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10 Memorable Opening Scenes in Film

By Noelle Buffam · September 19, 2011

Truth be told, there are few greater pleasures in the world than a kick-ass opening scene.

An audience walks into a movie theatre with expectations, and those expectations are often met, exceeded, or disappointed within the first moments of the film's start.

Yes, the opening scene sets the tone for the entire film.  It can be funny, scary, and even epic. Think of Kill Bill, or Christmas Vacation, even Rushmore with Max Fischer's montage of extracurricular activities.

The opening scene translates into such an important moment in the movie-going experience, so naturally, you know it carries even more clout in the screenwriting world. Forget the first few moments, the first page could be the difference between seeing the silver screen and seeing the corner trash can.

Below are 10 Memorable Opening Scenes in Film. Like the iconic scenes below, your opening must grab the reader. Don't waste it. Use the opening scene to create a world worthy of getting lost in, use it to set a tone all it's own, or use it to introduce a character great enough to be studied along names like Kane and Gillis. Regardless of your opening scene's goal, use the space well. After all, it's the first impression.

10. Scream (1996)

Talk about grabbing your audience (that didn't come out right, did it?). Scream's opening scene immediately puts the audience in a choke-hold. The film begins with Casey (Drew Barrymore), the quintessential teenage girl. Home alone, she starts receiving creepy phone calls from an unidentified caller. At first, it just seems like he has the wrong number, which leads Casey into having a false sense of security. She chats with the mystery man about horror movies. However, three lines of dialogue change all of that. The caller whispers that Casey never told him her name, and Casey asks why he wants to know it. The caller responds, "Because I wanna know who I'm looking at.” Casey realizes that the caller is watching her. From there, the night goes south, ending with Casey being stabbed to death, hanged from a tree only to be discovered by her own parents. Think of all the iconic images in this opening scene. Drew Barrymore alone, and on the phone. The "ghost-face" scream mask. It's a scene that has etched its place in horror-movie history and set the precedent for many horror films in the 90s.

9. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

That music. You know it. The epic movie starts out by flashing, 2001:A Space Odyssey, followed by "The Dawn of Man” – one of the four chapters of the film. Groundbreaking and innovative, the first scene shows a tribe of ape-like early humans. They discover how to use a bone as a weapon and a tool. They are now able to hunt their prey and engage in the even more satisfactory occupation of murder. It is surreal and somewhat disturbing, especially to the audience of 1968. Stanley Kubrick's opening to his masterpiece touches on many of the film's thematic elements including human evolution. Using special effects, and minimal with dialogue, the opening scene provided a perfect introduction to a film that is hailed as one of the most influential ever made. Completely unconventional, this scene has stuck in the memories of audiences for generations.

8. Apocalypse Now (1979)

It may not be as in your face as a teenage girl getting stabbed to death by a masked stranger or scary apes, but Apocalypse Now's opening scene is nothing short of a masterpiece. A jungle. Peaceful and serene. A helicopter passes by and suddenly smoke starts to rise. More helicopters set against soft music. The once beautiful jungle is set ablaze, and the music is drowned out by the sound of explosions.  Then shot of a man, upside down, alone in a room. The movement and sound of a ceiling fan cuts back and forth to the sound and sight of a helicopter. The man is Captain Benjamin L. Willard (Martin Sheen), and the room he is in tells you everything about him. It is messy, alcohol bottles are tossed about. The room itself feels like a prison, keeping him in. Suddenly, he punches a mirror. Anger. Despair. This is a great opening scene because with virtually no words, the audience is shown the tortured state of mind in which the main character lives. Incredibly intense, and beautifully shot,Apocalypse Now proves to be one of the most memorable opening scenes in film.

7. Goodfellas (1990)

Sometimes the things that stick with you are the most shocking… like Scorcese's Goodfellas. The film has an unforgettable opening scene that introduces the audience into the brutal world of gangster life. First, we see three men driving in a car. They are the classic gangsters: Henry (Ray Liotta), Tommy (Joe Pesci), and James (Robert De Niro). We hear banging. It is coming from the trunk of the car. The threesome pulls over to the side of the rode. They open the trunk, and we see there is a man in it. The gangsters thought they had killed him already, but obviously not. With little discussion, Tommy stabs him multiple times, and James shoots the man four times. The gruesome and excessive violence is paired with a Tony Bennet song and a voice over from Henry saying, "As far back as I could remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." It's a perfect introduction into their world. Harsh and disgusting, yet glamorous and intriguing – that's gangster life.

