So what are my favorite scenes? Well again, I made a top 10 list. These are, in my opinion, the top scenes from all the movies I've seen. I'm sure many will disagree with my choices, but this is just my opinion, and you're free to agree or disagree. So, without any further ado, these are my top 10 movie scenes.
10. PULP FICTION: The ending scene at the diner.
The first time I saw Pulp Fiction, I didn't know what I'd just seen. Of course, I'd heard the buzz about it, seen it win awards that year, and even a few years after its release, I saw so many parodies of it already worked into the lexicon of pop culture. So naturally, my expectations were high. And, they were met, even if I wasn't fully sure what I'd just witnessed upon my first viewing.
This movie is insane. It's violent, it doesn't have a standard three act structure, it's probably one of the most famous uses of a MacGuffin (an item in a movie that's sought after, but seems non essential to the overall plot), but the real star, and this is true for so many of Quentin Tarantino's movies, is the dialogue. He is the master of having people go off on the most amusing tangents. Hell, I remember more of the strange conversations held in a Tarantino movie than I do the overall story.
The ending scene at the diner, besides brilliantly bringing the opening scene full circle, has some of the best dialogue in any of his movies. I don't want to spoil too much, but the dialogue between Samuel L. Jackson and Tim Roth, both criminals but for different reasons, is rich humor, philosophy, and even a bible quote. And admit it, we've all wanted a Bad Mother Fucker wallet at some point after seeing this.
9. INTO THE WILD: The scene on the mountaintop.
This is a movie that I feel is a very faithful adaptation from the book to the big screen. It's basically a modern day version of Walden. There are so many scenes in this movie that brilliantly illustrate the vastness and the freedom that comes from being in nature, and so many moments in them are complimented with a perfect fit of an Eddie Vedder soundtrack, but the one that stands out the most, and I always think of on days I find myself slaving away under the fluorescent lighting of corporate America. Why? Because this is freedom defined. He's all alone, possibly for miles, the sky looks gigantic, and the way he just holds out his arms as the music chimes in? God, it just takes my breath away any time I see it. It won't spoil much seeing the scene, as there isn't any dialogue. While the entire movie is a great, albeit tragic, story, this scene is powerful, and is one that will always stay with me.
OK, so it's probably a huge cliche having anything like Casablanca, The Godfather, or Citizen Kane on a list like this, but I can't help myself. There is a reason these movies are considered among the best films ever made. They changed everything, and have withstood the test of time.
"Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life." The end of Casablanca is sad, yet memorable. It's a love story, and like many true love stories, it doesn't end happily. Sure, we all like the Disney endings, or the RomCom formula where Julia Roberts marries Richard Gere and we all knew it was coming, but think about real love experiences in your life, and how many just, well, end. Do I even need to explain what happens at the end of this movie? We've all seen it, we all know the dialogue, we all hate seeing Ilsa board the plane despite the fact we know it's for the best. A tragic love story? Yes, but one that will always remain one of the greatest movies of all time.
7. UP: Opening sequences.
As you know, one of my favorite movies of all time is Disney Pixar's UP. I've already talked in great detail about it on my top 20 countdown, so I won't bore you much further. I'm sure most people you ask about this movie will tell you about the first 10 minutes, and just how great they are. It's the story of a couple's life together, and it's told without any dialogue. A lot of people joke that it accomplished in 10 minutes what Twilight couldn't accomplish in multiple movies, and to be honest, that is spot on. If they rolled the credits after this opening montage, I think moviegoers, myself included, would've been completely satisfied.
If you haven't seen this movie yet, check out this sequence. It sure got me hooked, and if you like what you see, I can't say enough good things about the remainder of the movie.
6. THE BIG LEBOWSKI: The dude's dream sequence.
I love the Cohen brothers, and this movie is one of their best, if not one of their most bizzare. And from a duo that gave us the likes of Barton Fink, O Brother Where Are Thou, and Raising Arizona? That's saying something! Lebowski is one of the biggest cult movies of all time. There are festivals each year where people show up dressed in bath robes and drink White Russians.
What makes this movie so memorable? Jeff Bridges' performance as The Dude, a 60s reject, takin' it easy for the rest of us. My favorite part of the movie comes when one of his White Russians is drugged by a small time porn producer, Jackie Treehorn. As explained to us by the narrator, the great Sam Elliott, "darkness warshed over the dude..." at which time we're treated to this surreal, over the top dream sequence. It's so tasteless, so dark, that I freakin LOVE it.
