Favorite Image From A Film

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i know we've done favorite scenes, but what are some people's favorite images from films they've seen? I don't want to say "favorite shots" because I'm worried the posts will come back with elaborate crane manuevers, dollies, etc. focusing less on the image itself than the technique that obtained it or the impact of the scene itself.

Don't get me wrong--the technique is a huge part of bringing about an image. But just focusing on the image, what stands out in your mind? (And please, don't just limit yourself to one)

My thoughts:

CU of saw cutting wood through fumes in Leighton Pierce's "Wood"

"Ghost" walking through the bedroom in "Persona"

Opening shot to "Raging Bull"

Last shot in "Annie Hall"

Little boy whipping at kneeling girl in Brakhage's "Kindering"

Under the bridge in "Manhattan"

Caveh Zahedi needing to "dance more" in "bathtub of the world"
Saraghini dancing in "8 1/2"

Man with briefcase in Jem Cohen's "little flags" (i could come up with a thousand images from cohen films, but this was the first that came to mind).

The pigeon in human traffic jam in my own film, "thirteen steps to a happpy life" (i've decided to take mr. fogelsanger's lead and embrace my own work as well!)

ok, someone else's turn now...

― jay blanchard (jay blanchard), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 16:21 (twenty years ago) link

brakhage has a lot of great, memorable images. the shot about ten or so minutes into the act of seeing with one's own eyes when he focuses the camera inside the head of the cadaver whose brain has just been removed and the last few shots of desistfilm (the lifting of the bottle, the stunned look on the couple's face, and the panning across of the faces of the guys watching them) stand out to me in particular.

the final image of ratcatcher.

ingrid thulin licking the blood she smears across her face in cries and whispers.

the last image of un chien andalou is pretty striking too.

and so on.

― joseph, Wednesday, 4 February 2004 17:09 (twenty years ago) link

The little girl wrestling with the cat in Satantango.

Maggie Cheung resting her head on Tony Leung's shoulder in the back of the taxi - In the Mood for Love.

The opening shot of Lost in Translation. (Fine, I have a thing for Scarlett Johansson's ass. ^_^)

Andy Griffith's horrifying little smile and wink during the "Vita-Jex" ad - A Face in the Crowd

Lord Ichimionji's face as he steps out of the burning palace -- Ran.

Can I say EVERY still from La Jetee?

I'm sure I'll think of more as the day goes on.

― BabyBuddha (BabyBuddha), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 17:19 (twenty years ago) link

joseph--you just reminded me of one i'd like to add--the OPENING shot to ratcatcher (spun up in the curtains). the closing shot is incredible as well.

― jay blanchard (jay blanchard), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 17:39 (twenty years ago) link

d'oh! how'd i forget the opening shot, too? and the cornfield!

i also forgot a great one...near the end of heathers, the close-up of winona ryder after christian slater's bomb goes off in front of the school.

― joseph (joseph), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 17:49 (twenty years ago) link

tears flying up in Spirited Away

― ryan (ryan), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:09 (twenty years ago) link

from Fallen Angels:

http://www.wongkarwai.net/images/fcharlie1.jpg

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:59 (twenty years ago) link

"Julien Donkey-Boy"--the on-body camera showing Julien's face as he's walking down the street, alive with contrast, color, and beautiful video noise.

The sink filling up with blood in "The Last Emperor"

― jay blanchard (jay blanchard), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 19:31 (twenty years ago) link

"Taxi Driver"-De Niro catching a glimpse of himself in his rearview mirror

"Magnolia"-Melora Walters glancing at the camera right before the end credits roll

"2001"-The space fetus

"Night of the Hunter"-when the two kids are hiding in the barn, and they see a tiny silhouette of Robert Mitchum on a horse when they look outside

"Apocalypse Now"-Martin Sheen's head rising out of the water before he kills Kurtz

― Kyle Good, Friday, 6 February 2004 19:56 (twenty years ago) link

(hope this works)
http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/users/3fefd00f_32d0/bc/inkdrinker/__sr_/6307.jpg?phsiBJABhKRUfw.V
from Archangel, directed by Guy Maddin. Does a poster exist? Must...have...poster...

