Tom Hanks, Nancy Meyers, and Jordan Peele break down film’s most influential scenes
Aux Features Saving private Ryan
There are moments in cinema that not only impact audiences, but also the film industry at large, literally changing the way future filmmakers approach the medium. In honor of the 25th edition of their annual “Hollywood Issue,” the film critics at Vanity Fair compiled a list of the 25 most influential scenes from the last quarter century and invited the actors and directors behind them to share some insight. Folks, the list is good.
Now, before huffing and puffing about how there’s nothing from The Godfather or Seven Samurai in here, know that the list only includes scenes from 1995 and beyond. That means the opening scene from Scream, the “I’m the king of the world!” moment from Titanic, and Gollum’s face-off with himself from The Two Towers all get the love they, like it or not, deserve. But no list of scenes that changed cinema would be complete without the gut-wrenching D-Day sequence from Saving Private Ryan. From both a technical and emotional standpoint, the brutal, muscular sequence added a new level of realism to simulated combat and changed the way war was depicted on film for years to come. Just try to imagine the gruesome, cathartic Hacksaw Ridge existing without it.
“When I first saw the completed sequence, I wept,” says Tom Hanks, who stars in Saving Private Ryan. “The landing, from the boats to the top of the bluff, was too horrible to watch without becoming undone. People see that landing sequence as a seminal 20 minutes, not just in the history of war movies but in all of cinema.” Hard agree.
See the whole list here, which includes breakdowns from Sofia Coppola, Keanu Reeves, and Jordan Peele.
25 Comments
Part of criticism is knowledge of past movies, even as you review a contemporary movie. Knowing there are precursors to Gollum’s argument with himself, even in the angel/devil on the shoulders trope, can show how this specific scene is better than some of these previous films. That’s what I like about the A. V. Club. Reviewers here seem to know that today is not the first day that film came into being.
Yes, the Gollum scene was clearly heavily influenced by the seminal angel/devil dichotomy involving the character “Pinto” in the highly influential 1970s comedy-noir film “Animal House.” The Gollum scene borrowed and built upon elements of the scene from the earlier film, and rendered the self/self interaction highly effective even without retaining the classic drunken, passed-out girl/”horny” collegiate tropes. Sadly, auteur Peter Jackson’s controversial final-cut deletion of Gollum calling himself a “pussy” — a wry direct reference to his homage to “AH” —deprived “Lord of the Rings” filmgoers of a knowing chuckle.
Thank you for this analysis, if for no other reason than I now have a clearer understanding of the food fights that inexplicably occur in the middle of each of the three films.
Just try to imagine the gruesome, cathartic Hacksaw Ridge existing without it.To be fair, Mel Gibson was already a bit of a gore hound. Never saw Braveheart or Apocalypto?
Hmmm… I know that 1995 was the cut off date, so how did nothing from 1998’s Buttcrack make the list?
You mean like how the featured video is from Saving Private Ryan, a movie released in 1998?
I have seen Buttcrack. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0191019/But I haven’t seen Saving Private Ryan.Explain that!
OMG, I didn’t realize you meant Buttcrack the movie lol.
Well uh, I’ve seen Saving Private Ryan and not Buttcrack. Hah!
the first time i saw the d-day scene in saving private ryan was one of the most intense experiences i have ever had. i saw the movie mid day with my dad, and in the row in front of us there were WW2 vets. the way they reacted (sobbing loudly) made the footage seem all that more authentic and visceral. it will be something i’ll never forget
I went with my grandfather (he landed on Utah Beach) and it was much the same. I’ve really never watched the movie again after that.
“When I first saw the completed sequence, I wept,” says Tom HanksWasn’t this the standard reaction of literally everyone?
No scenes from “Euro Trip”? Bullshit list.
Scotty doesn’t know, it seems.
the film critics at Vanity Fair compiled a list of the 25 most influential scenes from the last quarter century and invited the actors and directors behind them to share some insight. Folks, the list is good. Now, before huffing and puffing about how there’s nothing from The Godfather or Seven Samurai in here, know that the list only includes scenes from 1995 and beyondYes, I gathered that. From context.
Now that the timeline has been established, let me huff and puff by listing some scenes left off:Neil McCauley and Vincent Hanna meet – Heat (1995)“Choose Life” opening montage – Trainspotting (1996)Jack Vincennes death scene – LA Confidential (1997)The 1st rule of Fight Club – Fight Club (1999)The Sixth Sense ending – The Sixth Sense (1999)
Betty Elms audition – Mulholland Drive (2001)Dead Rabbits vs Natives – Gangs of New York (2002)The Bride vs The Crazy 88 – Kill Bill Vol 1 (2003)Max and Vincent – Collateral (2004)King Kong death scene – King Kong (2005)
Gas station coin toss – No Country for Old Men (2007)Daniel Plainview baptism – There Will Be Blood (2007) Lake Berryessa attack – Zodiac (2007)Madness is Like Gravity – The Dark Knight (2008)Ellie and Carl – Up (2009)
A very particular set of skills – Taken (2009)Watchmen opening credit sequence – Watchmen (2009)The Jew Hunter – Inglourious Basterds (2009)Go out speaking The Kings’s – Inglourious Basterds (2009)Talia al Ghul reveal (aka Bane gets emotions) – The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Candyland destroyed – Django Unchained (2012)Bear attack – The Revenant (2015)Wonder Woman entrance – Batman v Superman (2016)Immigrant Song – Thor Ragnorak (2017)Opening credits – Se7en (1995)
Huh, it’s actually a good list. Damn.
Interesting list with some odd choices. The Big Lebowski one is memorable, but it’s much more backward-looking (they correctly cite Busby Berkeley) than forward-looking; I can’t think of any obvious imitations. The 40-Year-Old Virgin scene doesn’t seem especially influential – I’d replace it with the scene of Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen playing video games and improvving dumb jokes, which captured the specific vibe that distinguished the Apatow school of comedy from others. Some omissions – something of Michael Bay’s (maybe the end of The Rock) and the hand-to-hand fight scene from Bourne Identity, both of which (for better or worse) had huge influences on action filmmaking. Maybe something from 300 too. Some early David Fincher, maybe the most distinctive mainstream stylist. Something from Avatar, which made 3D de rigeur for several years?
I agree with seemingly everyone in the world that the D-Day scene in Private Ryan is great, powerful, among the best war movie footage in history, etc. Unlike some people, though, I sincerely believe that’s the only piece of the movie worth a damn.
The most memorable scene from American Psycho will always be the business card scene:That’s bone.
Ah, yes, that iconic scene from Something’s Gotta Give.
That Vanity Fair list was schizophrenic as fuck.