Film opening shot

[Bazile]

What film for you , has the most memorable / dramatic opening shot ?

Mine is Lawrence of Arabia - where there is a panaromic shot of the desert with, in the far distsnce , almost a spec of something which slowly gets closer ( taking several minutes ) revealing a rider on a camel

[Clanad]

It would be difficult to pick one from the various genres, considering whether it would be inspirational, frightening, awe, or setting the tone for the entire film... For the latter, I would go all the way back to Sam Peckinpaw's The Wild Bunch with the opening scene of the children casually torturing a scorpion in a red an't nest.... the casual violence is nearly unending following that opener... But a close second would be the introduction of the monolith in the opener for Stanley Kubrik's 2001 A Space Odyssey... especially with the masterful accompanying music of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra....

[vehelpfulguy]

I may be wrong, but I am not sure that IS the opening shot from Lawrence of Arabia.

It Is in the film, but not at the start I think.

[vehelpfulguy]

I think the opening shots from Citizen Kane.

A long tracking shot that starts from way outside his huge mansion and gradually goes through the gardens etc right up to Kane lying on his deathbed.

Amazing.

[vehelpfulguy]

You can download the opening shot from Citizen Kane from here.

See 3rd paragraph, after the word CLIP

http://www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/narra tology/plans/narrativeplanskane.html

[osprey]

Memorable and magnificent as that shot is, it is NOT the opening shot from Lawrence of Arabia. It happens a while into the film and after several minutes the rider appears in full view and reveals himself to be Omar Sharif. It is probably the longest debut-shot in film history and is a magnificent piece of work by David Lean and the cinemaphotographer Freddie Young for which they both won Oscars.

[Bazile]

I stand corrected - it's been a long time since I saw the film

As stated it is a brilliant piece of cinemaphotography , which is why that particular scene above all ,sticks in my memory .

[anotheoldgit]

One opening scene I remember, but I cannot remember the title of the film (perhaps some ABer will)?

This also takes place in the desert, (the Libyan desert during WW2). It is of a Jeep type vehicle belonging to the Long Range Desert Group, and it is in the far distance, but as it comes closer into view you can hear 'Lili Marleen' playing increasingly louder from the radio on board the Jeep.