The 10 Most Iconic Opening Scenes in Cinema History

The opening title sequence of Fight Club with the camera traveling through his brain's neural network and then out of his mouth with the gun has always been one of my favorites of all time.

Jaws?

The girl getting attacked WHILE SKINNY-DIPPING was so surprising and made everyone think GOOD GOD WHAT ARE WE IN FOR?

No 8 1/2? It doesn't get more iconic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmEqBdde5H0

Interesting that 60% of this list is post-1980.

what about gladiator? that opening scene set the tone for a great movie.

maybe its not iconic, but a great scene nonetheless

Once Upon a Time in the West?

Raiders of the Lost Ark?

The Giant Boulder? Now THATS Iconic.

saving private ryan - exhausting !! miserable !! riveting....

The Godfather, for God'sakes!

"I believe in America..."

I can't believe the opening of Apocalypse Now is not mentioned. It's the best ever combination of music and film while capturing the attention of the viewer with such force you forget you're in a theater.

My 2 top openings are Once Upon a Time in the West and Rear Window.

One of my favourite openings is from Ginger Snaps. It's insane and I love it. If you haven't seen it, watch it.

What? No Apocalypse Now? How is it even possible to leave Apocalypse off of this list???

Where is Batman (1989)? That opening shot alone is classic and truly iconic. The robbery and the first appearance of Batman creates the perfect mood for the rest of this fantastic film. Many people remember this opening scene quite fondly. It's not only the older films that have the best opening scene.

Even King Kong (2005) starts wonderfully with New York 1933.

How about the opening of PATTON with that incredible speech to the troops, which totally sets up the film? Those couple of minutes of virtuoso acting by George C. Scott virtually assured him his win for best actor that year. Also, the sweeping camera shot opening of BOOGIE NIGHTS, which thrillingly introduces us to all the main characters, while "Best of My Love" plays in the background to great effect.

ummmm, Saving Private Ryan?

The Wild Bunch? the kids dropping the scorpion onto the anthill.
Sunset Blvd. our narrator floating face down in the pool

Where is "A Place in the Sun"??

West Side Story has an epic opening...

GOODFELLAS! http://withrowag4.blogspot.com/2009/01/goodfellas.html

Where is "down by law"?

The James Bond gun barrel sequence, first utilized in the series in Dr. No (1962). Probably seen by more people than almost any other start to any film that has been made. It should have made the list. Western Sky (1948) also had a look thru a gun barrel.

Pulp Fiction...The opening sequence is perfect for establishing a story that can literally go anywhere.

The good folks at Paste Magazine might consider a better understanding of the word "iconic" before building an article around it.

The majority of the films mentioned, all outstanding in their own right, can hardly be considered cultural touchstones.

This is what happens when a 12-year-old creates a list of "iconic moments in cinema history." You have no concept of cinema or history, best leave pronouncements like to this to grown ups. Time to get a real job.

The guy in Blue Velvet doesn't drop dead..

He has a stroke.

Would have thought BOOGIE NIGHTS deserved a place on this list.

This list should have Kubrick's 'The Shining' in the #1 slot.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC!?! Should be #1! Helicopter Shots of the Mountains in Austria zooming into a twirling Julie Andrews. Talk about ICONIC

I agree with "Skeletor P. Funk." When I saw the title for this list, "Patton" was the first movie that sprung to mind. Even if you haven't seen the film, you've probably seen the opening sequence.

choose life...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmzaBvKzrZI

Honey Bunny
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwusCDRiDwE

A Clockwork Orange, Once Upon A Time in the West, Boogie Nights all have excellent opening sequences, yet not a mention.

And Touch of Evil at #4? Really?

"Patton" most definitely. "Sound of Music" beyond question. "West Side Story" too, and "Goldfinger" (the first quick-change from scuba suit to tuxedo in movie history).

Needs Boogie Nights.

No one mentioned "Touch of Evil," which had the classic three and a half minute crane shot -- and which was cleverly referenced in the opening scene in "The Player."

I agree that these people need to do their homework before posting such articles. Why "Apocalypse Now" left out? If anyone has the "complete dossier" DVD edition I recommend they listen to the commentary track and watch the post-production segment in the "extras" on how this classic opening evolved.

Others that come to mind: "Citizen Kane," "The Magnificent Ambersons" and "The Searchers."

I don't agree on "Saving Private Ryan." Not only is it an over-used example, the "opening scene" that is often referred to is the D-Day segment, and one has to slog through a long, long OPENING segment, beginning with the American flag flying and then going to (what turns out to be) an older Ryan with his family at the Normandy cemetery. "Opening scene" means just that: the opening scene, the scene that OPENS the film, right at its beginning, either during or just after the main titles appear on the screen(which often are now relegated to the end).

