3 of your favorite scenes in the history of cinema...

A tall task, I know!

Thousands could qualify, but if I were to single out three favorities that explain the art and effectiveness of cinema for me, I might just include:

Opening Scene - Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coopola) 1979
Everything from the napalm wafting in before we even see a helicopter, to the Doors "The End", to the superimposed images of Willard as we watch his eyes looking up, everything about this opening is, in some ways, everything you need to know about "Apocalypse Now".

Cornfield Scene - North By Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock) 1959
I love this scene for its clever patience. A patience and craft that, quite frankly, is everything films aren't today. Yet at one time, there were masters of the medium like Mr. Hitchcock. I never fail to get chills as I see the crop duster casually fly into view in the background, well before Carey Grant even realizes he will be under fire. I'm not stating anything new when I say that this scene is a landmark of cinema.

Opening Iraq Scene - The Exorcist (William Friedkin) 1973
Similar to the opening of Coppola's "Apocalypse Now", I feel that this introduction to one of cinema's most controversial and unsettling films, alerts you to everything the film will be about. In retrospect, of course.
There is something off-kilter about the way we see the film's titles in red against black, only to dissolve into the sounds of clanging metal and dust whisps amidst pick-axes and anvils in an otherwise beautiful sun-soaked desert landscape. The way Friedkin shows subtle sped-up frames of moving field workers, the symbolism, foreboding clues, and the clear concern of Father Merrin, slowly realizing he is going to be needed again...for a battle no one will comprehend or believe...is essential to not only underline what we are about to witness, but also serves as a somewhat diverting false sense of security, as the red-burnt desert sun dissolves to the house of focus in Georgetown, New York...
Expert craft and expert filmmaking. Again, both patience and re-watching of this scene/ film only reveals more and more with time.

 

Hard to nail it down to three, but the first ones that came to mind were :

The "Brooks getting out of jail" scene - The Shawshank Redemption
So realistic, so gutting, so moving, and so sad. "He shoulda died in here."

The "single long take at the Copa" scene - Goodfellas
I am a big fan of those kinds of long takes, and while there are many other great ones, this one is my favorite.

The opening scene - Inglorious Basterds
The tension and nervousness throughout this scene is unreal.

 

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1. King Kong (1933)
for the stop-motion miniature work

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2. Ben Hur (1959) Set design/chariot scene

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3. 2001 (1968) HAL 1000, killer computer and beautiful ship/space station sets.


There are a lot of amazing films scenes from early days of Cinema up to present day...these are just three that stand out artistically in design through big and vast amount of films in last 70 years.

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Those are definitely some memorable/pivotal ones.

 

A ranting and raving Klaus Kinski casually tosses a monkey over his shoulder in Aguirre The Wrath Of God

Seaweed Greaser's long awaited bowel movement explodes his saloon in Greaser's Palace.

The sight of the mutant sheep monster slowly making its way towards the childrens' picnic in Godmonster of Indian Flats.

 

Almost Famous - Tiny Dancer bus scene

It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World - Jonathan Winters destroys service station

Caddyshack - "Awww, RAT FARTS!!!!"




I gotta give 3 more...

Evil Dead 2 - Ash chased from cliff to the cabin. Greatest POV sequence ever.

Network - "I'm AS MAD AS HELL..."

Saving Private Ryan - D-Day invasion

 

The Leopard Man - The night time walk ending with blood under the door.
Kill Baby Kill - Chasing yourself through multiple rooms (later copied for Twin Peaks.)
The Changeling - that seance scene.

Some more:

Three on a Match - everything leading up to the desperate leap from the window.
Modern Times - the feeding machine.
Scarlet Street - the twist leading to the icepick stabbing.
7th Voyage of Sinbad - The skeleton fight.
Shot in the Dark - nudist colony.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service - the escape from the Piz Gloria all the way to hunkering down in a barn during a snow storm. I want to call it one scene because it truly is one big chase, albeit a change in vehicle.
Lemora - stowed in a car then wandering through town to go buy a bus ticket from a creep.
The Last American Virgin - the bottom falls out and credits roll.
Labyrinth - the upside down maze at the end.
The Iron Giant - "superman."

