Great Shots In Cinema:
- Thread starter J.R. Hudson
- Start date
Casablanca captures, through every department and performance, a world and a story that never could have possibly existed. But somehow it does, and it is perfect in every way.
Most cinephiles are content to overlook one odd SFX shot that appears within the film - realizing that Casablanca effectively sets the benchmark for any and all pictures ever produced before or after it.
Put anything against it, any of the great films, right next to it - Seconds; Ben Hur; L' Atalante; Greed; Citizen Kane; How the West Was Won; On the Waterfront; Patton; Raiders of the Lost Ark; The General; 8 1/2; Ikiru; Singin' In the Rain; It's a Wonderful Life - and on and on and on and you'll see how incomparable it really is.
There isn't a wasted, flawed moment in it. Each character is developed, arching within the greater story without need for filler, fodder or pandering to the audience. At the conclusion, the conflicts are resolved without the happy ending. It is a bittersweet fantasy, and anyone who has been in love can effortlessly relate to Rick and Ilsa despite their rather extraordinary situation.
I'd argue that there are other "perfect" films out there, but I'd offer that Casablanca stands out among the rest.
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Most cinephiles are content to overlook one odd SFX shot that appears within the film - realizing that Casablanca effectively sets the benchmark for any and all pictures ever produced before or after it.
Put anything against it, any of the great films, right next to it - Seconds; Ben Hur; L' Atalante; Greed; Citizen Kane; How the West Was Won; On the Waterfront; Patton; Raiders of the Lost Ark; The General; 8 1/2; Ikiru; Singin' In the Rain; It's a Wonderful Life - and on and on and on and you'll see how incomparable it really is.
There isn't a wasted, flawed moment in it. Each character is developed, arching within the greater story without need for filler, fodder or pandering to the audience. At the conclusion, the conflicts are resolved without the happy ending. It is a bittersweet fantasy, and anyone who has been in love can effortlessly relate to Rick and Ilsa despite their rather extraordinary situation.
I'd argue that there are other "perfect" films out there, but I'd offer that Casablanca stands out among the rest.
e
CallaghanFilms
Veteran
Hollywood Boulevard is great too. That last scene is just plain nuts.
Love this picture - will always watch it through if I stumble onto it.
Uh... oops! TKAM is also a perfect film - even if the music sounds like it was
originally conceived for a 1960s daytime soap. Perfect.
Okay, don't anybody even start with me on this one. I will hunt you down
and punch you in your nuts if you say one word about Jimmy and his guardian
angel. Seriously.
e
Love this picture - will always watch it through if I stumble onto it.
Uh... oops! TKAM is also a perfect film - even if the music sounds like it was
originally conceived for a 1960s daytime soap. Perfect.
Okay, don't anybody even start with me on this one. I will hunt you down
and punch you in your nuts if you say one word about Jimmy and his guardian
angel. Seriously.
e
Last edited:
Mark Harris
Pain in the ass
John_Hudson said:
No less? Pound for pound, you will likely find more great shots from that studio era than since.
Here is another great one from Notorious, a crane shot that starts out way high and comes down to the key in Bergman's hand.
What's the movie where he does the long shot over the dance hall to close in on the drummer's (the murderer) eyes, as the band plays "drummer man." can't think of it now, but that too is amazing.
Another great shot from Strangers on a Train:
CallaghanFilms
Veteran
Mark Harris
Pain in the ass
And of course, the milk! The milk!
J.R. Hudson
Spirit Animal
WHatever the case; Ingrid Bergamn was smoking hot.
Also, who is the girl in the beginning of Casablanca that Rick dogs out (THe drubk chick that gets excorted out?) ? She's fine.
Also, who is the girl in the beginning of Casablanca that Rick dogs out (THe drubk chick that gets excorted out?) ? She's fine.
CallaghanFilms
Veteran
She was one of the (if not the) top French models of the time.
Madeleine LeBeau as Yvonne
Edit:
That scene you mentioned, John...Curtiz and the Epsteins had to "play dumb" to the censors to get that dialogue in (in addition to several other risqué scenes.)
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CallaghanFilms
Veteran
By the way, Hudson...I'm dying to hear your thoughts on
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J.R. Hudson
Spirit Animal
CallaghanFilms said:She was one of the (if not the) top French models of the time.
Madeleine LeBeau as Yvonne
Edit:
That scene you mentioned, John...Curtiz and the Epsteins had to "play dumb" to the censors to get that dialogue in (in addition to several other risqué scenes.)
WOW
Awesome
Thanks
This broad is friggin the bomb
J.R. Hudson
Spirit Animal
CallaghanFilms said:By the way, Hudson...I'm dying to hear your thoughts on
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Youll have my review manana
DarkMatter
Veteran
And when they pulled the bodies from the twisted burning wreck.....
Tell em' large marge sent ya
Tell em' large marge sent ya
J.R. Hudson
Spirit Animal
Lmao
WTF is that ?
WTF is that ?
DarkMatter
Veteran
Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure
Sergio Leone's Once Upon A Time In The West has some great shots. Here is one of my favourites.
We first start off with Jason Robards walking into the bar and we eventually hear a harmonica playing.
He tries to shine the light on the man playing the harmonica, then throws it down the line towards this unknown man.
We then see Charles Bronson playing his harmonica.
As the light swings back and forth we see his piercing eyes.
The scene then continues into a kind of test and with Robards sizing up what kind of man Bronson is.
We first start off with Jason Robards walking into the bar and we eventually hear a harmonica playing.
He tries to shine the light on the man playing the harmonica, then throws it down the line towards this unknown man.
We then see Charles Bronson playing his harmonica.
As the light swings back and forth we see his piercing eyes.
The scene then continues into a kind of test and with Robards sizing up what kind of man Bronson is.
DarkMatter
Veteran
Classic
