The Most Flawless Scenes In Movie History
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#10 Das Kabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920, kidnapping scene. When Cesare abducts Jane. This film's use of lighting and shapes to signify dream-states, and the original music for 'evil' acts, has been hugely influential, from Phantom of the Opera to Inception.
#9 Frankenstein (1931, the mob scene. Dr. Frankenstein's monster is accused of Maria's murder, even though she just passed out after seeing him. A mob forms to hunt the monster, carrying torches, into the forested area. Everything about this scene is perfection: the sounds, the lights, the rhythm, and the suspense. Many learned from it, from Burton to Spike Lee.
#8 Metropolis (1927, Dr. Rotwang's laboratory. In a movie full of scenes that became archetypes, the most lasting is that of the tormented, mad scientist who lost his loved one and tries to pry her away from death. The Maschinenmensch adds an element to it that becomes more relevant as time goes by.
#7 Nosferatu (1922, Hutter's second night in Count Orlok's castle. The entire atmosphere is set up by steps and doors, showing us how architecture can be used to induce horror in the person watching. Menace is heightened by waiting, and a sense of claustrophobia. Hugely influential too, from James Cameron to John Carpenter.
#6 The General (1926, Johnnie Gray chases The General in the Texas locomotive, trying to rescue Annabelle. The Union soldiers keep dropping railroad ties, while Johnnie clears them from the cowcatcher. Legendary comedic scene, the perfect combination of physical humor and timing. Many have copied the style, from Laurel & Hardy to Lucile Ball.
#5 Battleship Potemkin (1925, the Odessa steps. The citizens support the men revolting against their officers, but a regiment of Cossacks arrives and mows the crowd down, walking from the top of the steps. Everything about the scene is brilliant, from the rushing crowd to cheer the mutiny to the machine-like Cossacks shooting people dead. I don't even need to say how influential this scene has been.
#4 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923, Quasimodo saves Esmeralda. This scene has inspired dozens of classic rescue scenes, from Tarzan to Empire Strikes Back. Quasimodo comes from above, swinging, to take Esmeralda away from the sacrificial pyre. Everything about those three minutes is perfection.
#3 Birth of a Nation (1915, Booth assassinates President Lincoln. Everything in the moments leading to the scene fits the historical events, and the mastery of Griffith using close-ups, fade-outs, sweeps and zooms to convey the story have influenced every movie after.
#2 King Kong (1933, King Kong escapes in the theater. Man versus nature is painted in a stark way when the cruelly mistreated giant gorilla breaks free and causes terror. The scene is prefigured by the events leading to it, and we're all on the edge of our seats waiting for people to get their just deserts. This accumulation of signs has been used time and again in suspense and terror, from A Towering Inferno to Final Destination.
#1 M (1931, opening sequence. An absolute masterpiece of lighting, pace, and sound (from the children chanting their horrendous round to the whistling of Peer Gynt by the hidden menace, we all know something horrible happens to little Elsie Beckmann without ever seeing anything gorier than a lost balloon. From Hitchcock to Wes Craven, this is a lesson used time and again by modern filmmakers: nothing is more horrifying than that which is not seen.
Date: 2020-07-14
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Comments and reviews: 9
Bryan
George KO's Biff in Back To The Future. Timid wimp George McFly walks into a bad situation and finds his lifelong tormentor Biff Tannen about to rape his crush, Lorraine Bates. She pleads for George to help her. He knows he's going to get his ass kicked but tells Biff to leave her alone. Biff gets out of the car and cranks George's arm. When Lorraine tries to get Biff to let go, he shoves her to the ground and starts laughing. George's astonishment turns to a seething rage as he curls his left hand into a fist and launches a hook that connects with Biff's jaw, spinning him in a circle before he falls to the pavement, unconscious. . I still get shivers watching it.
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George KO's Biff in Back To The Future. Timid wimp George McFly walks into a bad situation and finds his lifelong tormentor Biff Tannen about to rape his crush, Lorraine Bates. She pleads for George to help her. He knows he's going to get his ass kicked but tells Biff to leave her alone. Biff gets out of the car and cranks George's arm. When Lorraine tries to get Biff to let go, he shoves her to the ground and starts laughing. George's astonishment turns to a seething rage as he curls his left hand into a fist and launches a hook that connects with Biff's jaw, spinning him in a circle before he falls to the pavement, unconscious. . I still get shivers watching it.
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BrainNeedsFood
Gosh turns out there's lots of scenes I can think of - Covered the Lion King: Death of Mufasa already, but how about:
Jurassic Park: When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth
Rise of the Planet of the Apes: NO!
Children of Men: The Battle of Bexhill one shot take
Anchorman: Newsteam battle
Terminator 2: 'I know now why you cry. '
Alien: Death of Kane
Aliens: Fighting the Queen on the Sulaco
Little Shop of Horrors (that's right, you heard me): Downtown
Toy Story 3: The Incinerator
Saving Private Ryan: I'll see you on the Beach
Platoon: A child born of two fathers
Schindler's List: I could have saved one more.
