Alfonso Cuaron's opener to his 2007 Sci-fi masterpiece is one to cherish and proves to be a great example of succeeding in grabbing attention with minimum of effort. Clive Owen looking bored, walks into a crowded coffee shop. As he walks away (sneaking a drop of alcohol for good measure) suddenly the shop explodes! Prepare to jump with shock as this happens! Shot in one continuous take, Cuaron showcases the movie's rough feel and brings us in a future Britain where things are about to get heated!
Up
Animated opening sequences don't get more magical or devastating than UP's magnificent 'Married Life' segment. Truly anyone who doesn't find this enthralling, must have had their heart ripped out early in life, because it wonderfully captures the immense joy of finding the perfect mate and the crushing lows of losing them. It also sets up the character Carl's grumpy old man feel and aids our sympathy for him in the movie ahead.
The Social Network
Aided by Aaron Sorkin's razor sharp script, this opening break up scene in David Fincher's movie lays the ground work for Mark Zuckerburg's journey into the midst of fame and fortune, as being a red flag indicator for his difficult persona. Jesse Eisenberg and Rooney Mara truly make this scene come alive and you can feel the gradual hatred building to the point of things breaking apart! As break up scenes go, none will be more fabulously scripted than this!
Aguirre: The Wrath of God
Werner Herzog has always been a director who likes to get straight to the point, his opening sequence for Aguirre gets right to that. As we watch our band of heroes on their doomed search for El Dorado walking along a dangerous mountain path, it foreshadows the madness, murder and the series of other 'unfortunate events' that will follow suit. But what Herzog really succeeds at here, is creating an unsettling aura that will follow Aguirre throughout.
Apocalypse Now
Francis Ford Coppola's beginning to his Palme D'or winning classic is one that forever sticks in the mind. Opening with the sound helicopter blades followed swiftly after by flames rising from a tree line hit by Napalm- we sit up straight away. Interlaced with the haunted gaze of Captain Willard (Martin Sheen), it gives an eerie indicator of Willard's state of mind and the violent climax of his journey. Perfectly sound tracked by 'The End' by The Doors, this proved to be one of the last great moments of Coppola's career.
Sunset Boulevard
Billy Wilder's opening scene to Sunset Boulevard is a great moment in the history of classic Hollywood cinema, as it plays out in reverse of the story. Watching police cars with sirens blaring head towards a large Hollywood house, we hear William Holden's narration advising us someone has been killed! But as arrive on the crime scene, learn that the man is none other than Holden himself! Wilder beautifully sets up a dark and mystique feel to this tale and we are given a great device to make us wonder how Holden ended up in water?
Jaws
The moment we hear John Williams' pulsating orchestral scores, we know instantly that Jaws is about to appear. This moment caused a great number of people to fear going into open water and Steven Spielberg proves here what a master of suspense he can be. The very second we begin underwater, our bodies freeze over with fear as we see the shark about to grab his first prey! This moment would demonstrate the qualities Spielberg has been able to bring and this moment is still ageless in cinema.
Touch of Evil
Orson Welles' opening shot of his 1958 crime classic is a masterclass in how to nail one continuous tracking shot. Watching Inspector Vargas (Charlton Heston) and his wife (Janet Leigh), you see a bomb being loaded into a car- which they pass several times on the way to the Mexican boarder! Welles builds the suspense up to unbearable levels and the thought this bomb could explode at any point stays with us throughout! The dark noir feel of the movie begins with the moment and it is still one of Hollywood's most perfect examples.
Trainspotting
Danny Boyle's arrival on the world of film was cemented with his excellent opening sequence to the 1996 British Classic. Arriving on the thumping drums of 'Lust for Life' by Iggy Pop, we hear Renton's (Ewan McGregor) almost poetic 'Choose Life' speech. The scenes that follow set up the characters and encapsulates the joy that their life of heroin brings them. But it will also add to the narrative drive later on and the euphoric high comes one horrific come down!
Inglorious Basterds
Tarantino's opener to his WW2 piece is one that has life and death hanging in the balance. The moment that Colonel Hans Lander (Christoph Waltz) arrives, you know this is no ordinary soldier because he has a wit and intelligence higher than most men! Also it superbly positions the awkward place the farmer has got himself into, does he give into the demands of Landa? Or does he make a brave stand and possible lose his life? QT brings alive one his most monstrous yet elegant characters and will prove to be a dangerous adversary for all that follow
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