Brow Beat

The Ten Best Opening Shots in Movie History, in One Video Countdown

The folks at CineFix—who’ve previously crafted best-of videos for movie montages, heroes, and villains—have returned with another erudite, extremely debatable ranking: the top ten opening shots in film history. 

Of course, whether you agree with their choices depends more than a little on what you want out of an opening. Maybe you like starting with a jaw-dropping vista; maybe you like a slow, sustained take that introduces the characters; or maybe you like plunging right into the plot, exposition be damned. Regardless, the selections here are both expert and egalitarian, with foreign gems (Flowers of Shanghai), pop classics (Star Wars), and old favorites (The Searchers) all making the cut.