6. Touch of Evil (1958)

Orson Welles' Touch of Evil is one of the last examples of film noir from the 40s and 50s. The film is a dark story about corruption and murder in a border town near Mexico. The opening scene of the film is widely considered on of the greatest long takes in cinematic history. The film opens with a 3 minute and 20 second tracking shot. It shows the U.S./Mexican border. An inconspicuous man plants a ticking time bomb in a car. He sets it for three minutes. A couple gets into the car and starts their journey to cross the border. Meanwhile, newlyweds Mike Vargas (Charlton Heston) and Susie (Janet Leigh) pass the car multiple times. The car crosses over the border, and explodes. The couple in the car are dead. It's an amazing scene. Dark. Intense. The perfection in delivery and technique has made it one of the most celebrated opening scenes ever made.

5. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

The film begins as an elderly WWII veteran visits the Normandy American Cemetery Memorial in Normandy, France. He walks to the gravestones of the fallen soldiers, his family in tow. Overtaken by emotion, he collapses, and we cut to: June 6, 1944, The Normandy invasion. American soldiers are accosted by the German infantry. Machine guns cut down countless young men. The scene (officially the second scene of the film), which becomes an action sequence of death and destruction is hailed as one of the most accurate and chilling war sequences ever captured on film. In fact, Saving Private Ryan's first 27 minutes are perhaps it's most memorable. With hardly any dialogue, the audience is introduced to the hell that is the reality of war.

4. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

By the end of the opening scenes (first sequence) for Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Last Ark, I find it hard to believe that anyone wouldn't want to be the great adventurer. I mean it's 1936, and the famed archeologist schemes his way out of an ancient Peruvian temple like it's a walk in the park. He dodges poisoned arrows, escapes a huge rolling boulder AND gets the golden idol. He does have to surrender the idol to his rival Rene Belloq and his troupe of indigenous Hovitos. However, while he finds himself cornered, Indy still escapes smoothly on a waiting Waco seaplane. Not only has the audience been charmed by the good doctor (it's Dr. Jones to you!), but we've already learned about his affinity for his hat, and his fear of snakes. The awesomeness overwhelms me. Sing it with me, "Duh-duh-duh-duh, duh-duh-daaah!"

3. Citizen Kane (1941)

You know that it is widely considered the best film ever made, so it makes since that Citizen Kane earns itself a top spot on a list about memorable opening scenes. The first shots of the film are of an old mansion. An ominous gate. A "no trespassing" sign. Kane (Orson Welles) lies in bed. He is dying. Grasping on to a tiny snow globe, he utters his last word… "Rosebud.” His grip releases, the snow globe falls to the ground, breaking into little pieces. Talk about planting and payoff! The opening scene for Welles' masterpiece plays a crucial part throughout the film. Not only that, but the first word of the film is one of the most famous in film history. What can I say? Between this and Touch of Evil, Orson Welles knew how to do the opening scene.

2. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)

It is probably one of the most famous, most beloved, and most parodied moments in film history: "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…. You probably even heard theStar Wars Theme song as you read that, didn't you? That's because it is ingrained into your soul along with your favorite color and happiest childhood memories (thanks, John Williams). Yes, the opening scene to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope introduced the "Star Wars crawl", now seen in each of the subsequent films. Once the Star Wars logo moves away, a three-paragraph summary of the events that have happened immediately prior to the film graces the screen. Scrolling from the bottom of the screen to a vanishing point, the crawl ends with four-dot ellipsis. The camera then tilts down, ushering us into the world of Star Wars.

1. Jaws (1975)

It's a balmy Summer's night on Amity Island in New England. A couple separate themselves from a happening beach party. Lead by Chrissie Watkins (Susan Backlinie), the couple runs along the fence posts that line the beach and make their way to the water. Chrissie strips off her clothes as her counterpart fumbles around in a drunken daze. She dives into the water, calling for him to join her. Silence. She swims out further. We see the silhouette of her body from the view of the ocean floor (shark's eye view, if you will). Back above the water, Chrissie yells for him to join her again. Suddenly, there is a little tug. A split second reaction of confusion, and then Chrissie is tugged again. Finally, she is pulled underwater. Chrissie emerges again. She struggles, screaming. She is pulled, left then right, and back again. A final scream, and Chrissie disappears under the water forever. It's the iconic Jaws scene that captured the attention of the American public. It's suspenseful, captivating, and it has haunted audiences for over 30 years. Don't tell me you don't think about it when you take a dip in the ocean. Memorable, indeed.