# Nice Shot! Most Memorable Film Shots **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 13, 2005, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486 "2005-01-13T03:23:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/1 "2005-01-13T03:23:13Z")
Not scenes, but _shots._ Examples: **Lawrence of Arabia:** Lawrence blows out the match CUT TO desolate desert vista. **The Matrix:** Leather broad does the suspended in mid-air 360 degree kick thingy (can you tell I’m a _huge_ Matrix fan?). **The Third Man:** Lime’s smirking visage revealed in a nearby apartment light. **2001:** Astronaut jogging in the giant wheel dealie. What’s your favorite? _I need to know!_ ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/2 "2005-01-13T03:46:28Z")
**The Godfather Part II** : The wide angle shot of the _festa._ **Jurassic Park:** The Tyrannosaur finally makes his appearance, stepping out onto the road. **Jaws:** The shark’s first full head appearance, as Brody is shovelling chum into the water. Closely followed by the best. line. ever. - “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” **Planet of the Apes:** Why, that’s the Statue of Liberty! **High Noon:** The shootout. At high noon, of course. **The Empire Strikes Back:** Luke, I am your… **Singin’ In the Rain** - Gene Kelly’s song and dance sequence. Hell… THE song and dance sequence. **Raging Bull** - Jake La Motta, reciting to himself in the mirror - “I coulda been a contender.” ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/3 "2005-01-13T04:06:41Z")
**The Big Lebowski** : Just after The Dude visited the doctor… he’s driving down the street, smoking a roach, crashes into a dumpster? Then he finds the homework paper crumpled into the seat… there’s one really quick close-up of his eyes, all bewildered and “Huh?!?” That’s my favorite shot. In any movie. Ever. The Creedence just helps. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/4 "2005-01-13T04:10:16Z")
_KHAAAAAAANNNNN!!!_ Okay, it’s not the _best_ ever fimed, but it was pretty damn memorable. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/5 "2005-01-13T04:16:52Z")
Oh, oh! How many times did we need an Uber-Closeup Shot of the One Ring? By the time the movie ended,the camera was pulling in so close that you could see individual atoms. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/6 "2005-01-13T04:24:28Z")
Since the OP brought up **Lawrence of Arabia** The arrival of Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif) out of the horizon. The special long lens used in that shot is known yet today as the [David Lean](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056172/trivia) lens. But mostly, I find the shots where the camera _moves_ the most memorable. to give the first three that popped into my head: **Magnificent Seven** The dolly shot following Calvera (Eli Wallach) leading his bandits, jumping his horse over a couple of walls and through the backyards of some buildings. **Paths of Glory** Another Kubrick film. The camera follows Col. Dax (Kirk Douglas) along the trenches as he braces his men for the imminent attack. It must be a move of a hundred yards at least. “No biggie.” I’m thinking. “Crane dolly with the arm dropped into the trench.” Then it passes _through_ a dugout. **The Train** One shot in particular, a long traverse shot through a railroad yard, simple enough, but there are hundreds of extras and several locomotives moving about in organized chaos. If ever I was to give a class on cinematography (Ha!), this would be a prime example of how to place the camera to get shot after memorable shot. DD ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/7 "2005-01-13T04:31:55Z")
> [@Torgo](#): > > Not scenes, but _shots._ Examples: > > … > > **2001:** Astronaut jogging in the giant wheel dealie. > > What’s your favorite? _I need to know!_ When you brought up **2001** , I thought for sure that you were going to mention this one: –Ape tosses bone in the air. Bone flies up into the sky. CUT TO spaceship orbiting the Earth. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/8 "2005-01-13T04:34:44Z")
Never ask a cinematographer this question. It’s not fair. \ ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/9 "2005-01-13T04:41:30Z")
\*\*Gone with the Wind \*\* - both the overhead shot of all the wounded soldiers in Atlanta, and Scarlett silhouetted against the sky after her “I’ll never be hungy again” scene. \*\*Kind Hearts and Coronets \*\* - the final scene, with the look on the Duke of Chalfont’s face as he realises that he has left his damning memoirs in his cell. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/10 "2005-01-13T04:50:13Z")
