Greatest Film Sequences

[Beirut]

Birthed from the Arthur c. Clarke books thread, I thought it would be interesting to have a list of what we consider the greatest film sequences.

My vote will, obviously, go to the docking sequence in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

[Fragony]

The epilogue 'conversation with my mother' from Kaos, pure beauty.

[TinCow]

My vote has to go to the final shot in Big Night. The entire scene is a single shot of Secundo making an omelette for Primo and Cristiano. There is no dialog at all, just the cooking and eating, and it lasts at least several minutes. After all that had gone on between the two brothers, it was the perfect ending. So much was conveyed in such a simple shot and it was beautiful. It has been my favorite scene since the first day I saw it.



Another one of my favorite shots is about half-way through The Big Lebowski. The Dude and Walter are at the bowling alley. Walter is bowling and walks out of frame to throw. You hear the ball go and the sound of the pins falling, then after an appropriate pause, Walter re-enters the frame and picks up his ball from the ball return. Doing the shot in this way really draws the viewer into the scene by expanding the scope of the setting beyond what can be seen on the screen. The viewer is aware of the larger world beyond the area that is captured by the camera, something that is very tough to do. The Coens achieve it in this scene with a very simple method and I applaud them for it.

I could easily name 50 more, but Big Night will always get my top vote.

[Louis VI the Fat]

For me, the clear winner is the opening scene of the black and white 1976 French-Czechoslovakian co-production 'L'Existentialisme Chrétien c'est quoi?', a 35 minute monologue of a naked man debating with himself in front of a mirror the influence of existentialist thought for the development of the concept of 'truth' in the works of

No! Wait! A better scene suddenly springs to mind:

There is this moment near the end of this Swedish special interest movie, where Ulrika meets Big Birgitta and finally lifts her shirt and proceeds to

No! Wait! A better scene suddenly springs to mind:

The final fifteen minutes or so of Return of the Jedi. That is just such an emotional rollercoaster ride. The perfect resolve of the series. Seriously! I've never understood other Star Wars fans and their underappreciation of ROTJ. It's majestic, the greatest of them all. The whole last hour or so is the very best in cinematic history.

[Lemur]

The sequence when the roller-skating ninjas attack the dude in the microcar. That chokes me up every time.

[Marshal Murat]

Hotel Rwanda...

The scene when the Catholic nuns and the Rwanda children are walking into the compound, the rain falling, and the camera-guys trying to bring the children with them...

[Decker]

I have a few

Pulp Fiction:
The first

Ezekial 25:17
The second being the scene where they administer the Adrenaline shot to Uma Thurman's character.

The fight scene in Morocco in the Bourne Ultimatum in which Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) puts a book into the bad guy's neck and proceeds to punch it into oblivion. Intense.

The opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan and the closing sequences with the older Ryan paying his respects to Hank's character.

BTW, did anybody notice that in Gladiator when the Barbarians were chanting they were using the same chant used by the Zulus in the movie ZULU?

And the dogfight sequences in The Battle For Britain are the best that I have ever seen and probably the only good ones in existence.

O and in The Thin Red Line when the men were attacking up the ridges, and also when they took the MG bunker and also the Japanese encampment. Those were some of the best war scenes that I have seen in a war movie on the Pacific Theater. Also it is an underrated film that should get more respect.

[Conradus]

Probably not the best, but some scenes that always manage to hit a nerve are:

The opening scene of Sin City, with the hired hitman and his victim on the balcony.

V's introduction speech and the following orchestra in V for Vendetta

The charge of the Rohirrim at the Pellenor in Return of the King.

[InsaneApache]

The opening scene from Lucky Number Sleven.

"Please don't kill me, I have a family!"

"Not anymore you don't"

*Cue plastic bag*

[Geoffrey S]

Great film that. Some beautiful little scenes there.

