“Hey, have you seen this movie? What did you think about THAT SCENE?!” We have all used that phrase at one point during our discussions of movies with the other person’s eyebrows raising, “Oh yea, THAT SCENE!” You go on to pick that memorable scene apart by listing what you loved or didn’t like, how it made you feel and the impression it left on you.
In this series, we will do just that. We will take a scene from a movie and discuss its impact on us. Some of these scenes may be frightening, weird, iconic, controversial, hilarious, and everything in between. Let us know your impression of the scene and the impact it left on you the first time you watched it down below in the comments. Enjoy!
*Warning: May Contain Spoilers*
Movie: Narc (2002)
Scene: Opening Scene
THE PLAYERS
Director: Joe Carnahan
Characters: Nick (Jason Patric)
THE SETUP
There isn’t much set up here since this is the opening scene. All we know going into the Neo-Noir crime thriller is that a cop was killed and something isn’t right about it. Henry (Ray Liotta) and Nick (Jason Patric) are two detectives working the case from opposing views. As they investigate, they engage in unethical behavior and uncover dark secrets that will challenge their fragile relationship.
THAT SCENE
THE EXECUTION
Holy intense balls, Batman. There’s nothing like a film opening up and hitting the ground running but this is like a runaway freight train to get your heart pumping in just seconds. Some films like to set up what’s to come, whereas some just say to hell with that and jump right into the action. We at least know this is some type of flashback as we see Jason Patric’s character, Nick, looking off into the distance before the chaos begins. There is a very real and gritty nature to this scene almost like the show Cops. The ultra shaky cam disorients the viewer which places us alongside the characters in the scene. This jarring perspective lets us know we are in for a wild and violent ride for the rest of the film as we await answers to what we just witnessed. It not only places us in this hectic situation but also, as we find out later, in the messed up headspace Nick was in at the time.
Carnahan’s underrated Neo-Noir crime thriller doesn’t get enough love and this opening sequence is one of the best of all time. No real dialogue. We know instantly what kind of world we are in. Joe gives us so much in these opening moments but leaves us with so many questions just like a good director should do. We are shocked, horrified, and exasperated all in under two minutes. It instantly makes us engaged in the rest of the movie and Ray Liotta hasn’t even shown up yet.
What do you think of this scene? Did you find it intense and well done?
