I was having this discussion with a writer the other day. So many fantastic opening scenes of all sorts. Some of them bombastic, some subtle, some of them funny, some brutal, all of them great. Tough to write, too, because it’s not only about being entertaining, it’s also about introducing the story universe and key characters, setting the mood and so forth.
I’ve got a list of several great opening scene, but I’d like to hear what the GITS community has to say.
And while we’re at it, let’s analyze the scenes as to why they’re so stellar, and hopefully get some takeaway as far as our own writing goes.
UPDATE: So many great responses, I think I’ll do at least one week of great opening scene posts. We can view one each day, then analyze it in terms of writing and see what takeaway we can glean from that analysis. Thanks for you feedback!
Pulp Fiction, Cliffhanger and The Dark Knight come to my mind.
About Last Night & Reservoir Dogs
Tarantino has some good openings, alright. Inglourious Basterds had a good one as well. It was so slow and methodical and a perfect introduction to Colonel Hans Landa.
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. A single shot. Aside from one character raising a glass of moloko plus to his lips, nothing happens. But the music, decor, narration, and cinematography tell you you’re in for one hell of a weird ride.
Good example with “Lawrence of Arabia” Teddy.
Another two classics I love for their openings are ” Vertigo” with the scenes of the chase on the roof, ” Silverado” with Scott Glen shooting his way out of an impossible ambush in a flimsy shack, and ” Rio Bravo” with a drunken Dean Martin whacking John Wayne over the head with a bar stool! Great active openings seem very rare these days.
There are many great openings that come to mind. A couple in recent years that I really liked were Polanski’s The Ghost Writer and Haneke’s Caché. Caché in particular because it immediately challenges the audience’s perception of what it is looking at.
A classic is Lawrence of Arabia which has an awesome opening scene.
It’s both ironic and befitting that his life would end like that. A man that fought wars and faced death many times dies in a rather silly motorcycle crash. His daredevil antics finally caught up with him but at least he caused his own death. It wasn’t in the hands of someone else. He lived life on his own terms and died the same way. He has a slight smile on his face and the look of someone that seems at peace but still is seeking adventure.
I think it’s a great scene because it puts the rest of the movie in perspective. And there’s no dialogue, no music, just the sound of wind and the engine accelerating. It’s terribly exhilarating.
Another classic is Once Upon a Time in the West. But I won’t explain why I think it’s great. It’s self-explanatory.
100% agree with Once Upon a Time in the West.
It IS self-explanatory. Great pick. Forgot about that one.
STAR WARS. In that opening shot you see the massive Galatic Empire chasing down the fleeing Rebel Alliance… the stormtroopers taking the ship… and then Darth Vader emerging, not saying a word but you KNOW he’s someone you do not want to fuck with… awesome, awesome opening scene.
I saw SW when it first came out and I remember the audience going APESHIT when that huge spaceship appeared at the top of the screen chasing the rebels – before any characters even appeared, we knew we were seeing something that was redefining what movies could do. So in terms of audience reaction, that was definitely the greatest opening scene – might have to withdraw A CLOCKWORK ORANGE.
Some great examples above. I’ll add ALIEN to the list because it’s a brilliant example of an opening sequence SHOWING an audience rather than TELLING us. A quiet tour of the “house” (the ship) is followed by our protagonists waking and then having breakfast together. Whether we understand it at a conscious or unconscious level, our brains register “family.” Instantly we relate. We care. Love it.
The Sexy Beast opening was really good too. One of the best metaphors ever come crashing down and lands in the pool. Can’t find a clip of the scene, but here it is reenacted by a family on vacation in Spain. True movie buffs.
so many, but off the top of my head: The Godfather, The Matrix, Patton, Serenity.
Oh, and JJ Abrams Star Trek is probably the most spectacular. If the rest of the movie had been that good, it would be considered a classic.
Serenity is a great opening, and yet it really shouldn’t work – all those nested flashbacks, so many characters… Works, I think, because it’s intriguing, full of exciting action, and because just as it threatens to all become too much, the pace drops and the Operative is introduced, giving us a wonderful character whom we can latch onto, showing what the threat is. Great writing.
I saw the title of the OP and what immediately comes to mind every time I read or hear anything about a film opening is RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. Great adventure sequence that sets the whole tone for the movie, yet that particular adventure — the taking of the little gold idol — has nothing to do with the ark. Indy is well established, but you actually forget about the opening quest until Belloq shows up again. Which makes for a great gotcha kind of moment. That guy! Like recognizing someone from your high school class on the street years after graduation.
Scream. Who foresaw Drew Barrymore exiting that quickly? In terms of analyzing the scene, it managed to do accomplish a lot of things, particularly with its tonal shifts from cliche, comic, to having us wonder if this is really a prank to startling horror.
It also reminds me of how many times I’ve heard people say your script needs to open with your HERO. Well, that argument was just torn to shreds right there.
