Five Favorite Film Scenes

Five Favorite Film Scenes

This is a scene from the film Seven Psychopaths. I chose this scene because even without seeing the whole film it still makes sense and could stand alone. This scene uses a lot of close-ups and bright colors including the characters clothing. The close-ups really capture the emotion of the scene. I like the way the scene cuts between the story and Christopher Walken as he tells it. The combination of dialogue and switching between storyteller and the two settings of the story make the scene even more emotional and upsetting. I liked at the end where Christopher Walken makes a joke that immediately changes the mood of the scene from dark and depressing to light and comical.

This scene is from the film RocknRolla in which Gerard Butler steals from two Russians who relentlessly pursue him. I chose this scene because it uses unique effects. A shallow depth of field is primarily used throughout the scene. The scene features a number of shot reverse shots. The running sequence is made more interesting by varying different types of shots. The shots most used are medium close-ups, close-ups, and extreme close-ups. The camera is also shaking during the scene giving the appearance that the viewer is running along with the characters. I liked the long shot of the tunnel and the low lighting that created silhouettes. I think this stylistic choice made the scene more interesting. I really like this scene because it takes what could be a standard chase scene and turns it into something unique and engaging.

The next scene I chose is an extremely well-known scene from The Shining. I like this scene for a number of reasons including the fact that Jack Nicholson improvised the line "Here's Johnny!". The scene is almost entirely made up of two shots, a medium shot of Jack and a medium shot of Wendy. There are a number of frequent cuts between the two characters to show their back and forth dialogue because they are in separate rooms. The shot of Wendy has her farther away so that the axe can be seen in front of her as Jack hacks at the door. The close-up of Jack as he says "Here's Johnny!" is perfect because it captures the crazed look on his face. I think this scene is fairly simple, but one of the best scenes in the film.

This scene is from the film Requiem for a Dream. I chose this scene because it has a very unique style. When I first saw this scene it made me very uncomfortable. I felt as though I was losing my mind with Sara as she became increasingly addicted to amphetamines. The sound effects and extreme close-up shots of her taking pills add to the tone of the scene. The use of really wide shots and Sara's placement in the center of the frame brings an unnatural and awkward element to the scene. One of the shots has such a wide angle that the shapes and objects in the shot become distorted. The end of the scene with the shot reverse shot of Sara and the refrigerator shows Sara's breaking point. When the refrigerator begins to shake and frighten her, it is clear that she has become delusional and deranged.

The last scene I chose is from the French film, La Haine. I am not a big fan of black and white films so I was pleasantly surprised when I watched this film and loved it. The use of black and white was done perfectly and nothing was lost with the lack of color. There are a number of scenes in this film that I think are excellent, but I chose this one for several reasons. I think this scene shows just who Vinz is and gives the audience an understanding of his state of mind. Vinz clearly has a tough guy attitude and a desire for revenge after the recent events in the film. I also believe the director, Kassovitz, wanted to show that Vinz is also talking a big game because he is angry and that he might not actually follow through with his plan for revenge. Stylistically, the shot starts out with a medium shot of the back of Vinz head. I like this shot because the mirror in front of him is visible allowing the audience to see his face.  This shot gets a little tricky when the camera dollies in over top of the bent over Vinz to show his reflection in the mirror. Interestingly, this shot was achieved by using a body double. There is not a mirror. Vincent Cassel, the actor, and the double are facing each other allowing the camera to dolly in past the double and focus on Cassel. The use of a fill light takes all the shadows off of Vinz allowing you to clearly see his entire face. The close-up shot of Vinz looking in the "mirror" has a shallow depth of field to direct the audience's attention to Vinz and minimize the distraction of the background. This is by far one of my favorite scenes in a film. I think this scene has a profound impact on the film. Kassovitz was able to say and show so much in a very short time simply by reenacting a scene from Taxi Driver. It all ties together perfectly.