Or when Darth Vader, at the end of Return of the Jedi, sees his son in agony and... well... you know.

Or Lando -- I'm sorry, enough Star Wars.

What is your favorite big screen moment when someone who counts himself with the enemy changes his mind and turns the tables? Or suddenly sees things the way they really are, and comprehends the shame of his actions, going on to change his ways?

Or hey... how about the opposite? Can you think of a moment when a character gives in to the dark side, so to speak, and changes allegiance to be counted with the enemy?

And no, I'm not asking for examples of deception... like Alison Doody in Indiana Jones and the Last Respectable Episode, who suddenly reveals she's been on the devil's side all along...

It pretty scarring, but Charlie Burns's "No more" moment at the end of The Proposition is pretty effective.

I really liked Gerd Wiesler's subtle shift in The Lives of Others. In fact, this might be my favorite change of heart moment in film.

Though it's handled a bit better in the novel, Jack Vincennes's and Bud White's turns from misguided to...something less misguided in L.A. Confidential are pretty good.

Frank Galvin at his client's bed in The Verdict.

Bess talking to God on the way to the evil ship in Breaking the Waves

Boromir in LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring, reclaiming his honor.

How about Michael ("That's my family, Kate. Not me.") Corleone, and his decision to kill Virgil Solozzo and Capt. McClusky in The Godfather? He's not so much changing any allegiance's, but rather giving up one set of ethics for another.

Not sure if this applies, but I couldn't help but think of Spike Lee's Mookie in Do The Right Thing. There's a change of heart all right, but depending upon where you stand it's either for the good, or for the worse...

How about the end of every Billy Graham movie?

How about Humphrey Bogart in Treasure of the Sierra Madre? Jack Nicholson in The Shining? John Hurt in A Man For All Seasons?

well, if you're talking Bogie, Casablanca

Mel Gibson as William Wallace in Braveheart. And Angus McFaddyn as the Bruce in Braveheart.

John Wayne (as Ethan) in the Searchers.

It's been a while since I saw it, but isn't the point that Wayne doesn't change?

Matt

Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) is a bastard in the movie. He is the rival of TV's Doctor House. He shows his disdain for the women and kids that have been with the indians. He indicates that the best thing for Debbie is a bullet. Then after Scar has been killed he scoops her up and returns her to family.

He is'nt shown to be Mr hugs and kisses but he does reunite her with friends/family civilization even as he returns to the untamed and wild country. He has a change of heart. You could argue that Ethan doesn't change, he has become as ruthless and as wild as the indians he hates. He never seems to reunite and bond. However the arc of his character moves from him committed to finding and killing Debbie, to rescuing her. The fact that he scoops Debbie up as a rescuer rather than killing her is what makes me think he has a change of heart.

George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life

The Last Temptation of Christ

... of course, I think it says something of the movie's effectiveness (or, more precisely, the lack thereof) as a film that this--in which all of humanity's salvation hangs on the balance--has not been mentioned until now.

Agreed. It's a subtle nuance, but it's there.

I also feel like there's a similarly nuanced change in Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Doniphon (Wayne) changes, in a pessimistically complex way, after the climatic shootout. You can watch the movie and assume Wayne's character is status quo, but I think there's a shift in heart there.

malkovich as Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont in dangerous liaisons - his vacillation and ultimately regret and subsequent resolve are wonderfully subtle.

colin farrell's stu shepherd in phone booth -- yeah, i know the accent wanders, but that scene is gripping.

i second ulrich mühe's shift as hauptmann gerd wiesler in the lives of others...

i thought russell crowe's change of heart in 3:10 to yuma didn't ring true to me. i don't know how this is different from the original, however.

Agreed. In A&F's thread on the remake, several folks (like Steven) pointed out how odd and unconvincing Ben Wade's transformation is at the end. I recently saw the original, and it's the opposite: Wade's shift makes a lot of sense, and the movie overall is superior in every way.

Thanks for that. I'll have to watch this again sometime.

Matt