OBSESSING THE PERFECT SCENE
Movies (Cinema, Films, if you must) are meant to be experienced in a dark room, from beginning to end, at 24 frames per second. But for the fanatic film fan, breaking it into its components is a satisfying dive into a world we love. Here we dive into the perfect scene. Even a mediocre movie can have a stand-out, unforgettable, finely crafted gem of a scene. Here are just a few of what would be no doubt hundreds of examples of the perfect scene, what makes them perfect, and why we love them.
A scene is a bracketed event within a film. It can be a character introduction, an action sequence, a reveal or a climax. A well-crafted scene can be more memorable than the film itself. We'll pass on the obvious choices (the Psycho shower scene, Michael shooting Solatzo, etc.) and point out a few less covered. Here, in no particular order, are a few fanatic stand-outs, shot by shot..
The City Of Lost Children
(1995, Sony Pictures Classics)
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet / Marc Caro
Saved By A Single Tear
1:17:20 — 1:22:23
The City Of Lost Children, a classic beauty and the beast, Kong /Fay Wray, Peter Pan smash-up is a visual feast from end to end. The film making team who pioneered Delicatessen, crafted every shot a color saturated fantasy oil painting.
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The teardrop sene gets its call-out for it's sheer imaginative effort and painstaking art direction and assembly. Like a living Rube Goldberg puzzle, the heroin is saved by her own tear, when her hero breaks her heart and threatens her life. This is the Butterfly Effect in full symbolic glory. An awesome delight.
The Setup
Realizing the man she feared is in fact her savior, Miette (Judith Vittet) climbs atop Kong's back. A circus strong man (Ron Perlman) who's simple mind, pure heart and hulking frame makes for the perfect hero to take on the evil kidnappers and rescue her brother orphan. This shot, a precursor to our scene, is 360 frams of elegant beauty in and of itself.
