Ok let's say there is a movie where a a character in the movie kills himself to avoid something or to twart some devious plan from being fulflilled.

Later on after the character is dead there seems to be some form of time travel to the past where the character is still alive yet retains the knowledge of all the events that will happen in the future.

Using this knowledge to change his ways ensuring the fateful confrontation that killed him never happens, is it still considered a suicide or self sacrifice despite the character not being dead?

Yes. I'd technically call it "Cheating Death", because he alters it so it never happens. Personally, I was wondering if visions of characters getting killed count. In The Scorpion King, The Rock is killed in a vision, but later, when the event happens, he survives and cheats death. Do those count?

I wrote up Doc's death from Back to the Future, which follows along similar lines wherein he is able to cheat death thanks to Marty providing his younger self with the necessary information.

how can a dead person time travel? nit sure i understand that - can you give an example of the film?

THe only thing i can think of that comes close is Twelve monkeys, where James (as a child) sees himself (as an adult) get killed, although he does not realise it is himself until he is the adult looking at the child. I hope that makes sense!? it is typical terry gilliam and his bloody metaphysics!!

Ok the movie I'm talking about is Devil's Advocate. That Keanu Reeves/Al Pacino thing where the character finds out he's the son of Satan and is destined to bring about the coming of the Anti Christ.

Basically the son kills himself to spite the his father and to throw the proverbial monkey wrench into the works.

A moment later the character finds himself back in the initial scene of the movie prior to the events that lead to his killing himself.

He's also alive again.

The movie leads me on by showing the devil again prior to the fadeout showing that more likely than not it was he who "saved" his son.

Ok cheers for the clarification Wesker, that is an interesting one and you have to wonder whether it was all in his mind in the first place.

However i would consider it self sacrifice, as he kills himself to scupper the plan of another, and i would possibly include resurrection too, as he comes back from the dead (although it is debateable if he actually died).

what are others views??