The history of cinema offers no shortage of iconic oratoy, often delivered by world-famous actors. A fixture of sports biopics and courtroom dramas, among other genres, classic speeches also appear in beloved films such as “Dead Poet’s Society” and “The Great Dictator.” In these cases and more, the words can take on a life of their own outside the story and cultivate an enduring relevance across generations. (These are the 30 most inspirational movies of the )last 100 years.)

A well-executed monologue or speech can also help bring the movie’s themes into focus. Take Spencer Tracy’s trial speech in “Inherit the Wind,” for example, which calls out the toxic nature of wicked laws. His words might be in direct reference to the case at hand, but they also play into the story’s thematic exploration of harmful ideologies or practices at large. 

Click here to read about the most moving speeches ever delivered in a movie

24/7 Tempo has used editorial discretion to compile a list of some of the greatest speeches in movies, using sources such as IMDb, an online movie and TV database owned by Amazon, and YouTube. In making our choices, we included examples covering a diverse set of topics, from sports to politics to the fight for justice. We did not include those that were taken verbatim, in whole or in part, from real-life speeches – for instance, George C. Scott’s opening oration as the title character in “Patton,” which included portions of real speeches given by the American general. (These are the greatest wartime speeches in history.)