Another opening that I love:Harold and Maude. We see these shoes walking down a spiral staircase and then Harold putting a record on.
The music, Cat Stevens, is pretty easy-going “Don’t Be Shy”… let your feelings roll on by as he sits down and writes a note.
Puts a name tag on…
Lights some candles…
And hangs himself.
What the heck? Huh?
Then his mother walks in, gives him a long sideways glare, dials a number on the phone, and chastises him:
“I suppose you think that’s very funny, Harold”.
As Harold chokes, she calmly reminds him “Dinner at eight, Harold. And do try and be a little more vivacious“.
Love that film.
I also love the opening to THE LOST BOYS. Not one of the best in history, but really sets the tone. The visual of the vampire gang moving around that carousel… scrapping with the locals… then a murder of a cop, snatched from his car. Just a great short sequence.
And of course, all the sepia stuff from the beginning of BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID. The line about the old bank being beautiful and the card game. Two scenes. One to introduce Butch, one to introduce Sundance. Each showcasing them to the hilt without trying to hard.
Re Lost Boys: I worked on a draft of Lost Boys II. Man, that was a weird ride!
To me, a spectacular opening scene serves as a little magic-decoder-ring for the rest of the film. It provides the lens through which the viewer will see everything else that happens. Hopefully it sets up tone, pace, style, and themes…all while still being enjoyable in its own right. No easy task.
After all, if you kill the opening scene, you’ve got a good 30-40 minutes from your audience before they start to question you again.
openings that i love: Strangers on a train. Touch of Evil.
I thought the Social Network was PERFECT. From the get-go, it’s entertaining, fast paced. But you also know this movie is smart, there aren’t gonna be any car chases or explosions or fancy camera moves. It’s about communication, and mis-communication, and connection, rejection, and mind-games, and inadequacy.
One of my favorites from recent years is Devil. So simple but it’s a perfect opening book end, the word’s upside down.
I love Back to the Future’s opening scene. In just a few moments in an empty room, it foreshadows several key elements we’re about to see AND tells us exactly who our main characters are.
This scene forever changed the DNA of my writing– inspiring me to always question “how can I show this element cleaner and faster?”
To me, THE WILD BUNCH has the greatest opening I’ve ever seen. It’s brutally violent but it’s also character driven – you know right away that the “wild bunch” are really monsters. The irony of them wearing military uniforms to execute their heist is brilliant because it’s so sadly ironic – men with no honor whatsoever are seen posing as men with a code of honor. It’s just brilliant storytelling.
The opening to the film Lean On Me to the tune of “Welcome to the Jungle” was very well done. Also the opening of Goodfellas is a great example of superb use of voice over…
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
You know, these are all great examples of opening scenes. Here are some common elements I’m getting from them:
* Visual: Heavy emphasis on images except –
* Tarantino: Who establishes characters in a setting, then cuts loose with oodles of dialogue (e.g., Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds).
* Action: Something dynamic happens except –
* Tarantino: Who prefers to establish character and tone, intimating action to come [although Inglourious Basterds opening scene ends with quite a bang].
I’d say the same thing about Coppola’s movies (Godfather, Patton (which he wrote)), except that in his case the images have become so iconic, that they’re now more vivid than the dialogue.
Although there are many great opening scenes, the one that resonates with me the most – and this is probably due to my age at the time – is Star Wars A New Hope.
When that Star Destroyer fills the screen for what seems like forever – and the noise! Man, that’s a memory that will stay with me forever.
I once heard that Star Wars was a film saved in the edit, and I believe that it was written so it started with Luke chatting to his friends. Not sure how true that is but thank god they didn’t go with that opening!
From a writing perspective, I’ve always liked the beginning of Fight Club. It starts out with jeopardy and mystery so hooks the viewer . I think having a bookend (is that what it’s called?) as an opener is always a good idea if you know your act one is gowna be kinda slow.
oops, x-post (sort of) I was also pretty young when I saw SW, 11 or 12, probably the perfect age, and I remember the audience reaction to that shot – it practically got a standing ovation.
I really like the opening of Moulin Rouge – sympathetic character, fascinating world, an increasing sense of comic hysteria that culminates in our hero’s arrival at the fabulous Moulin Rouge and the appearance of Satine…
Sucker Punch and Magnolia.
Annie Hall, Saving Private Ryan, Full Metal Jacket, Big Lebowski, Fargo, Trainspotting.
Jaws… beneath the coastal waves at night, a shark takes a quick but fatal meal out of a swimming woman. Can you still hear her screams or see the floating sea beacon she held onto? How about that whole struggle that seemed to last hours when in fact it was barely a minute long or so?
Fear the deep people, fishing season comin’ right up.
Once Upon a Time in the West. No dialogue. All sound. All suspense. It’s brilliant.
Inglourious Basterds, The Dark Knight, Casino Royale