**Gangs of New York** : Bill the Butcher’s entrance in… I forget the context, dangit. Fireworks going off in the sky behind and above him, upward camera angle exaggerating his height and the height of his awesome hat. Very dramatic-looking and attractive to look at. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/11 "2005-01-13T04:51:06Z")
**Reservoir Dogs** : There’re a million to choose, but my two favorites are when we first see Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) sprinting down the street with the jewels. Excellent dolly work, and REALLY excellent cut. The other is when Mr. Pink is on the floor, and he and Mr. White have their guns pointed at each other. The camera is slowly pulling back as Mr. Pink screams at the other man, and ultimately we see Mr. Blonde appear on the side of the screen. ---
**Author:** ![mza662](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@mza662](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mza662)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/12 "2005-01-13T04:53:05Z")
**Boyz N The Hood:** Looking up at him as Doughboy finishes off one of his brothers killers. **Scarface:** Tony looking up at the blimp reading “The World Is Yours” after killing Frank. ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/13 "2005-01-13T05:35:31Z")
Eternal Sunshine: Jim Carrey being ignored by his girlfriend at the bookstore. He begins walking away from her as lights behind him shut off, eventually walking through a door back into the house where he was when he began reminiscing of the confrontation. Anyone know if this was an effects shot or if they simply built the house’s set in the bookstore? ---
**Author:** ![KJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b2d939/32.png) [@KJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KJ)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/14 "2005-01-13T05:55:36Z")
I’m pretty sure that shot in _Eternal Sunshine_ was done without any special effects. Someone correct me if I’m wrong. Do cartoons count? I still love the shot in the opening sequence to _The Lion King_ where you first see Pride Rock, and it does a bird’s eye view (literally) of Zazu flying over the plains to Mufasa just as the chorus of the opening song kicks in. Beautiful. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/15 "2005-01-13T06:06:30Z")
I love that shot in “The Terminator” where Linda Hamilton ejects a shell from her shotgun by shaking it up and down real hard, and she’s PISSED. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/16 "2005-01-13T06:24:36Z")
**Apocolypse Now** the Air Cav coming over the hills with the rising sun in the background. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/17 "2005-01-13T06:35:06Z")
**Last of the Mohicans** , when Hawkeye puts Maj. Heyward out of his misery (burning in the Huron fire) – the whole effect of the rifle shot, the change of camera focus, the sound of the shot, Cora turning her head in sync with the echo from the shot. Very cool. **Fellowship of the Ring** – the Balrog cracking the whip on the Bridge of Khazad-Dum **Matrix Reloaded** – the end of the freeway scene, when the two semis collide in slow motion Oh, and of course, in **Spiderman** when Kirsten Dunst is standing in the rain in the wet blouse after being rescued… (Well, it was memorable to _me_ :D) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/18 "2005-01-13T06:44:17Z")
[The Age of Innocence](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0106226/) - all of the detail close ups of the accoutraments of high society, turn of last century evryday, ultra expensive items. It happened all thru the movie andd really help give one a feel for the extravagance of the privilged of that time period. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/19 "2005-01-13T06:46:43Z")
So very many spectacular shots in LOTR I, II, & III. Possibly my favourite, though, is in the FOTR and can be seen [here](http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/reviews/comments.asp?DiscIndex=2487), at the right hand side of **dicanio** ’s post. ---
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486/20 "2005-01-13T06:50:57Z")
That one is easy for me… The scene in Taxi Driver. I can’t remember when it was, but it starts out with slow saxaphone music and it starts with a zoomed in shot of Travis Bickle walking down the street to meet the girl, and its sort of in this ultra slow-motion, that fits so well with the music. Great shot… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nice-shot-most-memorable-film-shots/284486.md?page=2)