The opening scene sets the tone of the film; some are simple, others flamoyant (in the case of "The Player" it was deliberately tongue-in-cheek flamboyant), but they all serve one specific purpose: to draw the audience in to the world created by the filmmakers so that the audience can properly suspend their disbelief and accept that world.

The opening of Star Wars was "lifted" from old movie serials such as "The Phantom Creeps".

That's how Universal got Lucas to drop his suit over the original "Battlestar Galactica" - they counter-sued that he'd plagiarized all of their old serials.

Can something be iconic in your film when you've stolen it from another?

And the openings for most of the Universal Monster films (Frankenstein and Igor waiting in the graveyard, the Invisible Man arriving at the inn, just for example) are ten times more iconic than some of what's mentioned here.

The opening scene of David Lean's version of "Great Expectations" (1946). The boy Pip has been visiting his parents' graves and starts to walk back, slowly at first, then faster and faster from the graveyard. The wind blows and the tree branches creak. Almost imperceptibly, the camera starts to pan, and with a yell Pip runs smack into the escaped convict Magwitch. It's a moment guaranteed to make you spill your cup of Coke in a movie theatre or make you jump out of your seat.

Do not look for a duplication of this moment in any other version of "Great Expectations". Other film versions don't even try to do it.

If you include the entirety of the Normandy Beach scene, Saving Private Ryan would have to top any list like this. I would also throw out the crawling words and introduction of the star destroyer in Star Wars ... as a six year old kid in 1977, that thing was unfathomably big!

CLOCKWORK ORANGE!
ERASERHEAD!
MAGNOLIA!
CITIZEN CANE!
REAR WINDOW!
PATTON!
BOOGIE NIGHTS!
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST!
RAGING BULL!
GOODFELLAS!
TAXI DRIVER!
And the list goes on and on...

It TYKWER, not Twykker.

No offense, but you skipped a LOT of classics. 'Happiness'? Are you being serious?

As they said above, 'Once Upon a Time in the West', 'Godfather', 'Saving Private Ryan', and where the hell is 'Goodfellas'?

I'm sorry, but this list was terrible.

I am stupefied at the irrelevance of the films selected for this list. Let's pretend this list never happened.

Great list overall, but I echo the call for inlcuding Goodfellas.

Also, and although it isn't nearly as popular as most of the other films on this list, Lord of War had an incredible opening scene showing the original manufacture, distribution and ultimate use of a bullet.

Yeah where is Raiders of the Lost Ark, I'm pretty sure a lot of people who haven't seen that movie would recognize most of that opening.

Who is responsible for this list? Clearly someone who felt they had to "find" a couple classics to throw in (Touch of Evil). The fact that Once Upon a Time in the West, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, The Wild Bunch, Night of the Hunter or perhaps The Road Warrior were not included leads me to believe that the aforementioned have never been viewed by this list's author. Children of Men? Good God!

How could I ever complain about a top ten list that includes Happiness?

HALLOWEEN

Raiders of The Lost Ark...

First off Kathy... you can't sue another film maker for shot composition or a series of shots that are similar to another movie. (re: Star Wars). We all know Lucas loves old serials and also commented he was very much influenced by Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress".

Second... there are far better "iconic" opening scenes in movie history than those in these top 20. JAWS? RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK? HALLOWEEN? I might even mention SCREAM for it's first 10 min with Drew Barrymore.

What, where is Silverado?

A dark shed in the high desert, a man sleeping inside, footsteps in the sagebrush, POW, POW, POW as bullet holes with swords of streaming light come into the darkness and the cowboy jumps to his feet, to save his life, then...

And, wow, is the music great too!

If no-one else had, i was gonna mention "Once Upon a TIme in the West" - fifteen minutes of nothing happening (masterfully) that ratchets up the tension, accompanied only by the squeak of a windmill and other environmental sounds...

Another i might mention is the opening of "The Road Warrior" - which i understand was originally created for USAian release (just as the title "The Road Warrior" was for the US - in te rest of the world it was just "Mad Max 2")...

Narrow-screen clips from "Mad Max", muted colours, a voice over and little other sound ...

...and then ...

BAM!

Wide-screen, loud noise and staring straight into the intake of Max's supercharger.

*Demands* to be seen at least once - preferably the Very First Time - on the wide screen.

The first few minutes of The Rules of Attraction introduce us to the college student characters, including a date rape victim who is videotaped, and the drunk rapist vomiting on her back. Then the film goes backwards to show a beer barrel's arrival/departure from the rape scene. It's a wild ride.

8 1/2 by Federico Fellini

The rest of the list is not bad but, with 8 1/2 omitted from the list, the knowledge of cinema by the author is suspect.