5. FANTASIA: The intro with Tocata y Fuqa.
It's weird that Disney did something so offbeat and experimental in the infancy of their studio churning out animated features, but this is so well done, that I find myself wishing Walt's vision to have these be an ongoing series was realized. Fantasia is just a melding of classical music with Disney animation. What's not to love? It has no dialogue and creates an almost meditative experience. The animation has held up great, and the way it just syncs with the music I love.
There are a few parts that have more of a story, like Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's Apprentice, and the Night on Bald Mountain, but it all just comes together so well. This movie has some of the most dramatic, heartfelt, and darkest elements of anything Disney has released.
But the part that stands out is the intro. Right from the start when we're treated to animation set to Tocata y Fuqua, I was hooked. It creates such a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere that I knew the rest of the film was going to be one of Disney's best. And, it turns out I was right. We've probably all seen it, but if not, give it a watch, I'm sure you'll enjoy.
4) RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK: Swiping the Idol. This is such a great movie, it was hard to choose a favorite scene. I picked the beginning sequence where Indy attempts to steal the idol. I feel this scene sets the tone for just how amazing and filled with adventure the remaining 90 minutes are going to be. I can't think of many other movies where you have to traverse pitfalls, dodge arrows shooting out of the walls, and avoid a giant boulder rolling at you all before the main title rolls. This movie was an homage to the old 1930s serials that used to be published about explorers in far off lands, and honestly, I'd love to see the genre make a comeback.
It's so well done, the shot is great, and John Williams' score really is amazing throughout the entire movie. This scene just sets the tone for how awesome the movie is going to be.
3) STAR TREK II THE WRATH OF KHAN: Battle of the Mutara Nebula. Again, just the music and imagery combined makes for an incredible duel to end what will always be the best Trek movie. After being badly damaged in an earlier fight, Krik and the Enterprise prepare for a final showdown in a nebula. Why fly into a nebula? Well, as Captain Spock informs Lt. Savvik, "Sauce for the goose, Mr. Savvik. The odds will be even."
The rest of the scene plays out like an opera. The music fits so well, that you could close your eyes and visualize exactly what's happening at the moment. I won't spoil the ending for you, in case you haven't seen it, but after a truly heart wrenching sacrifice, we're treated to one of the best space explosions ever seen. It's visually stunning, and once again, the music simply fits it like a glove.
2) GOODFELLAS, THE BILLY BATTS SCENE. I've always loved how Scorcese is so obviously a music buff, and the dialogue, the atmosphere (the smokey lounge at night) and the choice of Donovan's "Atlantis" while Billy is beaten just works! And I never noticed until recently that the song playing right before the beating was Knights in White Satin. So you go from the mellow sounds of the Moody Blues, to Donovan in under 5 seconds as the scene changes from casual conversation to a savage mob rub out. Scorcese said in an interview years ago that music is the backbone of many of his movies. He wants the song to perfectly fit what our characters are going through, and he does it so well in this movie. This scene is the one that stands out the most, but there are so many others, and the music varies so widely. You'd got the doo wop sound played during the days of the young Henry Hill to 80s tracks selected towards the end. It's just brilliantly handled. Again, something I could watch a million times and always appreciate.
1) WALL E, DEFINE DANCING SCENE. Probably weird having a Pixar movie scene as my favorite, and while it's not my favorite in their lineup (that honor goes to UP) it's still a great movie, and this is again a scene that just combines beautiful imagery in space, synced with a great score that involves no dialogue. I'm a real sucker for movies and scenes without dialogue, as evidenced by majority of my entries on this post, and part of what makes Wall E stand out so much for me is that the first act is largely devoid of dialogue. Much like UP, it tells a great love story, and does so simply with visuals and a perfect fitting score.
I won't spoil anything by posting the scene, and I really think everybody simply needs to see this. I tear up almost every time I see this, not because it's a sad scene, it's actually pretty heartwarming, but it's just so, well, beautiful! The marriage of colors, movement, the way the animation just flows and goes with the music....I can't say much else, much like this scene, I'll let the visuals and music do the talking.
