Favorite Movie Scenes

[gk_891]

'Rashomon' was one of the classics I studied as a film studies student. I remember thinking it was brilliant, but wonder if I would feel the same today.

I find so many of the great directors I studied in the 80s to actually have been misogynistic in retrospect. For example, I used to think 'Last Tango in Paris' was amazing, but since realized that I related to it because of my own experiences of objectification and sexualization as a woman. Maria Schnieder said she felt raped by both Marlon Brando and Bernardo Bertolucci in 'Last Tango' (the 'butter' scene), even though she consented to the scene in question. It haunted her for the rest of her life.

Similarly, I think I'd be bothered by Fellini's treatment of women today.

I do think, however, that Stanley Kubrick's films would stand the test of time better.

Which brings to mind '2001: A Space Odyssey' and the scene of the ape tossing the bone in the air, which then becomes a spaceship. As well as the final image of the film, of the fetus in space.

Two of the most memorable scenes of all time IMO.

In thinking of gender and film, I'm also reminded of 'Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession'. If anyone has seen it, you'll remember the scene of her getting a tracheotomy - horrible, disturbing, and impossible to ever forget.

I wonder what happened to Nicolas Roeg.

I found Last Tango In Paris dreadfully boring that I could barely pay attention to it. I saw it years ago though so I actually don't really remember what it was even about. But from what I remember, I just didn't feel the characters' drive or emotional charge through the sex scenes. I actually found the sex to be kind of tame. I wonder if I would feel different if I saw it today. And I wonder how I'd feel about the concerns you had with the film.

One movie that I thought used sex (and real sex at that!) much better was the Japanese arthouse porn hit In the Realm of the Senses. But I do admit that the entire movie was very much an acquired taste. And it's also been many years since I saw that film so I also could feel differently about it if I were to watch it today.

 

[Peaches LaTour]

Han and Leia kiss in The empire strikes back (funny/cute)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMk0-pZfx5Q

"I love you"........"I know"...... whichever of the early films it was.

 

[Vash01]

"I love you"........"I know"...... whichever of the early films it was.

The Empire Strikes Back

 

[gk_891]

I liked the opening scenes of Jackie Brown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKQWn-UBDTo

Brokeback Mountain - such a tender and loving scene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDmcHpv4X0I

Fallen Angels - these scenes from this movie made me smile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdamz52tmf0

 

[Peaches LaTour]

It Isn't my favorite scene but certainly the scene I never saw coming: Kevin Spacey's death scene in L.A. Confidential.

 

[TheGirlCanSkate]

I don't like mafia movies, lots violence, etc, but for some reason this is one of my most favorite scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A90bVruQr3c

 

[skatefan]

The ending of Brief Encounter (1945) final six minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hubyFqSUaGA

The ending of the original Planet of the Apes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMklpypmevc

 

[clairecloutier]

Can I do some TV scenes? I was thinking about favorite scenes, and this is what my mind went to:

The scene in the first season of Mad Men when Don visits Peggy after the birth of her baby.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TytB2nW1s-E

The scene in the last season of Mad Men when Don calls Peggy from California.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E982iy_vrq8

These are the 2 scenes I remember most from the whole run of Mad Men. They're like bookends.

In the first scene, Peggy is in a deep depression, having given birth to an illegitimate child and given it up for adoption. Don's visit somehow spurs her back to life. He doesn't press for details but just refuses to let her give up. "Do it. Just do it and move forward. This never happened."

In the last scene, Don is in a deep depression, having totally messed up his life. He keeps calling people back home, and they keep being sensitive and not treading on his feelings. Then he calls Peggy. She's the one who tells him to stop all this nonsense. "Don, come home," she orders.

I love these scenes because they show how these 2 characters are each other's reality check in life, their true north, in a way.

