Favorite Opening Scenes

Before I get started, I'd like to mention that this was a difficult list for me to make. I had nearly 30 titles to start with and whittling them down took a while. The following list is in alphabetical order, as I'm not sure how I'd pick between any of these at this point.

1. A Clockwork Orange

Stanley Kubrick had a lot of great opening scenes, but I think this one is his best. I don't hold the entire film in as such high regard (I think it's one of his worst, but it's still very good), but the opening does everything an opening scene should: it sets the tone, introduces the characters, and shows you the world you're going to be inhabiting for the next two hours. The music is chilling and the narration from Malcolm McDowell is wonderful - I especially love the 'futuristic' slang.

2. Gladiator 

This video is incomplete, as it doesn't include the spectacular battle scene that immediately follows, but it's the best version I could find. Gladiator - one of my very favorite films of all time - starts out beautifully. This clip ends with one of the film's most famous lines.


3. Jaws

Perhaps one of the most famous opening scenes, Jaws sets the tension at a high level at the very beginning. Poor Chrissie. All she wanted to do was go for a relaxing swim, but it doesn't take long for that famous score to start up - signalling trouble for her and nightmares for an entire generation of film goers.


4. Magnolia 

Magnolia Opening Scene

Sorry, there's no clip on YouTube for this scene, so you'll have to follow the above link. I have watched Magnolia only once all the way through, but I've seen this opening probably a half dozen times already. It's simply amazing. It sets up the basic theme of the film in such an entertaining and thrilling way, by telling the "true" accounts of three unrelated stories and illustrating the effects of chance and coincidence have on our lives. Ricky Jay is one of the best character actors in the business and his narration is perfect.


5. Reservoir Dogs
 

Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino's first feature film, starts out with some classic Tarantino-style dialogue. Ranging from an obscene analysis of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" to a diatribe against compulsory tipping, this opening is nearly perfect.


6. Scream

This is the first of three clips. In order to see the whole scene (about 12 minutes in length) you'll have to follow up with parts 2 and 3 from the same user. It's well worth it. Scream revitalized the subpar slasher genre in the mid 90's and spawned three lesser sequels, but the opening sequence is marvelous. It combines humor and horror perfectly as it ratchets up the tension. Drew Barrymore is great and this scene shocked a lot of people who thought she'd be the star of the film.


7. The Social Network

This is a film that I love a bit more with each viewing, but I've always adored the opening scene. It's so simple, just two people talking, but everything about it is great. The dialogue (written by Aaron Sorkin), the characters, the music, the cinematography, everything. You get to know Mark Zuckerberg, the future creator of Facebook, and he's not a nice guy. This doesn't hurt the film, though, in fact it may make it that much better.


8. Stranger Than Fiction

Stranger Than Fiction is the story of a man who realizes he's a character in a book - and he can hear the author narrating his life. It makes sense, then, to have the author narrating the facts of his life as he goes about his daily routine. Howard is a man obsessed with his routine and this opening scene is wonderfully detailed. I love the narration (by the supremely talented Emma Thompson), the music, and the graphic design.


9. Toy Story 3

This is a terrible quality version, but it's the only one I could find. If you can get past the audio and video problems, the scene itself is spectacular. I have seen this more times than I can count, thanks to my son and his love of all things Toy Story, but it's still a joy to watch. All of our favorite characters are here - Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Ham, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Rex, the whole gang. The absolute delight is imagining young Andy (the toys' owner) playing with them in such an imaginative way.


10. Zodiac

Zodiac is the true story of the Zodiac killer, an anonymous figure who plagued the city of San Fransisco and the neighboring communities for years in the late 1960's and early 1970's. In the opening, we're introduced to his first victims: innocent enough teenagers who make the mistake of parking where the Zodiac lies in wait. This scene is intense and thriller, like the rest of the film, and features some great shots from director David Fincher.


Well, there you have it - my Top 10 Favorite Opening Scenes. Did I miss any of your favorites? I'd love to read any comments that you might have.