― Ernest P. (ernestp), Friday, 6 February 2004 22:28 (twenty years ago) link

Second try:

― Ernest P. (ernestp), Friday, 13 February 2004 08:14 (twenty years ago) link

Cristina Ricci riding on her bike (in red coat) in "The ice storm"

― arnout, Friday, 13 February 2004 10:26 (twenty years ago) link

how could i forget--the cu of "Eraserhead"!

how do you post pictures here?

― jay blanchard (jay blanchard), Friday, 13 February 2004 21:31 (twenty years ago) link

jay asked: how do you post pictures here?

Try photobucket.com - it's a free service, and they allow direct linking (unlike Yahoo Photos, as you can see from my first post).

― Ernest P. (ernestp), Saturday, 14 February 2004 02:25 (twenty years ago) link

In Masculin-Feminin, when J.P. Leaud looks at the camera as he is told that you can't make any other words with "Feminin."

Clockwork Orange when the droogs walk by the river.

Almost everything in black and white in Wings Of Desire
For cool value, De Niro smoking in Goodfellas. Once with Il Cielo In Una Stanza and once with Sunshine Of Your Love in the b.g.

Cagney in White Heat, shooting the trunk and eating his chicken.

The burning hallway in Barton Fink
etc... etc... etc... :)

― Barton Fink (bartonf), Sunday, 15 February 2004 16:59 (twenty years ago) link

The eye looking over the city at the start of Blade Runner

The milk bar at the start of Clockwork Orange

Running through the woods blindfold in Intacto

― Jim, Tuesday, 17 February 2004 13:46 (twenty years ago) link

http://www.manhunter.net/cast/gfx/sl2.jpg

― j4n (Wintermute), Thursday, 19 February 2004 11:37 (twenty years ago) link

Ah....j4n...that is indeed the most memorable scene from Driving Miss Daisy.

― BabyBuddha (BabyBuddha), Thursday, 19 February 2004 15:23 (twenty years ago) link

Yes, isn't it. Some flamboyant acting by Jessica Tandy there. Earned her an Oscar if I'm not mistaken.

― j4n (Wintermute), Thursday, 19 February 2004 17:55 (twenty years ago) link

(I couldn't find a picture of the shot where Will Graham smacks the obnoxious reporter against a car and there's this weird building in the background that is impossibly clear and structured and somehow seems to be the real protagonst of the scene. I'm useless at explaining the greatness of said shot [obv] so I settled with the picture above. I hope I didn't spoil anyone's cigarette break.)

― j4n (Wintermute), Thursday, 19 February 2004 18:05 (twenty years ago) link

diane and woody in LOVE AND DEATH
selected stills from the second half of the WHEAT dialogue.

― dz, Thursday, 26 February 2004 21:18 (twenty years ago) link

three weeks pass...

the Carousel scene from Logan's Run, as the participants shed their white robes.

― derrick (derrick), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 06:23 (twenty years ago) link

Cliche, I guess, but Slim Pickens riding the Bomb into Russia.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 06:48 (twenty years ago) link

I'll see your cliche and raise you.

http://www.pg.ru/dogs/gif/reserv04.jpg

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 12:16 (twenty years ago) link

another cliche, but my favorite, is the boy leaning over pina's body in Rome, Open city.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 07:07 (twenty years ago) link

one year passes...

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare6/mysterytrain/us-screen04.jpg

There are a lot of favorite images from Mystery Train, but I like this one the most. It doesn't work as well as a still image, but in the movie, it's one of the best devices of showing the passing of time that I've ever witnessed.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Saturday, 7 January 2006 06:06 (eighteen years ago) link

i love the way mizoguchi photographs boats and water. here is a good one from sansho the bailiff. the boat in the mist in ugetsu is my favorite part of that film.

http://www.spietati.it/speciali/mizoguchi/foto/intendente-sansho001.jpg

― a spectator bird (a spectator bird), Sunday, 8 January 2006 21:34 (eighteen years ago) link

Sorry this is so small.

http://www.iranian.com/DariusKadivar/2002/November/1001/Images/pasoliniPoster.jpg

― Casuistry (Chris P), Monday, 9 January 2006 06:42 (eighteen years ago) link

Haha is that what he's saying or what you're saying?

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Monday, 9 January 2006 08:03 (eighteen years ago) link

nine years pass...

bringing this back because
https://architecouture.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/screenshot-vivresavie.jpg
Anna Karina watching The Passion of Joan of Arc in Vivre Sa Vie.

― sbes114, Saturday, 25 July 2015 04:35 (eight years ago) link

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