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One of my favorite things that happen in movies is how many of them start with a well-timed musical cue, often with a song. Sometimes it's a song you've heard and liked that immediately hooks you. Other times, it'll be a song you've never heard but it sounds perfect for the occasion. So much so, that it'll send you rushing to Shazam it and later to your music streamer of choice to add to one of your playlists. Needle drops can make any scene iconic, but in this case, I want to acknowledge some that are in the opening scenes. Oftentimes, a good opening scene music cue can set a great tone for what you're about to watch.
This isn't a definitive list. There's even a chance I might do more of these with other films. I just wanted to share some of the ones that stand out to me. Here we go.
All That Jazz (1979) dir. Bob Fosse - After the movie starts with the title card and a quick montage that establishes the Roy Scheider character, we see some shots of dancers seemingly auditioning for a show. Slowly fading in is George Benson's On Broadway. While the song cues, we see the iconic tracking shot of the lead looking at the large group of people dancing. It reaches an extreme longshot of the dancers that is awe-striking, followed by a montage of the try-out with the song in the background.
Bronson (2008) dir. Nicolas Winding Refn - I always reference this as a favorite of mine. Tom Hardy's Charlie Bronson gives an introduction and it then fades into The Electrician by The Walker Brothers. The scene intensifies with the music and it's so poetic to watch. The way it cues a guitar hit with the title card always brings me goosebumps.
Closer (2004) dir. Mike Nichols - "And so it is...". This one, I stumbled upon recently and it left me stupified. And this is just the opening scene (the movie had the same effect as a whole). The somber and melancholy tone that's set by Damien Rice's The Blower's Daughter is absolutely vital. The slow motion, eye-contact meet-cute (as the kids say) between the Jude Law and Natalie Portman characters blends perfectly with this amazing track. The song holds your hand and brilliantly transitions you into the story. Not to mention, it stays with you after you're done watching.
Sexy Beast (2000) dir. Jonathan Glazer - You'll never see a lead character so chill to start a movie. The rest...well, just watch. Ray Winstone's Gal sets the tone for his charm in the opening for Sexy Beast as he fries poolside under a crisp Spanish sun. While he lounges, the credits hit with Peaches from The Stranglers. There's something kind of comical about that whole mix.
Titane (2021) dir. Julia Ducournau - It's not STRICTLY the opening scene, but when the title card hits, the movie blares the incredibly catchy Doing It To Death by The Kills. It's used as the background while Agathe Rouselle's character walks through an auto show where each car apparently has a dance by its side. It's a wonderful tracking shot that results in revealing the lead's car and them on top of it, doing their thrilling dance routine.
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