What are your favorite shots in a movie?

[John 2,034]

I thought this would make for an interesting thread... so here it goes.

 

What are your favorite single shots in a movie? For me, it will always be this scene from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial:

 

 

The imagery of a bicycle in silhouette over the moon, accompanied in film by Williams' magnificent score, will always remain, in my opinion, the greatest single shot in cinema.

[Xander Harris 9,532]

[Sharkissimo 1,978]

Skyfall is laced with beautiful shots, but the one that always stays with me is Deakins' tribute to J. M. W. Turner.

 

[Mitth'raw'nuorodo 43]

This is the one shot in The Force Awakens that consistently led me to tear up. It's so exhilarating and so darn heart-warming!

This was my breaking-point in Rogue One too.

[Disco Stu 15,517]

36 minutes ago, John said:

I thought this would make for an interesting thread... so here it goes.

 

What is your favorite single shot in a movie? For me, it will always be this scene from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial:

 

 

I'm going for character/emotion over impressiveness of composition/lighting (surprise surprise).

 

I don't know if this is really my favorite shot ever, but it's certainly my favorite shot in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

 

It is the perfect shot with which to end that story.  Just a zoom in on the face a boy forever changed.  And you can hear those glorious timpani hits in your head can't you?  

 

[Code 000. Destruct. 0. 4,262]

 

 

[Xander Harris 9,532]

4 minutes ago, TGP said:

 

 

 

Boba. Is your father here?

[Alex 3,060]

[Disco Stu 15,517]

17 minutes ago, TGP said:

 

 

 

Kaminski's finest work

[Sharkissimo 1,978]

21 minutes ago, TGP said:

 

This isn't loading for me.

[Xander Harris 9,532]

That was the scene where the projector broke when I saw A.I. on opening day and the audience started groaning.

[Bayesian 1,613]

This will be a fun thread! To me, the Batmobile scene in Batman has the best shot I can think of right now. Specifically between 0:40 and 0:43, when the camera has the Batmobile coming head-on and there's the smash cut to the badass afterburner or fire-breather or whatever that thing is.

 

A very honorable mention goes to the launch scene in Apollo 13, particularly at 5:11 when the camera is swinging underneath the red flying buttress (or what have you). As your eyes are focused on the red thing as it moves across the field of view, the Saturn V is accelerating upwards behind it. It's a ridiculously dynamic moment, and yet the camera moves so simply. Bonus points for the way the letters "U S A" are timed against the red thing and the way the camera keeps the firing engines always filling up the space in the red thing's wake.

 

I also remember the chills I felt in the theater watching Titanic when the camera pulls back from Rose in the water right after the sinking, then pans up to linger on the vast sea of people thrashing in the water. That moment grabbed me in a way that no subsequent re-watching would match.

 

[Xander Harris 9,532]

Great choices! We will watch your career with great interest!

[Koray Savas 2,260]

Just a few that first come to mind. The list is endless.

[Jill Sandwich 11,012]

My choices aren't safe for work.

[filmmusic 3,195]

The first in this thread with E.T over the moon is the first that came to mind!

 

Also:

 

 

 

Actually I could post a lot from animation but I stop here...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok, don't ask!

 

 

Also countless shots from Malick's The thin Red Line and The tree of Life

1 hour ago, Koray Savas said:

Just a few that first come to mind. The list is endless.

 

The first one is the Good, the Bad and the Ugly?

[mrbellamy 8,054]

I'll go one a decade!

 

1920s, so many of her but this one 

 

 

1930s, this might as well be my all-time #1

 

 

1940s, lots of great ones but this got to me first

 

 

1950s, one of the most perfect shots in movies

 

 

1960s, beautiful one from Ivan's Childhood 

 

 

1970s, this one's so random and I'm sure there are more "evocative" shots in this film alone let alone the decade but it's the first one I thought of and I've always just fucking loved it when it comes in haha. Kicks the whole thing up a notch, one of my favorite movies.

 

 

1980s, quintessential Spielberg, Harrison's (and Johnny's) timing is priceless

 

 

1990s, always wonder what he's thinking

 

 

2000s, gotta be...

 

 

2010s, this one kinda blew me away. Feels accurate lol

 

 

[Koray Savas 2,260]

2 hours ago, filmmusic said:

Also countless shots from Malick's The thin Red Line and The tree of Life

The first one is the Good, the Bad and the Ugly?

Yeah, anything from Malick is pretty much gold.

 

The first one I posted is from Once Upon A Time In The West. 

A couple more:

[Cerebral Cortex 3,365]

[Naïve Old Fart 12,875]

On 4/22/2018 at 11:26 PM, filmmusic said:

 

The first one is the Good, the Bad and the Ugly?

 

No, it's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST.

The third one is from THE THIRD MAN? If so, the ratio is wrong...not that it matters too much, as it's a great film. All those Dutch angles...

 

The last shots of both THE SEARCHERS, and THE DUELLISTS, are so powerful, signifying both loneliness, and exile.