. so many!
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Gosh turns out there's lots of scenes I can think of - Covered the Lion King: Death of Mufasa already, but how about:
Jurassic Park: When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth
Rise of the Planet of the Apes: NO!
Children of Men: The Battle of Bexhill one shot take
Anchorman: Newsteam battle
Terminator 2: 'I know now why you cry. '
Alien: Death of Kane
Aliens: Fighting the Queen on the Sulaco
Little Shop of Horrors (that's right, you heard me): Downtown
Toy Story 3: The Incinerator
Saving Private Ryan: I'll see you on the Beach
Platoon: A child born of two fathers
Schindler's List: I could have saved one more.
. so many!
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BrainNeedsFood
The Lion King (original) - Death of Mufasa sequence, from Scar duplicitous, charming luring of Simba into the canyon (really quite chilling on second viewing when you realise Scar is trying to kill Simba too) until 'if you ever come back, we'll kill you! ' - brilliantly tense action, increadible voice acting, beautifully animated, and a dark demonstration of true evil from Scar resulting in a heart breaking murder and the sudden, jarring, absolute destruction of Simba's innocence. Perfectly written, flawlessly executed.
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The Lion King (original) - Death of Mufasa sequence, from Scar duplicitous, charming luring of Simba into the canyon (really quite chilling on second viewing when you realise Scar is trying to kill Simba too) until 'if you ever come back, we'll kill you! ' - brilliantly tense action, increadible voice acting, beautifully animated, and a dark demonstration of true evil from Scar resulting in a heart breaking murder and the sudden, jarring, absolute destruction of Simba's innocence. Perfectly written, flawlessly executed.
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akeenengineeringmind
Wrong = JAWS: first scene: boyfriend wasn't attacked by shark. He passed out before he even got in the water.
Missed scene: George Bailey's Oh my gosh, I'm Married, honeymoon in the old broken down house scene, from It's a Wonderful Life. A masterpiece, from George's entrance and the valet's smoothly tipped top hat, to I Love You Truly, Truly, Dear.
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Wrong = JAWS: first scene: boyfriend wasn't attacked by shark. He passed out before he even got in the water.
Missed scene: George Bailey's Oh my gosh, I'm Married, honeymoon in the old broken down house scene, from It's a Wonderful Life. A masterpiece, from George's entrance and the valet's smoothly tipped top hat, to I Love You Truly, Truly, Dear.
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Clark
This thing is rife with errors. Andy Dufresne nevers helps the fellow inmates with their financial troubles. he helps the guards. Primarily with their taxes. He also helps build the library and helps the kid to pass his tests, but those aren't financial.
Also Lord of the Rings is actually one novel, not three. Though most people think of it as 3.
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This thing is rife with errors. Andy Dufresne nevers helps the fellow inmates with their financial troubles. he helps the guards. Primarily with their taxes. He also helps build the library and helps the kid to pass his tests, but those aren't financial.
Also Lord of the Rings is actually one novel, not three. Though most people think of it as 3.
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tony
I'm not sure that heavy special effects scenes should be included here. What about the scene at the well in Laurence of Arabia? What about the opening scene of Touch of Evil? What about the beach scene from Roma? These rely solely on strong scripts and imaginative use of camera and editing. Much more worthy in my book.
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I'm not sure that heavy special effects scenes should be included here. What about the scene at the well in Laurence of Arabia? What about the opening scene of Touch of Evil? What about the beach scene from Roma? These rely solely on strong scripts and imaginative use of camera and editing. Much more worthy in my book.
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John
SOOO. Only one Black and white film. no Citizen Kane. no musicals. they must all be flawed.
including Singin in the Rain. not one Comedy has a flawless scene I guess. not even Night at the Opera's
cabin scene. in fact nothing before 1960. Not even the burning of Atlanta in GWTW. guess that had a flaw in it.
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SOOO. Only one Black and white film. no Citizen Kane. no musicals. they must all be flawed.
including Singin in the Rain. not one Comedy has a flawless scene I guess. not even Night at the Opera's
cabin scene. in fact nothing before 1960. Not even the burning of Atlanta in GWTW. guess that had a flaw in it.
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acebongboy
Come on man, at least get your details right. In Jaws' opening scene, it's not the girl and her boyfriend who are attacked. She's followed by some drunk dude from the party who can't even make it into the water, so he's never attacked. She gets chomped on her own.
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Come on man, at least get your details right. In Jaws' opening scene, it's not the girl and her boyfriend who are attacked. She's followed by some drunk dude from the party who can't even make it into the water, so he's never attacked. She gets chomped on her own.
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Luke
Great list of films! Ticking most of my boxes.
I would include:
- Gladiator: My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius.
- Good Will Hunting: You're just a kid.
- The Fugitive: I didn't kill my wife! I don't care!
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Great list of films! Ticking most of my boxes.
I would include:
- Gladiator: My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius.
- Good Will Hunting: You're just a kid.
- The Fugitive: I didn't kill my wife! I don't care!
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