Too many to mention, but some which spring to mind instantly:
- The fight in the subway in the Matrix. Seriously, the first time I saw that...!
- The approach to the asteroid in Armageddon, and the opening sequence of the same movie. Strange choice possibly, but they're absolutely perfect for testing new screens and sound systems and so I've seen them numerous times. Some of the best action sequences ever.
- The end of Twelve Monkeys. 'nuff said.
- Opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan.
- A TV series now. The State Within, when Gardner is executed. I was really expecting him to survive.
- End of Life of Brian.

But the best sequence ever? Time... to die...

The final fifteen minutes or so of Return of the Jedi. That is just such an emotional rollercoaster ride. The perfect resolve of the series. Seriously! I've never understood other Star Wars fans and their underappreciation of ROTJ. It's majestic, the greatest of them all. The whole last hour or so is the very best in cinematic history.

Funnily enough, agreed. Perfection is achieved in the sequence where Luke hides, and Darth Vader discovers the sister.

[Banquo's Ghost]

My own favourite is from "The Mission". After Rodrigo kills his brother, he is given a chance of penance by dragging his armour across Christendom to his new role as a Jesuit priest. The boy who comes to cut him free of this burden is one of the Guarani which he persecuted and enslaved when he was a mercenary. As a symbol of pure forgiveness, I find it greatly moving.

(The sequence at the end, after the credits, where Ray McAnally's cardinal looks quizzically at the viewer - asking the question of you - is marvellous too).

Other favourites:

"Apollo 13": The Saturn V launch sequence - every boy of the 60's dream.

"The Man in the Iron Mask": Great casting, apart from diCaprio, and the final musketeers' charge into the teeth of the guards guns is swashbuckling joy.

"Gladiator": The Barbarian Horde sequence. Nuff said.

"Casablanca": Obviously, the whole movie, but especially when Lazslo directs the band to play the Marseillaise and drowns out the Nazis.

Ah, so many more...

For me, the clear winner is the opening scene of the black and white 1976 French-Czechoslovakian co-production 'L'Existentialisme Chrétien c'est quoi?', a 35 minute monologue of a naked man debating with himself in front of a mirror the influence of existentialist thought for the development of the concept of 'truth' in the works of

No! Wait! A better scene suddenly springs to mind:

There is this moment near the end of this Swedish special interest movie, where Ulrika meets Big Birgitta and finally lifts her shirt and proceeds to

Louis VI the Fat. Renaissance man.

[Apoc]

I have a real soft spot for the lighting of the beacons scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

[naut]

The Constant Gardener, the scene by the sea is intense.

[Ramses II CP]

Runner's up:

Braveheart when Gibson leads the attack on that little fort, ending by cutting the captain's throat. Also the first major battle scene.

Full Metal Jacket's sniper scene. From rage, anger, hate, and the determination to hunt and kill another human being to growing sympathy and even pity for that same person. I still would've left her for the rats.

Apocalypse Now, Ride of the Valkyries.

The best, IMHO:

The opening sequence just a bit into Trainspotting, when his bowels loosen. The definition of addiction: being willing to swim through filth to seek the even the smallest chemical joy.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

The final fifteen minutes or so of Return of the Jedi. That is just such an emotional rollercoaster ride. The perfect resolve of the series. Seriously! I've never understood other Star Wars fans and their underappreciation of ROTJ. It's majestic, the greatest of them all. The whole last hour or so is the very best in cinematic history.

I absolutely agree with this, and this is the Star Wars scene I appreciate the most as a (nominal) adult. However, I think a mention needs to go to the Death Star trench run in A New Hope. I remember seeing that for the first time as a kid, it just absolutely blew me away.

In spite of my love for Star Wars, though, my favourite scene in all of cinema is the Mexican stand-off at the end of The Good, The Bad And The Ugly. The camera work is absolutely inspired, and I don't think the tension it invokes has been matched. The music isn't bad either.

[Paradox]

Mel Gibson shouting "Freeeeeedoooom" like his head's about to explode in Braveheart.

Kagemusha, final scene where the Takeda cavalry lie down dead and the final soldier, the "kagemusha" charges at the Oda line of firearms.

