Great cinematography - favourite scenes

[Mykap]

Unforgiven - where William Munny looks down the barrel as he shoots Little Bill, The way Clint (WM) aims and closes one eye makes me shrink back into my chair every time.

[Scabutz]

Heat - when Hanna gets out the chopper into the car. New Dawn Fades is playing and its night time on the LA freeway. The shot as the car comes down the on-ramp and then there is an almost imperceptible cut to the back wheel. I know music isn't cinematography but its adds a lot to that scene.

Two more from the same director (and assuming the same cinematographer in that case):

Miami Vice (TV Pilot): Rushing through Miami late at night. The shots of the the lights reflecting on the front of the car and the wheel shots. Amazing amount of effort for a small scene in a TV pilot.

The Insider: Wigand is sat in his hotel room contemplating what he has done and the mural behind starts to morph into his day dream.

Last one. The first part of the opening of Quantum of Solace. The music building, the shot tracing across the lake towards the tunnel, cuts between the baddies and bond, then its all kicks off.

[Catweazle]

The opening scene of Once upon a time in the West.

[LeoSayer]

essayer said:

The bathroom cabinet in Contact

https://youtu.be/ZD0_5HFMPIg

I've seen that film a few times and never noticed that before.

[entropy]

Scabutz said:

Heat - when Hanna gets out the chopper into the car. New Dawn Fades is playing and its night time on the LA freeway. The shot as the car comes down the on-ramp and then there is an almost imperceptible cut to the back wheel. I know music isn't cinematography but its adds a lot to that scene.

Two more from the same director (and assuming the same cinematographer in that case):

Miami Vice (TV Pilot): Rushing through Miami late at night. The shots of the the lights reflecting on the front of the car and the wheel shots. Amazing amount of effort for a small scene in a TV pilot.

The Insider: Wigand is sat in his hotel room contemplating what he has done and the mural behind starts to morph into his day dream.

Last one. The first part of the opening of Quantum of Solace. The music building, the shot tracing across the lake towards the tunnel, cuts between the baddies and bond, then its all kicks off.

Dante Spinotti worked with Michael Mann on most of his films as DP post Miami Vice. My favourites are Manhunter & Heat where in a scene from each he captures terrific blue hues in the evening.

Apocalypse Now is my all time favourite movie. So many great moments from a cinematography standpoint but the one that sticks to mind and most powerful is the first encounter with Kurtz where he is hidden mostly in darkness and his face is revealed in fleeting moments in a glowing light which adds the the mystique and mythology of the man as a demigod and yet - as with most of the film - it was done on the fly and never the original intention as Marlon Brando was had grown tubby and didn't want to be seen in such light (pun unintended).

[mp3manager]

Grand Prix on the banking.

[poing]

Greg66 said:

Too many really, but one stands out without having to think too hard: the longboard scene in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

I was really close to saying that one. There are many good scenes in that film but the longboard always sticks in my mind.

[ladderino]

Love Bladerunner. Just watched it again a couple of nights ago, I love how it looks and the Vangelis soundtrack is pretty much my favourite soundtrack of all time.

Some other scenes that spring to mind which I think look great -
- The spreading the legend scene from Braveheart - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HMNUy0Z3fc
- Atonement's Dunkirk 5 min single take shot - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QijbOCvunfU
- LOTR: Two Towers, Edoras - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLxeNktacYs
- Replacement Killers final shootout - https://youtu.be/6J2aLDzmcMo?t=2m10s
- Skyfall Shanghai scene - https://youtu.be/eHTI9srlI2E?t=7m

[Ace-T]

'A Matter of Life and Death' heaven scenes. Brilliantly envisaged by Powell and Pressburger.

Full film may be on the end of this link...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUv9xoUw-6Q

[SCEtoAUX]

FourWheelDrift said:

Single take scene from Goodfellas, when Henry takes Karen into the club.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iayYZLB__5Y

All day, every day. This is absolutely as good as it gets.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

So many great ones mentioned so far, Michael Mann's films do take some beating though I'd be hard pushed to nominate a single scene from Manhunter-most of the entire film is a feast for the eyes.

Agree on Heat, it's amazing how the De Niro/Pacino scene is seldom people's favourites. Mine personally is the heist that went wrong when they bail on the robbery whilst De Niro scowls into the night vision camera (cleverly breaking the fourth wall).

(Off topic, you must get The Thief on bluray if you're a fan).

It goes without saying The Girl In The Red Coat in Schindler's List as well.

Tech Noir nightclub in The Terminator?

All things considered I think it's Will Graham figuring out The Red Dragons modus operandi in Manhunter, I can't remember the cinematographers name but he's a genius.

[Cloudbusta]

Practically every scene in The Seventh Seal is a favourite. It's imo one of the best films ever made.
An honourable mention has to go to the duel scene near the end of Dangerous Liasons (1988 version).

[Funkycoldribena]

Pretty much all of 'In Order of Disappearance'.

[BryanC]

The original Thomas Crown , two scenes actually.
The first when Faye Runaway breezes into the picture in high couture dress to meet Jamie at the airport, and the second when she rips up the telegram from TC and looks skyward with a crescendo of music and jet roar - cut to TC in the jet as he makes his getaway. "Come or keep the car"
..... in fact, most of that film with jump cuts, mosaic images, style and beauty.

[TheTrash]

Sicario desert scene as they are walking into the tunnels

https://youtu.be/Rb0X4kIFS0Q

[Voldemort]

Visually, the french film DIVA is stunning, and is regarded as ground breaking cinematography. In case you haven't seen it, it's the story of two dodgy cassette tapes which fall in and out of the hands of a postman. One is a superb quality bootleg recording of an opera star who does not make or permit recordings of her singing, the other is the confessions of a murdered prostitute that implicate the Police commissioner of running the biggest ring of girls and drugs in the city.

The scenes with Gorodish are especially awesome.

I saw it at an arty cinema in Newcastle in the 80's and have since got the DVD. I don't recall ever noticing it being broadcast on the tv over here, probably because subtitles.

Anyway the original trailer is on the youtube here if you want a taster https://youtu.be/Lugx0xX2G54

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Voldemort said:

Visually, the french film DIVA is stunning... got the DVD. I don't recall ever noticing it being broadcast on the tv over here, probably because subtitles.

Anyway the original trailer is on the youtube here if you want a taster https://youtu.be/Lugx0xX2G54

Seems it's available on blu ray on amazon etc, wonder if it's got subtitles? Looks right up my street.

[parabolica]

RizzoTheRat said:

House of Flying Daggers. So much attention to detail on the colour composition.


Agree about Blade Runner too, my first thought when I saw the new trailer was how good a job they'd done of keeping the world looking similar

Wow - first time I've seen someone else reference House of Flying Daggers! Was starting to think I was the only person to have seen that film I would apply the same logic to Hero, using different primary colours to distinguish each version of the story.

In terms of technical-powerhouse scenes, the shootout of Heat takes some beating, but I also love the sword flight between Michelle Yeoh and Ziyi Zhang in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

[Fane]

FourWheelDrift said:

Single take scene from Goodfellas, when Henry takes Karen into the club.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iayYZLB__5Y

Absolutely. The timing of it all superb..

[SlimJim16v]

Catweazle said:

The opening scene of Once upon a time in the West.

Great choice. I was also thinking of this film, but too many great scenes for me to be able choose just one. The entire film is a visual feast. The soundtrack helps too.