The "Die Hard" line is a good one, but for my money the all-time greatest comes in "The Outlaw Josey Wales." Wales--- played, of course, by Clint Eastwood--- is drinking in a decreipt, dimly lit bar when a fellow patron recognizes him. The young man leaves at first but returns to confront him. "We don't have to do this, son," Clint intones, but the punk will have none of it. He knows there's a bounty on Wales's head and he wants the money. "I'm just tryin' to make a living," he says. Clint's reply? "Dyin' ain't much of a livin', boy." The he shoots the kid through the heart.

Eastwood's intonation--- quiet, matter-of-fact, utterly calm--- makes this perhaps the most perfectly delivered line in cinematic history.

Great line and a great scene. He actually calls the other guy "boy" which is more of a cutdown than if he'd used the word "son." I've always assumed it was meant that way, given the guy doesn't appear to be that much younger than Eastwood. There's also a short exchange just before the shooting when the bounty hunter says he returned because he "had to" and Wales says "I know."

Yeah, that exchange before the showdown is very nice. The whole movie is filled with little gems like that. Remember the scene where Chief Dan George remarks on Eastwood's (Wales's) standoffish ways and Eastwood explains, "When I get to likin' someone, seems like they don't stay around for very long"? George replies, "I noticed that when you get to not liking someone, they don't stay around for very long either." But are you sure about the age of his adversary in this scene? I could have sworn it was a (significantly) younger man, but then I haven't seen the movie in 4-5 years, so I could be mistaken.

A great film, almost certainly Eastwood's finest, though I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for "High Plains Drifter" and "Joe Kidd." "Tightrope" is also very good, I think, as is "Unforgiven," though I believe the latter is usually overrated.

Well, according to imdb, when the movie was released Eastwood was 46 and the guy playing the bounty hunter was 39. That part of the scene has always puzzled me a bit because the guy doesn't seem young enough to warrant the "boy" comment, but Wales also doesn't really seem to be goading him into a fight--he'd have been perfectly happy if they guy had never come back. I wonder if they had second thoughts about having him blow away some babyfaced kid.

Could be. Or maybe they originally cast (or planned to cast) a younger actor and ended up making a change for some reason.You're right about Wales's demeanor--- it's not at all aggressive or threatening. He seems, instead, haggard and forlorn--- which just adds to the impact of the scene.