[Quintus 6,309]

 

Bonus:

 

 

 

 

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,158]

I don't recognize the last shot, Lee

[Nick1Ø66 8,085]

Those are some fantastic choices Quintus.

[Jill Sandwich 11,012]

5 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

I don't recognize the last shot, Lee

 

Probz from da witch

[Nick1Ø66 8,085]

[Quintus 6,309]

10 minutes ago, Margo Channing said:

 

Probz from da witch

 

da da da da da da da    da da da da da da da... WITCH!

[Jill Sandwich 11,012]

22 minutes ago, Quintus said:

 

da da da da da da da    da da da da da da da... WITCH!

 

Witches leave.

[Naïve Old Fart 12,875]

The final shot of 2001, as the Starchild gently rotates, until he's looking directly into the camera, makes my head go "pop"!

[Bilbo 4,277]

15 hours ago, Batman's Diet Coke said:

 

 

Not necessarily my favorite shot of all time but this is my favourite shot from that movie.

 

There’s also a plethora of stuff from the sinking itself.

 

[Disco Stu 15,517]

My favorites tend to highlight faces

 

 

 

I can't find an image anywhere, but the shot in Howards End when Emma Thompson breaks down in front of the mirror is extraordinary.

[Holko 12,018]

I usually favour either long, energetic moving shots or heavily atmospheric wide shots with tiny people lost in a huge environment.

 

[Disco Stu 15,517]

Yay LA LA LAND!

[Jill Sandwich 11,012]

[The Illustrious Jerry 3,361]

From The Last Jedi

From The Hobbit: Battle of the Five ArmiesThe Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

[JoeinAR 1,957]

La-la land. Stop the madness. Film garbage.

[Jill Sandwich 11,012]

I didn't mind it.

[Quintus 6,309]

17 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

 

I'm going for character/emotion over impressiveness of composition/lighting (surprise surprise).

 

I don't know if this is really my favorite shot ever, but it's certainly my favorite shot in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

 

It is the perfect shot with which to end that story.  Just a zoom in on the face a boy forever changed.  And you can hear those glorious timpani hits in your head can't you?  

 

 

I've considered this shot many a time over years, because of the impact and objective of Williams' music there. The climatic final scenes of E.T. are sometimes accused of being overblown or "too much", but I think this is to miss the point; see, I don't think Williams is scoring "forever changed" Elliott's personal story in this final shot (and the exhilarating reaction shots preceding it).

 

The resolution of the "Boy's Life" was already paid due service in the emotional farewells earlier in the scene, that aspect had already wrapped as E.T.'s glowing heart disappeared behind the spiral door.

 

After that, Williams, in those final closing moments, adopts a Homer-esque stylistic grandeur in his music, it becomes underscore for the ending of an epic poem, a near mythological grand finale only suitable for what is a momentous event not just for a little boy, but for all of mankind. Williams took Spielberg's child catharsis in Elliott's face and juxtaposed it against a backdrop of mankind forever changed - in the event of First Contact being made.

 

That's why the pounding timpani is there, that's why the music is so transcendent, and that's why Williams is a total beast.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,158]

Yes!

[Jill Sandwich 11,012]

Of course!

[Sharkissimo 1,978]

29 minutes ago, JoeinAR said:

La-la land. Stop the madness. Film garbage.

 

Agreed entirely. It's noxious, self-aggrandizing tripe and a stain on the rich history of musical cinema.

[Disco Stu 15,517]

That's cool, man.  I like it.

[Glóin the Dark 1,841]

"Lucy!"

 

 

(The Searchers)

[Nick1Ø66 8,085]

1 hour ago, JoeinAR said:

La-la land. Stop the madness. Film garbage.

 

45 minutes ago, Sharky said:

 

Agreed entirely. It's noxious, self-aggrandizing tripe and a stain on the rich history of musical cinema.

 

39 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

That's cool, man.  I like it.

 

Yeah...this is a that "extreme polarisation" in opinions about movies.

 

There IS a middle ground here. By no means to do I think La-la land is some kind of classic, and I don't think it merited all the over the top praise and awards it got.

 

But in terms of just escaping by watching pure Hollywood for a couple hours? If was fine....more than fine, it was fun. It certainly wasn't anywhere near "film garbage" or a "stain" on musical cinema. That's not even good nonsense.

[Quintus 6,309]

3 hours ago, Nick1066 said:

 

See, it's been years since I saw this and I remember it totally living up to the hype and it was monochromically striking, but the 4:3 spoils its picturesque still credentials for me. Bah! I should try and get over myself a bit.

[Jill Sandwich 11,012]

Seriously you're complaining about the Academy standard aspect ratio?

[Quintus 6,309]

I haven't a clue about any of that. So consider it a yes.

[Jill Sandwich 11,012]

Hmm-hmm.

[Quintus 6,309]

I don't keep up with awards ceremony rules and protocol, sorry. I prefer blow jobs and stuff.

[Sharkissimo 1,978]

I like turtles.

[Jill Sandwich 11,012]

Academy ratio.