Introductions can either go very well or very badly, either way an introduction can tell someone whether or not they are going to enjoy the rest of their company. This is just as true for movies as it is for people. Some movies can let you know, or mislead you to think, how great it is going to be for the duration of the film just from the opening scene. I will be listing and explaining my favorite movie openings right now.
10. Citizen Kane
"Rosebud..." - Charles Foster Kane
Yeah, everyone remembers this one. I'm sure some would rank it higher, but it is so obvious that I think ranking it any higher than tenth place would be contributing to Citizen Kane's already monumental glory. What is considered to be the greatest movie of all time opens as the camera cycles through Kane Manor I guess. It is gloomy, dark, and lonely, just like it's inhabitant, who we will come to know as Newspaper mogul Charles Foster Kane (played by writer/director/producer Orson Welles). We finally find Kane as an old man in his death bed. Clutching a snow globe in his hand, Kane utters his last word: "Rosebud..." and then dies. That last word is the macguffin for the entire movie. Though this choice is obvious, I still can't deny that this is an amazing opening. Citizen Kane is notorious for being a film way ahead of its time. In the opening we have an effective excess of superimposition, very well designed set pieces, great shadowy lighting, extreme closeups among many other unique camera angles, and extensive makeup for Orson Welles. So yes, Citizen Kane. Had to be on here.
9. The Shining
The opening of The Shining would seem pretty standard, being it is a tracking shot with the credits sliding along the screen, but with Stanley Kubrick directing, it becomes one that sticks with you. It is a serene, steady cam tracking shot that sweeps over a still lake and along a mountainside road. It follows a car overhead through in a mazelike fashion. Until we come upon the very majestic Overlook Hotel. And being it is a Stanley Kubrick movie, a straight horror movie to boot, their is an incredibly unsettling and ominous score playing throughout this opening. This opening is designed only to let you know we are going someplace we don't wanna go.
8. Goodfellas
"For as long as I could remember I always wanted to be a gangster..."
Martin Scorcese wastes no time when telling the violent story of the 1970s New York mafia. The highly acclaimed Goodfellas opens as three gangsters Henry (Ray Liotta), Jimmy (Robert De Niro), and Tommy (Joe Pesci) are riding in a car. They start to notice a noise coming from the back and pull over into a secluded area. Opening the trunk, we find a bloodied and bashed man on the inside begging for his life. Angered that the man is alive, Tommy viciously begins stabbing him with a butcher's knife, followed by Jimmy unloading a gun into his chest. After this, Henry, not as horrified as he should be, closes the trunk and begins his narration. This scene is the first minute of the movie.
7. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
"...They lived only to face a new nightmare. The war against the machines." - Sarah Conner
In the opening to one of the greatest action movies of all time, director James Cameron finds the right tones when depicting peace and stability in contrast to war and devastation. It shows simple shots of a sun baked Los Angeles, with cars in traffic, crowds of people crossing a busy street, and children laughing happily on a playground. But these images fade into blinding light until we are faced with the same images in the future. Los Angeles, and the world for all we know, is a dark wasteland of destruction. The traffic has halted altogether and the people in cars are charred skeletons. The streets are empty, the playground is empty. Sarah Conner, the hero from the previous Terminator and the mother of mankind's last hope, narrates as a battle breaks out between human survivors and Skynet's machine army, complete with a league of terminators. A scarred warrior emerges from a bunker and oversees the battle. John Conner, the leader of the resistance, Sarah's son. Sarah explains that the machines' attempted to once again kill John in the past, but that John again sent another soldier to protect his past self. After this a tracking shot of the city in flames is shown with the epic main theme playing until finally we focus on a burning terminator face staring into the screen. This whole opening gets the point across, we know we are in for a ride just here. Kudos to Cameron.
6. Halloween
"Michael's around some place," - Judith Myers
Following the haunting opening credits, the horror classic begins with a single take from the POV of the killer (inspired by Touch of Evil's opening scene). On Halloween night, he approaches toward a house and watches as a young girl makes out with her boyfriend. They quickly go upstairs and the killer makes his way inside the house as the lights go out. We see him grab a butcher's knife from the kitchen and hide in the shadows as the boyfriend leaves. He creeps upstairs, donning a clown mask. Then he stalks behind the oblivious naked girl. As soon as she sees him, embarrassed, he begins stabbing her, watching his hand go back and forth as he does it. She soon falls dead and he hastily makes his way downstairs and out of the house as a car pulls up at the house. Two confused adults get out and take the mask off of the killer. We see it is a six year old boy, he has just killed his sister. This boy is Michael Myers. I love this opening because it is so atmospheric and shadowy, it makes the audience the killer using the point of view camera effect. The scariest aspect however, of the whole movie in fact, is filmmaker John Carpenter's chilling score. It is the music that accompanies death in my opinion.