 

[gk_891]

The Graduate had a memorable ending
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzcWgtb1ERo

As did the movie Brazil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlHe-hYMkqk

 

[skatefan]

Grease, when Sandy and Danny meet up again and that anguished expression on Danny's face when he sees Rizzo's nasty smirk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS9SXH3DfT8

 

[Peaches LaTour]

"Sense & Sensibilty" when the young, poor girl tells the older, wealthy woman she is "engaged" to the wealthy woman's brother & the wealthy woman goes berserk.

 

[Tinami Amori]

"Sense & Sensibilty" when the young, poor girl tells the older, wealthy woman she is "engaged" to the wealthy woman's brother & the wealthy woman goes berserk.

I love "sense and sensibility" movies and TV-movies. but just for the record, non of the girls/families were "poor". they all were "nobility", some had large incomes and some had very small incomes from their family estates or inherited trust-funds, which affected how big is their estate/manor would be, how many servants they can keep, and how many horses/carriages they can afford...

 

[emason]

No, they were not “nobility”; they were landed gentry - a big difference. The young, poor girl met the rich boy when he came to study with a relative of hers. No nobility there at all. Jane Austen did not write about nobility.

 

[ToFarAwayTimes]

In The Mood For Love, the last scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgO_sCXrK4s

The permanence of the ancient ruins contrasted against thousands of years of time, combined with the story and the haunting music, makes this one of the most powerful film endings I've ever seen.

And then this, the climax of that movie's sequel, 2046:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rg1QB_h6mY

A man who had grown accustomed to using women, falls in love with this one who reminds him of another, but instead of taking advantage of the situation, he does a good deed.

The best part of that scene is the crescendo of Casta Diva while the camera longs for Faye Wong. God I am in love with her in this maybe my favorite movie. The famous aria plays a few different times in the film whenever her character comes on screen, and it progresses further and further each time, but never reaches crescendo until this last goodbye.

 

[ToFarAwayTimes]

2046 honorable mention, Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRfPF3tLIGQ

 

[olympic]

When Clarice Starling sees the moth w/ death's head sitting on spools of thread and realizes where she is and whom she is talking to.

 

[olympic]

Double post

 

[mattiecat13]

Rocky II when Adrian wakes up from the coma after she has the baby.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1i5_F1BKvs

 

[gk_891]

Betty's audition scene in Mulholland Dr was amazing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKM8zdG1a9Q

The ending was very memorable too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzRgkD4l7Xs

 

[ToFarAwayTimes]

A lot of people will be familiar with the following exchange near the end of Tokyo Story:

"Isn't life disappointing?"
"Yes, it is."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEjOH2O4bUE

But this is the best Ozu scene, and one of the best ending scenes in the history of cinema.
The last scene of Late Spring (1949), after the widower father marries off his daughter and returns home:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdSp5kP8Edg

 

[VGThuy]

A lot of people will be familiar with the following exchange near the end of Tokyo Story:

"Isn't life disappointing?"
"Yes, it is."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEjOH2O4bUE

But this is the best Ozu scene, and one of the best ending scenes in the history of cinema.
The last scene of Late Spring (1949), after the widower father marries off his daughter and returns home:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdSp5kP8Edg

Beautiful scenes. Not many directors really hit me like Ozu does.

One of my favorite directors (animated and non) died yesterday. Isao Takahata was a director for Studio Ghibli and created some of the most breathtaking animated films I've seen. Here are some clips from his filmography:

Here's the ending scene from Only Yesterday. I wanted to show you another scene but it's not available on YouTube, but I love how this scene plays out. The movie is about a 28-year-old Tokyo woman who uses her vacation to farm in the country side and keeps reminiscing about her childhood and how it's shaped her today. This scene is the ending (those kids throughout the scene are her imagined memories of her and her classmates at 8 years old who have been following her throughout her vacation) and she makes a decision about her future:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu7Dw4NJmY4

Then there's the absolutely stunning Tale of the Princess Kaguya. My favorite scenes are not on Youtube, but seeing this in the theatre was absolutely thrilling. Here are two scenes that I just thought were knock-outs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jtc-PP2GWPo - Running Away

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cms9yW6aAH4 - Cherry Blossom scene

and of course, the heartbreaking classic film about a set of Japanese siblings trying to survive during the final months of World War II, Grave of the Fireflies:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vPeTSRd580 - trailer

 

[Kasey]

Now that the movie has been out for a decent enough amount of time, I'll put this here...one of the most beautiful moments between parent/child in film that I have seen

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

My favorite movie scene is in "The Ghost & Mrs Muir."

