Greatest Film Scenes - Introduction

What is a 'Great Film Scene' or 'Great and Defining Film Moment'?

In the history of cinema, there are literally hundreds and hundreds of fabled, Memorable Moments and Scenes from a wide range of films (composed of either a few seconds long, a short sequence, or a long extended scene). They are our memories of segments of films that have achieved a life of their own. They compel us to remember and 'relive' the moment, either with fondness or with fear. However, the defining film moments and iconic images don't always appear in the 'greatest films' of all time.

Remember Marilyn Monroe standing above a subway grating with her white dress blowing up in The Seven Year Itch, or visualize Charlie Chaplin tramping along, or Clint Eastwoood's retort to a bank robber "...you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk?" in Dirty Harry, or the line: "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" from Gone With the Wind, or recall the fog-shrouded airport scene at the conclusion of Casablanca, or the bloody beach landing in the opening half-hour of Saving Private Ryan, or the screeching of violins before Marion Crane was stabbed to death in the shower scene in Psycho, or Popeye Doyle in his car chasing a Manhattan subway in The French Connection, or the underwater attack in the opening of Jaws, or Humphrey Bogart taking leeches off his body after dragging The African Queen through the muck, or Judy Garland singing "Over the Rainbow" in The Wizard of Oz, or Charlton Heston's sighting of the Statue of Liberty at the conclusion of Planet of the Apes, or the bloody bursting of the alien creature from John Hurt's stomach in Alien, or James Stewart's one-man filibuster on the floor of Congress in the finale of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. These are memorable, defining film moments and some of the all-time best scenes or images in motion pictures - a tribute to the stars and scenarios that have made an indelible imprint upon our memories - and can't be forgotten.

For fun, take a Greatest Moments and Film Scenes Mini-Quiz - how many can you recognize? Or see an extensive textual and visual compilation of selected Greatest Moments and Scenes from Great Films located in the Tribute to the 100 Greatest Film Scenes. TV Guide compiled their own ranked list of the 50 Greatest Movie Moments of All Time, and also see film critic Roger Ebert's selections of 100 Great Movie Moments (illustrated) and the compiled list of clips included in Chuck Workman's 100 Years at the Movies. On the flip-side, see this site's The Most Controversial Films (and Scenes) of All-Time.

Key Ingredients of a Defining or Great Film Moment/Scene	Film Examples
a striking, cinematically-beautiful image	2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) or Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) outside the doorway in The Searchers (1956)
a spectacular action (with large crowd) sequence (See Greatest Crowd Film Scenes and Greatest Chase (or Rescue) Film Scenes)	Ben-Hur (1959) or the SF car chase in Bullitt (1968)
a well-designed, innovative opening (or title) sequence (See also Greatest Opening Film Lines and Greatest Film Entrances of All-Time)	Vertigo (1958) or the underwater attack on skinny-dipping Chrissie in Jaws (1975)
a plot twist (See Best Plot Twists, Surprise Endings, Spoilers)	The Sixth Sense (1999) or the crop-dusting plane scene in North by Northwest (1959)
a memorable death scene (See Best Film Deaths Scenes)	Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) or Col. Kurtz' sacrificial death in Apocalypse Now (1979)
a tear-inducing, emotional ending (See Greatest Tearjerker Films, Moments and Scenes)	Casablanca (1942) or Laura's goodbye to Alec in Brief Encounter (1945)
a brilliant special-effects technique (See Film Milestones in Visual and Special Effects)	Jurassic Park (1993) or the destruction of the Death Star in Star Wars (1977)
a surprising revelation, or unexpected shock (See Best Plot Twists, Surprise Endings, Spoilers)	The Usual Suspects (1995) or the revelation of Dil's true gender to Fergus in The Crying Game (1992)
a memorable song or dance (See Musical Films Genre and Greatest Musical Song/Dance Movie Moments and Scenes)	Singin' in the Rain (1952) or "The Hills are Alive" in The Sound of Music (1965)
a dramatic entrance, appearance or introduction (See Greatest Movie Entrances of All-Time)	Stagecoach (1939) or Sherif Ali's entrance in Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
a romantic scene (See Romance Films Genre and Best and Most Memorable Film Kisses of All Time in Cinematic History)	Ghost (1990) or the compilation of filmed love scenes and kisses in Cinema Paradiso (1988)
a sexually-charged, or infamous sex/nudity scene (See this site's extensive sections on: Sexual/Erotic Films Sub-Genre and Sex in Cinema: Greatest and Most Influential Erotic / Sexual Films and Scenes and The Most Controversial Films of All-Time)	Swordfish (2001) or the steamy seduction sequence between Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke in 9 1/2 Weeks (1986)
a memorable scene from a major box-office disaster or flop (See also Greatest Box-Office Bombs, Disasters and Flops: The Most Notable Examples)	Howard the Duck (1986) or the opening waltz scene in Heaven's Gate (1980)
an extended opening or closing sequence (See also Greatest Opening Film Lines and Quotes and Greatest Last Words and Film Lines)	The Godfather, Part II (1974) or the opening of Manhattan (1979)
a unique characterization	The Star Wars Trilogy (1977-1983) or the title character in Edward Scissorhands (1990)
a transcendental moment	The Shawshank Redemption (1994) or the appearance of the Mothership in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
an unforgettable soliloquy/monologue (See Best Film Speeches and Monologues)	25th Hour (2002) or "You're talkin' to me?..." in Taxi Driver (1976)
an indelible quote, or choice lines of dialogue (See Greatest Films or Movie Quotes)	"Here's lookin' at you, kid." Casablanca (1942) or "I coulda been a contender" speech in On the Waterfront (1954)
a shocking, heart-stopping, terrifying, horrific moment (See Scariest Moments and Scenes)	Planet of the Apes (1968) or the shock ending of Carrie (1976)
a comic scene (See Funniest Moments and Scenes)	Some Like It Hot (1959) or the Oscar Peterson album scene in Play It Again, Sam (1972)
a slow-building, tense sequence (See Scariest Moments and Scenes)	The Birds (1963) or the 12-noon shootout in High Noon (1952)
a truly scary moment, revelation or sequence (See Scariest Moments and Scenes)	Alien (1979) or the shock ending of Fatal Attraction (1987)
a spectacular, exhilarating disaster scene (See Greatest Disaster Film Scenes)	The Good Earth (1937) or the sinking of the Titanic in Titanic (1997)
a memorable screen kiss (See Best and Most Memorable Film Kisses of All Time in Cinematic History)	Cold Mountain (2003) or the many kisses in Vertigo (1958)
a controversial, shocking, or horrific scene (See The Most Controversial Films of All-Time)	Last Tango in Paris (1972) or the rape sequence in A Clockwork Orange (1971)