One of my favorite movie scenes... Tell me what you think and tell me yours...

[targetpractice]

One of my all-time favorite movie moments is "The Opera" scene from "Hannibal" (the sequel to "Silence of the Lambs"). In this scene, Ridley Scott magnificently directs a creepy encounter between Inspector Renaldo Pazzi and Hannibal Lector at a open-air opera. The music, "Vide Cor Meum", was composed by Patrick Cassidy (a contemporary Irish composer) from Dante's La Vita Nuova (The New Life) where Dante describes his first forays into poetry. The scene is chilling, beautiful, musically inspirational, and perfect in my opinion...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKVOLND7ZEM

The lyrics to "Vide Cor Meum" in Latin...

Chorus: E pensando di lei
Mi sopragiunse uno soave sonno

Ego dominus tuus
Vide cor tuum
E d'esto core ardendo
Cor tuum
(Chorus: Lei paventosa)
Umilmente pascea.
Appresso gir lo ne vedea piangendo.

La letizia si convertia
In amarissimo pianto

Io sono in pace
Cor meum
Io sono in pace
Vide cor meum



The lyrics to "See my Heart" in English...

Chorus: And thinking of her
Sweet sleep overcame me

I am your master
See your heart
And of this burning heart
Your heart
(Chorus: She trembling)
Obediently eats.
Weeping, I saw him then depart from me.

Joy is converted
To bitterest tears

I am in peace
My heart
I am in peace
See my heart

[jobycom]

1. Ciao.

Brilliant.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. That one song in that one scene makes the movie worthwhile.

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.

At the climax, Tuco has found the grave holding the gold. He begins to dig, and is surprised at gunpoint by Blondie. Then Blondie is surprised at gunpoint by Angel Eyes. The scene reaches a standoff as Blondie reveals that Tuco's got the wrong grave, and he'll write down the correct name of the grave on a stone in the center of a yard.

It's a movie filled with western cliches. The greatest western cliche being a shootout. But this is a three man shootout, something wholly new. Three men, each expert shots, each with one gun, and all want to kill each other. As they try to figure out which one to shoot, Morricone's piece "Il Triello" crescendoes. Leone specifically edited the scene to match the music. Then there's one gunshot, and the scene is over.

IMO, the single most suspenseful piece of cinema in history.

[GumboYaYa]

6. That movie has one of my favorite lines in all of cinema...

"Dyin ain't much of a livin..."

My favorite scene is from The Bicycle Thief, when Ricci has to decide whether to steal the bike or not. That scene tears me up everytime I watch it.

[targetpractice]

7. I saw that movie at a drive-in as a kid...

I remember it being really long, but my father was raving about how awesome he thought it was afterwards...

I will put this at the top of my list to rent from iTunes based upon your suggestion! Thanks!

I agree that the "guns-drawn stand-off" can be a trite scenario... However, I remember the recent Battlestar Galactica pulled off a good twist on that cliche in its first season.

I look forward to seeing it handled in the "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" soon!

[charlie and algernon]

3. the 10 minutes at the end of Last of the Mohicans were no words are spoken

The performances of those actors during that scene stack up against any Shakespearian soliloquy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV1VOIaukrQ

[targetpractice]

9. I'm not watching your clip!

I'm embarrassed to admit that I haven't watched this classic movie... So, I can't comment further.

But, it's available to rent on iTunes... So, I'll put it on my list!

[HopeHoops]

4. Raising Arizona

That short moment when the biker from hell realizes that the pins have been pulled from his grenades.

[targetpractice]

8. Great movie...

There were a number of awesome moments... I haven't seen that in a while... I'll make a note to rewatch!

[av8rdave]

5. The filling station scene in No Country for Old Men

What struck me most was the complete change in the way Chigurh treated the proprietor as soon as the poor guy won the coin toss. He went from contempt to respect, which connects strongly to the central theme of the film IMO.

I also thought the man who played the proprietor did a great job of acting. He knew something was terribly wrong, but wasn't sure exactly what.

[targetpractice]

10. Yeah... Bizarre movie...

It was impossible to predict what was about to happen next....

That scene was tense, to say the least.

[targetpractice]

11. Thanks for the replies... To elaborate re: my POV...

I posted the scene from Hannibal because the music originally haunted me long after I saw the movie... Upon viewing again, I appreciated how (artistically) all the cinematic elements came together to complete the scene... I don't think this was the most powerful or dramatic scene I've watched by any stretch... I simply like the scene for how the following aspects cinema stagecraft came together....

1) The cinematography... Ridley Scott's use of the sunset, natural scenery, mood lighting, editing, dramatic expressions of the actors involved (without dialog), and obviously musical juxtaposition;
2) The acting... The tension from the inspector, the obliviousness of his wife, and the playful evil of Hannibal Lector;
3) The music seems classic and timeless and perfect... yet it was composed specifically for this scene;
4) The art direction of the opera... classic, modern, privileged, ancient, bizarre, beautiful singers... yet again, written specifically for this scene;
5) All the elements work beautifully together like an elaborate special effects shot.

[darkstar3]

12. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

My favorite scene in all of cinema, at least now, is 10 very poignant seconds from this movie. Let me set the scene...

Faramir's remaining soldiers are fleeing Osgiliath across the plain to Minas Tirith, with all the hellish hordes of Sauron at their back. Harried by Nazgul on winged steeds, they're being cut down in their tracks, and stand no chance of reaching the safety of the White City. As the skies turn black over their heads, Gandalf the White rides forth from within the Shining Walls to drive the Nazgul from the battlefield.

Our 10 seconds of perfection begin as Gandalf leaves the gate. Riding across the plain to the sounds of battle and chaos, Gandalf wears a face of grim determination tinged with the fear of arriving too late. Finally within range, he raises his staff. The world goes all but silent, and as a beam of pure white light leaps into the sky above the soldiers to drive the Nazgul before it, the most perfect and beautiful note ever held by a soprano echoes through all that exists.

You have to see it to do it justice, but this particular scene makes me shiver EVERY time I see it.