Look out!
SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! 
I agree with mark f on
Sometimes a Great Notion. That death with the log and the water was one of the best-acted scenes, ever, IMO.
Also, thanks to Slug for mentioning
Nevada Smith and Karl Malden. My Dad and I used to joke about that scene for years just due to Malden screaming "Ya yeller! Ya haven't got the guts! Finish me!"
But, it is left uncertain whether he dies or not...maybe eventually. We just know McQueen says, "No, you're just not worth killing." Oh, what a slam against Malden's character! As for the others, he definitely killed Martin Landau (he pulled on his arm while bracing him against a fence plank and stuck in his knife, twisting it. Landau collapsed, dead, on the plank. Later, his widow said something along the lines of "It'd have to be some sort of man to take Jesse in a knife-fight." And this while she was trying to seduce him! Some wife! Nevada also kills Arthur Kennedy in the swamp by shooting him till he sinks beneath the waters. This is echoed by Pilar (Suzanne Pleshette) telling Smith that he used her to get his revenge and that she didn't want to die in sin looking at his face. Malden is the worst, but the one who deserves the least respect by getting a quick death. Classic, classic stuff!
I have several favorite death scenes that vary in range from comic to serious:
Wanted: Dead or Alive (1986), with Rutger Hauer being offered a bonus for bringing in Gene Simmons (yep,
that Gene Simmons) alive. He has a grenade in Simmons' mouth, and says "F*** the bonus," pulls the pin, everyone runs and Gene (handcuffed, natch) jumps around before the top of his body explodes.
RoboCop (1987) Emil gets doused with toxic waste and is hit by Clarence with a car and splatters apart. Hilarious, gory scene.
Platoon (1986) As several have mentioned, Sgt. Elias' death is one of the most affecting film death I've ever seen.
L.A. Confidential (1997)Jack (Kevin Spacey) is suddenly, surprisingly shot by co-worker Dudley (James Cromwell) in his kitchen.
The Green Mile (1999) Delacroix's (Michael Jeter) heinous, fiery death in the electric chair because of the vileness of Percy (Doug Hutchison). I'd read the series of books beforehand and was still shocked at the gruesomeness of it.
I'm sure I can think of others, just not now.
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