When Rex Harrison's ghost goes to Lucy years later when she is about to die.

You see his hands extend to her and says "Come, Lucy and you'll never be alone again."

You see her hands grab his (she is sitting dead in a chair). Then when she stands up her face is the young Lucy..

Holy Crap.. I cry like a biaaatccchhhh,....

This is a black and white movie.. Has anyone ever seen it?????

 

[KatieC]

. Has anyone ever seen it?????

Several times. It's a feel good movie for me.

 

[Kruss]

I love The Ghost and Mrs. Muir! That ending scene is gorgeous, but I also love the scene where he leaves her (for a time), when he tells her "it's all been a dream", and ends with "how much you've missed, how much we've both missed."

 

[ToFarAwayTimes]

Beautiful scenes. Not many directors really hit me like Ozu does.

Ozu is so powerful, but Late Spring really hits me the hardest. All-time great performance by the very lovely Setsuko Hara, but totally devastating in the end.

One of my favorite directors (animated and non) died yesterday. Isao Takahata was a director for Studio Ghibli and created some of the most breathtaking animated films I've seen. Here are some clips from his filmography:

Here's the ending scene from Only Yesterday. I wanted to show you another scene but it's not available on YouTube, but I love how this scene plays out. The movie is about a 28-year-old Tokyo woman who uses her vacation to farm in the country side and keeps reminiscing about her childhood and how it's shaped her today. This scene is the ending (those kids throughout the scene are her imagined memories of her and her classmates at 8 years old who have been following her throughout her vacation) and she makes a decision about her future:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu7Dw4NJmY4

Then there's the absolutely stunning Tale of the Princess Kaguya. My favorite scenes are not on Youtube, but seeing this in the theatre was absolutely thrilling. Here are two scenes that I just thought were knock-outs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jtc-PP2GWPo - Running Away

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cms9yW6aAH4 - Cherry Blossom scene

and of course, the heartbreaking classic film about a set of Japanese siblings trying to survive during the final months of World War II, Grave of the Fireflies:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vPeTSRd580 - trailer

Thank you for these suggestions. I haven't seen any of them, but do enjoy watching Japanese anime sometimes. I will check all of these out today. Satoshi Kon's Millenium Actress (2001) is next on my list. It has very good reviews.

VietgrlTerifa, since you seem like a big fan of Mr. Takahata and his work, I thought I would share this link. There is already some discussion there:

http://forums.tcm.com/topic/179995-isao-takahata-1935-2018/

 

[gk_891]

So nice to see other Ozu fans!

I actually wasn't a fan of Tokyo Story but I loved Floating Weeds and Late Spring. So wonderfully understated and subtle yet they had such an amazing effect on me. Ozu is one of those directors who demonstrated that less really is more.

The 3 scenes below from Salaam Bombay were very effective. The first one is when Krisha returns from the city after running an errand for his boss but finds that the circus that he works for left without him. Another one is when he's happily dancing to Bollywood music with Rekha and Manju in their room (one of the few happy moments in the film). And the last scene is when he buys some drugs for his friend who's an addict.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tYLu53LnL4

 

[Tinami Amori]

So nice to see other Ozu fans!

I actually wasn't a fan of Tokyo Story but I loved Floating Weeds and Late Spring. So wonderfully understated and subtle yet they had such an amazing effect on me. Ozu is one of those directors who demonstrated that less really is more.