Why does no one ever count TV? Whatever you think about it, I contend that the opening sequence of the pilot of "Lost" (the most expensive pilot ever shot) is the most brilliant. Everyone knew ahead of time that "Lost" was about a plane crash, and that was about it. But if you didn't know that (I didn't when I stumbled upon the premiere), it's like getting punched in the stomach by a stranger. You just don't see it coming. So, after the titles, Matthew Fox wakes up in the bamboo jungle, beat-up and in an Armani suit. He hears a noise, and sees a yellow lab that quickly runs off. By now, you think David Lynch is directing. Fox stands up with some difficulty and finds something in his pocket. A little bottle of vodka? That's when you get this could-it-be feeling in your head. The music picks up a Fox is running somewhere, there's a shoe in a tree, and he bursts through some bushes onto a beautiful beach. And as the camera pans this paradise, you hear screaming, horrible screaming. Maggie Grace, actually. Fox runs toward the screaming and sees something horrible, and begins stumbling through this chaotic scene, with us seeing little pieces of the plane crash as Fox does- a man (Dominic Monaghan) dazed and walking near the still revving-engine, another man (Daniel Dae Kim) yelling something in Korean, a third man (Harold Perrineau) screaming for someone named Walt, and a girl (Maggie Grace) simply screaming in sheer terror. And then finally, we pan up as Fox looks, and finally the camera pulls back and reveals the whole thing (and the most iconic image of "Lost"). Just the mid-section of a plane, the other parts missing, the wing still sticking up in the air, one engine still running at it's side, with passengers running around a huge debris field. It's been a while since I've seen it, but it still gives me nightmares.

Star Wars as # 1 - totally agree! But not because of the scrolling text, but because of the "chase" scene that follows: The Star Destroyer gliding slowly above the "audience". That's ICONIC!

And yes, leaving Apocalypyse Now out of the list is definetly unforgivable. That scene it's simply a masterpiece of sound and image: J. Morrison, "This is the end..." and then BAM the whole jungle is in flames! EPIC!

For eff's sake, the opening sequence in "Once Upon a Time in the West" is THE gold standard of cinematic opening sequences. Do your homework.

Good concept, horrible execution.

Even before I read the article the first movie I thought of was WEST SIDE STORY. Of course that's one of those old movies.

Then I thought JAWS! Surely, that's gotta be there.

Hmm. Alright, go ahead then, you young ruffian. THE MATRIX.

What? You gotta be kidding!!

Kill Bill. Need I say more?

Gotta agree with a few other comments about the lack of Raiders of the Lost Ark opening as well as some of the Bond movies.

Back in 77 the ski jump at the begining of The Spy Who Loved me was unlike anything ever seen before.

Hiroshima Mon Amour?

The Conversation with the camera slowly zooming in on San Francisco's Union Square.

Wild at Heart. Nicholas Cage kills a man with his bare hands in front of a large crowd.

Mike, good call on The Road Warrior.
I hope you saw that opening the way I did
...in 70MM! It sucks you into the screen.

Many of these are quite memorable but not iconic. If you're going to stay true to your title you must include THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

Hello...Goodfellas anyone??

Seconds - a man commuting to work doesn't sound like anything to remember but when it's filmed with his face in close-up and looking straight into the camera for the whole sequence, it's unsettlingly unforgettable.

I realize that all lists are subjective and "conversation starters," but this one seems a little...lame? No "Wild Bunch," just to name one?

Four that HAVEN'T been mentioned that may be considered as deserviing...

Once - Hansard busking an original tune in a dimly lit Dublin back alley just oozed heart and low-key charm and damn near summarized the entire film in one swift stroke of introductory genius.

Pan's Labyrinth - The unsettling, incredibly imaginative sudden impact of seeing a young girl lying dead on the ground with blood trickling (in reverse) up her nose was and is an absolutely unforgettable image.

Inglourious Basterds - Opens with a heart-pounding suspense sequence that deftly illustrated the talents of Christoph Waltz and Quentin Tarentino.
Art and film-making on the highest possible level.

and, to go to a film way predating the 2000's decade.

Harold and Maude - An intriguing scene leading the audience directly into Harold's first "suicide." Was shocking and incredibly memorable - what ensues stands as one of the finest (and darkest) moments of cinematic black comedy.

And what about Trainspotting when he's running with Lust for life playing in the background?

A strong list overall--nice mix of classic and contemporary films, with a few idiosyncratic picks thrown in there for good measure.

As others have mentioned, the inclusion of "Happiness" at the expense of "The Godfather" is a most egregious violation. I believe in America ...

The opening scene of "Chinatown" is also fabulous, with crisp dialogue that encompasses many of the film's themes in a few short minutes.

And though hardly iconic, "Romper Stomper" (with Russell Crowe) has an opening that knocked me on my arse.

um, 'Fear and Loathing' anyone???

Raoul Duke: We had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a saltshaker half-full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers... Also, a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of beer, a pint of raw ether, and two dozen amyls. Not that we needed all that for the trip, but once you get into locked a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can. The only thing that really worried me was the ether. There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge, and I knew we'd get into that rotten stuff pretty soon.