Click (lol), Adam Sandler playing dead in front of his family at the end, he got me there.

Those are all I can remember.

[drone]

Some of my favorites:

Lobby shootout in The Matrix - over the top action with a nice score
Car chase scenes (either of the two) in Ronin - masterfully done stunts, no CGI
D-Day invasion opening in Saving Private Ryan
Nihilist fight scene in The Big Lebowski - almost wet myself laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole thing, surprise ending with Donny going down
Bank heist in Heat - one of the most technical gunfights I've seen on film

Edit-> added YouTube links, probably some cursing in the Heat (and definitely in the Lebowski) scenes


TinCow, I'm surprised anyone else here has seen Big Night. That was an excellent ending sequence. Great movie, but not very well known.

[Bijo]

The Untouchables: when Sean Connery is stalked in his house, scares off the interloper, and gets killed. What a scene as he dies and that other guy whose name I temporarily forgot gets to him. Beautiful film sequence.

[Geoffrey S]

Oh, and lest I forget, the death of Saburo in Ran. Probably the best film ever made, and it's a disservice to have to pluck out any supposed best sequence.

[Crazed Rabbit]

The final gunfight in The Way of the Gun. Matches and perhaps exceeds the bank shootout in Heat.

The end of Cyrano de Bergeac. Many scenes in Once Upon a Time in the West.

CR

[Kekvit Irae]

The defense and evacuation of the Medlab in Aliens.

[Bijo]

Argh! Kevin COSTNER! THAT was the name.

The scene in The Last Samurai near the end where the samurai leader is destroyed after the brave -- but stupid -- attack against the machine guns.

[Kagemusha]

One worth mentioning, the end scene of Last Of the Mohicans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Soe...eature=related

[Louis VI the Fat]

That's odd, I was about to mention the end to Last of the Mohicans as well...

Also, the scene near the end in Ratatouille when the cynical food critic is served his meal. Out of nowhere, he feels as if struck by lightning. And so did I. One moment, I am watching a funny, enchanting cartoon movie about rats, the next, I am sobbing like a baby and I couldn't stop.

Ratatouille tribute. Easily the greatest movie of the year.

[Pannonian]

Quite a few scenes from My Neighbour Totoro.

Mei plays in the garden and encounters tiny Totoro.
Mei meets big Totoro.
Satsuki meets big Totoro at the bus stop.
Mei, Satsuki and the Totoros will the plants into growing.

First scene leading into the second scene.
Third scene.
Fourth scene.

Last scene's in French.

[Beefy187]

Totoro.. Ah I love that movie

[Mithrandir]

The scene from reservoir dogs comes to mind, where a guy gets his ear cut off among other things while tied to a chair to get information out of him, with no other sound but the song "stuck in the middle with you" from Stealers wheel.

[Mithrandir]

Ooooh! and Monthy Python, the scene from the Holy Grail with the black knight, where he gets his arm cut off (guess I'm a sucker for cutting off human body parts).

It's just a flesh wound!

[seireikhaan]

Oh man, choices, choices...

Hmm, I'd have to say one would be the scene in Airplane where the elderly woman converses in jive talk with the two black passengers. Pure comedy gold, I love that movie.

Yeah, RotJ is very good too, I agree with that choice, Louis.

Matrix subway fight, simply blew my mind away the first time I saw it.

Simba lifting the paw of his deceased father in Lion King after Mufasa falls off the cliff. Ironically, a bit of a tearjerker for me...

And lastly, and I can't believe nobody's said it yet, Adam Sandler vs Bob Barker in Happy Gilmore. That was utterly classic.

Slight warning, mild language in the Happy Gilmore clip.

Edit: Doh! How'd I forget about Monty Python? Dang, that whole movie could be nominated...

[DemonArchangel]

Hard Boiled: The Teahouse Shootout

What makes this epic is that this scene occurs in the first five minutes of the movie. That's right. The first five minutes.