I am a huge Ozu fan, but enjoy most of his movies for "aesthetics", and I can write a PhD on the aesthetics of Ozu films (it may not be a good PhD, but it will certainly be long".

But! some of the "morals" of the plots and dialogues in his films are against "my nature", especially constant demands "on personal freedom sacrifices", and "Tokyo Story" and "Late Spring" are in that category, I get so angry when reading them.... the dialogue between Father and Daughter in Late Spring, where she said "I don't want to get married, I am happy as it is", and he says to her "No, you must sacrifice what you want, and marry. You will fight and struggle, maybe for 10+ years, like me and my wife, but your happiness will come from struggle itself".

However, Floating Weeds I simply love! it reminds me in elements of Lattuada/Fellini's "Variety Lights" with Giulietta Masina.

 

[ToFarAwayTimes]

I am a huge Ozu fan, but... some of the "morals" of the plots and dialogues in his films are against "my nature", especially constant demands "on personal freedom sacrifices", and "Tokyo Story" and "Late Spring" are in that category, I get so angry when reading them.... the dialogue between Father and Daughter in Late Spring, where she said "I don't want to get married, I am happy as it is", and he says to her "No, you must sacrifice what you want, and marry. You will fight and struggle, maybe for 10+ years, like me and my wife, but your happiness will come from struggle itself".

That is one take on Late Spring, but not necessarily the only one. It's a very deep, complex film. If you are so inclined, you could just as easily see the film in the exact opposite way--the daughter's marriage will be total hell for her (regardless whether her husband is a good man or not), and the father regrets what he has done. Try watching Setsuko Hara in Mikio Naruse's Repast (1951) or Sound of the Mountain (1954) right after Late Spring and see if you think Ozu's film is a tragedy rather than a morality tale.

Of course, I believe it's intentionally ambiguous and that's what makes it so good.

Visually, Late Spring is a masterpiece for so many reasons. I watched it a couple times recently and the one thing I caught on the second viewing was how the camera moves around early in the film. Ozu regulars will know that later in his career, almost all of his shots were taken with a stationary camera that never moved, sitting at tatami mat floor level, looking up slightly at the actors. In Late Spring, the camera actually does move around a little and it's a more kinetic film. There is the famous bike scene towards the beginning, but also the shots from the moving train, and the tracking shot of Noriko walking away angrily from her father on the side of the road.

These aren't just visual delights for the sake of it, but they serve a very specific narrative purpose. Noriko begins the film carefree and happy, content with her life. Just as she is free to move around and do as she pleases, so does Ozu's camera move with her sometimes. Lots of free and open exterior shots too.

But as the demands and expectations of society close in around her, Noriko's smile fades, and the camera never moves again. Most of the remaining shots are tight interior ones, or when an occasional outside shot does appear, it's a horde of people cramming into a very small space, or Ozu cramming in a very packed frame composition, adding to the feeling of forced domesticity and total heartbreak.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Visually, Late Spring is a masterpiece for so many reasons.

Ozu's whole Noriko Trilogy are masterpieces, as I said "aesthetically" and "cinematographically". But all three films, Tokyo Story, Late Spring, and Early Summer deal with family life and "single/unmarried woman" issues in post-WWII Japan, and I strongly resent the "woman's role" assigned to women at that time in that culture, and the "sacrifices" they were expected to make.... I can't help it! it's my inside reaction to the dialogues and plots... So to enjoy the artistic elements, I watch these movies in Japanese, without subtitles.

Same for "Woman in Dunes"... I can't stand the "message" in this movie, but love the "art". One thing that annoys me in Japanese older movies is the message to "accept your fate"..

There are 2 types of "fate acceptance"... When something is irreversible, then you accept "and if life gives you lemons - make lemonade", loose an arm, it won't grow back, but you can still be a Master Chess player... And the other type of "fate acceptance" - the family, the society wants you to do something you don't want to do, and yet you must because it's fate....