 

1. Jaws (1975)
The famous USS Indianapolis speech

2. Magic (1978)
Anthony Hopkins slowly losing it


3. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
Alec Baldwin's "pep talk"

 

1) “Captain Blood” where Peter Blood (Errol Flynn) is arguing with Lord Willoughby (Henry Stephenson) over two French ships attacking Port Royal
Willoughby “No matter how much you hate the King, England is still England”
Blood “And a bad king is a bad king. And a worse one if it’s James”
Willoughby “James! This commission is sent by King William!”
2) “French Connection‘...car chase of the subway
3) “Darkest Hour” Winston Churchill (Gary Oldham) marshals the English language and sends it to war

 

Rear Window - The shot of Grace Kelly coming in close to kiss Jimmy Stewart.

The Green Berets - The shot of John Wayne's face while he's watching Ham Chuck running from helicopter to helicopter looking for his friend, Petersen, who he does not know was killed during a dangerous mission.

Alien - The shot of Harry Dean Stanton (Brett) letting the dripping water fall onto his face with wet chains hanging in the background.

 

I thought that scene was exceptional. The Nazi's cunning and ruthless character is brilliantly introduced as he toys with the Frenchman. He already knows everything and it is riveting to watch.
Saw the movie on release on the big scree and as this scene was playing out a woman behind me said : " This is so boring "

 

That 's not all that was hanging there...

 

" Put that coffee down ! "

 

I'll see your scene and raise you the scene where they're discussing how to divide the money into shares.

 

The opening scene of Blade Runner, the huge eye and the spinner flying to Tyrell's pyramid over a vast industrial landscape, with Vangelis' ominous music.

Apocalypse Now, the entrance into the Kurtz compound. It's like something out of a fever dream. In fact any scene with Brando.

Alien, the discovery of the derelict and Hurt's descent into the egg chamber. Just awesome.

Some fantastic posts here, particularly Magic. Hopkins unable to keep Fats silent for three minutes is possibly the best acting I've ever seen.

 

The Good The Bad And The Ugly stare down scene.

Batty's Tears In Rain speech in Blade Runner.

Darth Vader going back and forth between his son being tortured. You can see the conflict just in his movements. Of course Lucas had to go and ruin with that "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" added.

 

This is a nice idea for a thread! Some scenes not already mentioned.

1) The chicken race scene in Rebel without a cause (first one that came to my mind.)

2) Night on Earth the taxi drive scene (for buildup, timing and comedic brilliance)

3) Lost Highway - the phone call scene. "I'm here right now". Holy ****, sends shivers down my spine only to think about it. Lynch has one twisted fantasy.

 

Lawrence of Arabia...Lawrence is trudging across the desert for days when all of a sudden, partially obscured by a dune, a freighter ship crosses in front of him. He’s reached the Suez Canal.

Snatch...Brad Pitt’s character, who’s supposed to throw the fight, knocks out his opponent in the first round. He turns to an astonished Turkish and Tommy and smiling, shrugs his shoulders as if to say, what do you want from me, I’m a good shot.

Goodfellas...Tommy shoots Spider at the card game. When Henry Hill says, “He’s dead!” Tommy says, what do you want from me, I’m a good shot.

Bonus pick...
The Good The Bad and The Ugly...Tuco guns down a man with a gun submerged in the tub he’s bathing in. He tells his victim, “When you have to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.”

 

My favourite Brando scene from that movie is the outtake where he swallows a bug.

 

A fave :
When Patricia Arquette gers the upper hand on James Gandolfini in ' True Romance '. He didn't see that coming !

 

The coin toss scene from No Country for Old Men.

 

Capt. Willard's interview with the General in Apocalypse Now is one of my favorite scenes ever.