Five Favourite Scenes...
Feb. 6th, 2004 12:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rebness
It was great to find out from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
silverthoughts that the infamous rum scene from Pirates of the Caribbean has been shortlisted for an Empire award for best scene. It’s probably my favourite in the film (huzzah! I voted for that scene!) and probably one of my very favourite scenes in films, ever.
So that got me thinking. Sometimes I absolutely adore a scene in a film that may not necessarily be one of my very favourites. Then again, some of my favourite films, such as Donnie Darko and The Virgin Suicides, don’t have any one scene that stands out for me, but were just great all round.
And here, because it’s Friday, and I’m bored,.
“The worst part was when they closed their eyes.”
About a Boy
Not one of my very favourite films, but a consistently funny and touching adaptation of Nick Hornby’s bestseller—there were plenty of great scenes in this film (“Fuck off, you daft hippy!”) but my favourite is the Killing Me Softly scene at the end.
Earlier, the selfish Will reacted with horror when he was subjected to an impromptu performance of the song, at the piano with the daft hippy and her strange son. The horror of the situation is compounded when they close their eyes and rock in reverie to the song. Will doesn’t know where to put his face.
I won’t go into the scene too much, as it is one of the final scenes in the film, but when he joins in for the second version of the song with the lonely Marcus, the underlying loneliness and strength of spirit and good in both characters is projected across the audience, and, for a comedy, it’s a surprisingly touching and poignant scene. It adds further dimension to the song.
“Please don’t hit me again!”
Fight Club
How many disillusioned Gen X-ers or office workers thrilled at the scene where the narrator finally escapes the corporate prison?
*Counts hands raised*
And how many expected something so fucked-up, but so sublime? I think that when work pisses you off too much, this film, and this scene in particular, should be offered as something to soothe your frayed nerves.
“Which one of you did it!”
Interview With the Vampire
Again, this is probably not one of my very favourite films. As much as I love the books, and I think that Neil Jordan tried his best, it also failed the book on many levels.
That said, Kirsten Dunst’s Claudia is probably the best thing about the film. She’s eerie and thoughtful (bloody Academy Awards) and carries a great deal of the film.
For me, the most powerful scene is where she finally snaps when Lestat offers her yet another doll. Louis and Lestat are suddenly confronted with this wild, angry, questioning woman and are both taken aback by her sheer raging energy. Louis is confuzzled, Lestat reacts by taunting her, and she strikes out—foreshadowing of the bloodshed to come. Her rage is entirely tangible; frightening and believable at the same time.
Twenty-eight days later…
28 Days Later
A deadly epidemic has struck Britain. Rage, when contacted, sends the victim into uncontrollable bouts of violence and anger, causing them to maim and kill any living person within sight. The airports are closed off; a few people have escaped. The dying wander the streets of Britain, watching for new victims even as they succumb to starvation, but, for the most part, the population of Britain has gone for good.
It is to this new world that our protagonist wakes up from a coma. He wanders the hospital, looking for food and help, and is answered by silence. The soundtrack builds to a “what the hell happened” crescendo as he walks across Tower Bridge towards the Houses of Parliament, with not a car, or a human, in sight.
As a general scene in the film, it’s stunning, and really sticks in the mind. What’s also notable is that this scene was actually filmed without the aid of special effects—this evocation of a post-apocalyptic London was actually an ordinary day made eerie by the camera lens. But, more than that, it’s amazing to think that there is a time each day when this raging, pulsing city is near-tranquil in this way, if only for a few minutes.
A few people don’t like this film—a lot don’t like the ending—but it will always stick in my mind for that one scene. Astounding.
“Hello, Inspector.”
Shallow Grave
I won’t go into this scene too much for those of you who may not have seen Shallow Grave, but I remember how it made me laugh with glee when I first saw it nearly…eeshk… a decade ago, and each time I see it, I still want to jump up and give Ewan a hug. Ha!
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no subject
Date: 2004-02-06 07:23 am (UTC)"post-apocalyptic" one of my favorit concepts, next to "dystopia" :)
Re:
Date: 2004-02-07 08:55 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-09 05:35 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-09 02:07 pm (UTC)ok, maybe i'm being a strangely obsessive geek right now. :|
no subject
Date: 2004-02-06 12:25 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-09 05:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-06 03:00 pm (UTC)LMFAO. Best. Ever. Some guy from work borrowed that from me this week, so I can't watch it :( Ah, well. I have to do super secret stuff this weekend anyway.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-06 04:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-06 05:12 pm (UTC)I loved every scene from Fight Club. I could never decide.
Re:
Date: 2004-02-09 05:36 am (UTC)Unfortunately, the evil and vicious