5. Every Coen Brothers movie I've seen
Okay so maybe I haven't seen every movie by Joel and Ethan Coen but the ones I have seen have some pretty great opening scenes. They are always scenes that get your attention immediately by any means. They are usually pretty funny or just kind of weird. Some open with actors with distinct voices narrating usually on top of landscape shots, rural or urban, or otherwise: M. Emmett Walsh's wise good ol' boy talk about the dog eat dog way of things as we get shots of Texan countryside in Blood Simple; Nicolas Cage's goofy monologue regarding how his repetitive and ill conceived criminal career led him to the love of his life as he keeps going back and forth out of jail in Raising Arizona; Sam Elliot's laid back introduction to "The Dude" as a tumbleweed travels into Los Angeles in The Big Lebowski; Tommy Lee Jones' haunting, quiet southern reminiscing of lawmen before his time and the violence he has seen during his own while the lethal villain is arrested (temporarily) in No Country for Old Men. Other times it is a standard scene that introduces most of the principal characters and their main problems: Jon Polito talking about "ethics" while Albert Finney gives him "the high hat" in Miller's Crossing; John Turtorro as egotistical and neurotic Barton watching his play anxiously at the beginning of Barton Fink; William H. Macy discussing the plan to kidnap his wife with criminals Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare in Fargo; George Clooney, John Turtorro, and Tim Blake Nelson arguing after escaping from the chain gang in O' Brother, Where Art Thou; John Malkovich being fired by the CIA in Burn After Reading. Or there is A Serious Man which opens with what seems like a random scene: an early 20th century Jewish husband and wife in Poland are greeted by what the wife believes is a shapeshifting Jewish demon, but it turns out it is a demon, and it leaves after wifey attacks it. What the hell was that about? I have a theory but won't get into it now. The point is from what I've seen so far, the Coen Brothers' movies have always had great openings. And that's fitting because I think just about every Coen Brothers' movie I've seen is a masterpiece. I recommend watching every one I talked about.
4. Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope
"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."
Of course this is on here. It's Star Wars! The first movie opens in space of course with that always epic John Williams theme and that crawling yellow summary that I never paid attention to but always loved. Once the summary is over and the music fades out, we are faced with a ship being attacked by an Imperial vessel. The ship is boarded and the guards have a shootout with the Stormtroopers. At the same time droid C-3PO is becoming hysterical, while his partner R2-D2 records a message from Princess Leia to Obi Wan Kenobi. The droids stow away in an escape pod and launch themselves out to the nearby planet of Tatooine as Darth Vader strides on board and seizes control. This opening was a sci fi fan's delight. It is just iconic in every way. I don't think there is a moment of it I don't remember. It is just awesome and incredibly memorable.
3. Jaws
"Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun DUN, dun DUN!!!" - John Williams' danger music
Jaws opens as any good horror movie should. It introduces a cute guy and girl, sets a calm and sexy mood, one that puts us the audience at ease. They meet at a beachside bonfire, and he follows her off to the water. She strips down and dives in, while he passes out drunk. Once she is far out, we get a POV shot of course (because what could be scarier) from below as something watches her legs dangling in the water. Then that John Williams score kicks in and we know we are in trouble. Now the really cool thing about this scene, the only thing we see is the girl and her reaction to what happens. Soon her tranquility is shattered as she is abruptly yanked under water again and again. She is then violently dragged back and forth screaming. It keeps pulling and pulling until finally she goes underneath one last time, her screams for help drowning out. That is how you open your freaking movie. With one of the scariest scenes ever. We feel just as confused, shocked, and terrified as the girl. Steven Spielberg say hello to your very long career.
2. Reservoir Dogs
"You see this? This is the world's smallest violin playing just for the waitresses." - Mr. Pink
Now it was between this and Pulp Fiction, both diner scenes in Tarantino movies, but I went this one because I think it is much more inventive. Reservoir Dogs opens with a bunch of guys sat around a table in an LA coffee shop. They all look like tough guys too. Most of them wear black suits you'd see gangsters wear in a Hong Kong movie. A few of them have concealed guns. Reservoir Dogs, a movie renowned for it's violence and vulgarity, opens with these guys just having regular conversations. It starts off with Mr. Brown (Quentin Tarantino, also writer-director) explaining how he thinks Madonna's song "Like a Virgin" is a metaphor for big dicks, which stirs up various other thoughts on Madonna and music; Mr. Blue (Eddie Bunker) says he liked "Borderline." After that Mr. White (Harvey Keitel) expresses his frustration at his boss Joe (Lawrence Tierney) mumbling a bunch of names from an old address book, which White takes. When they are about to leave, Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) won't pitch in for the tip because he "doesn't believe in tipping" unless the waitress "really puts forth the effort." Everyone gets into a political arguement against Pink, whose further monologue on minimum wage and work is hilarious. Pink finally tips when Joe orders him to. They all leave and a cool slow motion shot ensues as the group walks to their cars. What a great way to open this movie. It really is an example of Tarantino's filmmaking chops (and this was his first film). What really punctuates this scene is the fact that the next shows Mr. White driving a getaway car, while Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) bleeds and screams from a gunshot wound in the backseat. It is just very naturalistic and effective. It misleads in a good way.
1. The Lion King
"Nants ingoyama bagithi baba (There comes a lion)" - Circle of Life lyrics
Honestly, yes it is indeed The Lion King. Few movies open so beautifully, so majestically. It really paints the perfect picture of this world in the wilderness. It shows every creature across the land arriving at Pride Rock at the dawn of a beautiful day, as the newly born Simba is embraced by his mother and father, blessed by Rafiki the monkey priest, and then raised up at the cliff, against the sun for all to see. And the massive crowd of animals bow to their future king. In the middle of this the Circle of Life plays, adding to the harmonious feel of this scene. This opening has such crisp and defined animation and imagery. Everything fits together perfectly. You really feel the atmosphere of this world. This is a Disney film at its finest. It is always just a pleasure to watch. It is amazing every time I see it. That's right people, The Lion King is my favorite opening thus far.
So those are my top ten film openings. I hope you've enjoyed them, and maybe after reading this you will be inspired to see some of these openings and the entire films for yourself. I assure you they are all very good. At least I think so, and I like to think I am guy with good taste when it comes to movies.
So this has been another top list from Your Modest Guru. Thanks for reading.
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