Late to the party with this one, Scott, but, it's one of the most memorable "facing death" scenes ever written, from what many say is perhaps Australia's finest film, ever: BREAKER MORANT - FINAL SCENE - Firing squad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI7KJnRlsS4 Bruce Beresford - Director / Writer (screenplay), Kenneth G. Ross - Writer (play "'Breaker' Morant"), Jonathan Hardy - Writer (screenplay), David Stevens - Writer (screenplay) Lt. Harry 'Breaker' Morant (Edward Woodward), Lt. Peter Handcock (Bryan Brown), Capt. Simon Hurt (Terence Donovan) EXT. PRISON BARRACKS -- DAYBREAK ESCORT OFFICER: Do want the padre? BREAKER MORANT: No thank you. I'm a pagan. ESCORT OFFICER: And you? LT. HANDCOCK: What's a pagan? BREAKER MORANT: It's somebody who doesn't believe there's a divine being dispensing justice to mankind. LT. HANDCOCK: (to the officer): I'm a pagan, too. BREAKER MORANT: There's an epithet I'd like -- Matthew 10:36 GUARD: All right then, gentlemen. BREAKER MORANT: Well, Peter, this is what comes with empire building. As the pair is marched toward the firing squad, CUT TO: INT. PRISON OFFICE -- CONTINUOUS CAPT. HURT: Matthew 10:36? REV. HESS (reading from the Bible): "And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." EXT. OPEN FIELD - CONTINUOUS Open, treeless hilltop at daybreak. The only distinct feature: two wooden chairs, side by side. As Breaker Morant and Lt. Handcock are marched toward the chairs, they join hands. They sit. Each is offered a blind fold. Each declines. The rising sun breaks the flat horizon. Over the firing squad loading their rifles: VOICE OVER: "It really ain't the place nor time to reel off rhyming diction. But yet we'll write a final rhyme while waiting crucifixion. For we bequeath a parting tip of sound advice for such men who come across in transport ships to polish off the Dutchman. If you encounter any Boars, you really must not loot 'um. And if you wish to leave these shores, for pity's sake, don't shoot 'um. Let's toss a bumper down our throat before we pass to heaven, and toast the trim-set petticoat we leave behind in Devon." SQUAD LEADER: Aim! BREAKER MORANT: Shoot straight you bastards! Don't make a mess of it!

If you see this as facing death with a sense of spiritual surrender, another amazing scene is from Gallipoli (at the end of the following clip, the scene where Archy literally races toward the enemy with open arms): http://youtu.be/mtcZZC8oILo Arhcy is an Olympic-level sprinter facing certain death in battle after volunteering to fight in WW1. I remember that Peter Weir was fascinated after hearing about how a real-life soldier remembered seeing someone do exactly what appears in the scene--run headlong toward the enemy. Just before this scene, Archy recites both sides of the dialogue he used to have with Uncle Jack, his trainer. It's a repeat of the dialogue with his uncle in the opening scene: What are your legs? Springs. Steel springs. What are they going to do? They're going to hurl me down the track. How fast can you run? As fast as a leopard. How fast ARE you going to run? As fast as a leopard! Then let's see you do it!