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The opening scene of a film can literally "make or break" the movie. It is the scene that starts the story, sets the mood, and introduces the major characters that the audience will hopefully come to know. It is difficult to pick the best opening movie scenes ever because there are so very many to choose from in cinema history. Filmmakers try to make a statement with their opening scene in order to "capture" the audience and pull them to the edge of their seats. Of course, intentions are all well and good, but sometimes the opening scene of the film is not all that compelling, and movie watchers are left to wonder if they wasted their money. To make a quality opening scene, there has to be something that "grabs" the audience and helps them get strongly involved in the movie. I'm sure some readers will be aghast at the classic films that I miss. However, here are a few films that might qualify for the "best" opening movie scenes ever.

STAR WARS

This Star Wars epic is one of the more recognizable set of movies ever made. The opening scenes in every Star Wars film are essentially the same in that there is scrolling text accompanied by the triumphant musical theme. After the text disappears, there is always some sort of ship that soars dramatically across the scene. I suppose there is nothing magical about text and one flying craft, but these opening scenes are so famous that they are almost iconic in nature. Lucas made a stir after he made the first film because he did not put credits at the beginning of his film. Rather than be fined, he quit the Screen Actors Guild so that he could preserve his opening scenes.

SOUND OF MUSIC

I recognize that some people detest this film. They either detest it because they cannot digest a bunch of singing kids in lederhosen running around the screen, or the fact that the movie has been played on television more than Leave it to Beaver re-runs. Still, the opening scene of this film with the scenery of Austria is breathtaking. Then, the camera zooms in on a mountain meadow where the opening song bursts onto the screen. Again, this is for some people more sentimental than anything and it is doubtful that this film would be made today. But, it is also one of the more recognizable opening scenes of all time.

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN

This film is distinctly different than the other two, both in context and in content. The opening scene of Saving Private Ryan is really the first thirty minutes of the film, which covers the invasion of Normandy beach in World War II. It is a gripping and disturbing scene, mostly because the audience knows it really happened. Reports suggest that the director took special care in shooting this scene in order to capture what truly happened. It is a difficult scene to watch, but it is also fascinating.

As mentioned, there are so many films to choose from, it is difficult to choose the "best" opening scenes. These are a few that stand out and are part of movie history due to their distinctness and their longevity.

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