Great Opening Scenes

[AzPaul]

Find this one to be just about perfect. Uses just a few minutes to introduce us to the two main characters, each exhibiting the personalities we'll see for the rest of the movie, in a way that makes the viewer (at least it did me) want to see more.


https://dai.ly/x43g5r2

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)


Hope you'll submit a favorite of your own.

[Blansky]

So many to think about.

I loved near the opening of The Usual Suspects, where they are being held in a prison cell after having been arrested on suspicion.....

And the director Bryan Singer who in my opinion went on to waste his talents on comic book movies, had the camera pan back and forth, from man to man as they talked ...and kept passing over Verbal Kint as if he wasn't there...insignificant......sort of the invisible gimp.

Later we'd find out....

[Blansky]

The opening scene of the Godfather sets audience up to the power of the man, and the selling of your soul to the devil, when you ask for a favor.

I'll do this for you....but you'll be called on one day to return the favor....

[Blansky]

Apocalypse Now...I'll never look at ceiling fans the same way again.

How Coppola used the fan as the sort of PTSD replacement in the guy's mind as helicopter blades, probably due to the fact that helicopters were such an employable weapon during the Vietnam War.

[Blansky]

Obviously JAWS, the naked woman swimming, the late night, the mirky depths of the water....and the bum-bum, bum-bum, bum-bum....BUM-BUM.......

People were afraid to get into the water for months--years after that.

[jamesbondOO7]

The Player, 8-minute opening scene without a cut.

[DJ TT 2002]

The pool scene to start
Sunset Boulevard

[hambone1983]

the first wave hitting Omaha Beach on D-Day in Saving Private Ryan

[996marty]

Godfather
Sexy Beast
Usual Suspects
Shawshank Redemption
These are just a few but so many to consider

[White Collar Boy]

Boogie Nights with the long-take through the nightclub.

[HHIslander]

Reservoir Dogs comes to mind. I saw it because the movie we went to see was sold out and I thought “This is a stupid name for a movie, this movie must be stupid.” I was mesmerized by the diner scene. Probably best plan B movie I’ve ever seen.

[enjoythemusic]

Team America, as first it trolls the audience. You have to love that. And then just WOW, amazing puppetry as the remainder of the opening scene echoes the greatness we all know and love.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by jamesbondOO7

The Player, 8-minute opening scene without a cut.

Good call. Loved that movie.

I think Barbarians at the Gate had a fairly long continuous shot opening scene as well.

[brandrea]

Casino Royale.

[77T]

This is not going to make any "Top 10" list of opening scenes for almost anyone. But here is my reason it plays well...

Having read the book, a moviegoer would wonder how the movie could bring the novel's stark opening line into immediate focus. And the same opening scene sets the uninitiated viewer into the odd mind of Billy Pilgrim.

https://youtu.be/Kcb7e8GS50Y?si=uYG3i1JoiU5pE-RG


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[AzPaul]

The opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark caused a real stir when the movie came out, and for good reason. It was a great introduction to the Indiana Jones character and made it clear to the audience that they'd better buckle up for the next two hours.

[RichM]

On the lighter side, A Hard Day’s Night.

https://www.google.com/search?q=open...H7xbHNScs,st:0

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by AzPaul

The opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark caused a real stir when the movie came out, and for good reason. It was a great introduction to the Indiana Jones character and made it clear to the audience that they'd better buckle up for the next two hours.

Good call. That was a great one.

[Speedbird-1]

Originally Posted by RichM

On the lighter side, A Hard Day’s Night.

https://www.google.com/search?q=open...H7xbHNScs,st:0

Lovely...atmospheric nostalgia.

Beautiful, innocent days.

[Speedbird-1]

Superb symbiosis of music and imagery.

A Walk on the Wildside

https://youtu.be/XI9Or8rE_Dc?si=y7noOEDTfzXcYMYw


Thomas Crown Affair...McQueen version, of course.

https://youtu.be/Pt0Y_vdxE_g?si=GqjWhsc70Ui16iIs

[Brenngun]

Patton

Especially the first 2 lines of his speech.

https://youtu.be/PS5yfhPGaWE?si=wIaEH2DQm-8A39Z6

[Yobber76]

The opening scene of Cool Hand Luke sets the tone for Paul Newman's character, as well as Strother Martin's.

[Yobber76]

The opening minutes of The Wild Bunch is a great sequence

[Boopie]

Originally Posted by AzPaul

The opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark caused a real stir when the movie came out, and for good reason. It was a great introduction to the Indiana Jones character and made it clear to the audience that they'd better buckle up for the next two hours.

Totally agreed. I also liked the way the Paramount mountain worked its way into the opening shot.

“A Touch of Evil” has a famous opening tracking shot. Decades ago it played a local revival theater, and it was fun to see it on the big screen.

Not quite an answer, but I love the way James Bond movies have an opening scene of action before the main title.

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by HHIslander

Reservoir Dogs comes to mind. I saw it because the movie we went to see was sold out and I thought “This is a stupid name for a movie, this movie must be stupid.” I was mesmerized by the diner scene. Probably best plan B movie I’ve ever seen.

Came here to say this. I mumble to my wife “nevermind what you normally would do” when I want to leave a much bigger tip than she would and she has no fn idea what I’m talking about lol

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by Boopie

Totally agreed. I also liked the way the Paramount mountain worked its way into the opening shot.

“A Touch of Evil” has a famous opening tracking shot. Decades ago it played a local revival theater, and it was fun to see it on the big screen.

Not quite an answer, but I love the way James Bond movies have an opening scene of action before the main title.

Forgot about Bond.

Great fun opening scenes with sexy graphics during the opening song as well.

The money they put into the opening few minutes for a Bond movie must have been staggering.