Undefended is posted every Friday. All FilmFisher writers are given a prompt and respond with a list of five items, none of which are explained or rationalized. This week… …In nearly every short fiction workshop I’ve ever taken, at some point the prof comments on the need to have “a gripping opening sentence.” Today, with thousands of movies available at the click of a button, it is easy to drop out of a film which doesn’t begin well. Action directors of the last decade have often taken to chopping the beginning and ends out of their films. JJ Abrams has made an art of it. So many films begin in medias res to compensate for impatient audiences. But there’s more than one way to begin a story. This week, choose the five best opening scenes in film history. James Banks

1. The Usual Suspects

2. Miller’s Crossing

3. Goodfellas

4. Pulp Fiction (though not a great movie overall)

5. Silverado

 

Justin Spencer

1. Touch of Evil

2. Vertigo

3. Once Upon a Time in the West

4. Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark

5. Apocalypse Now

 

Timothy Lawrence

1. The Social Network

2. Once Upon A Time In The West

3. Apocalypse Now

4. The Godfather

5. Inglourious Basterds

 

Thomas Banks

1.Goodfellas

2.The Godfather pt.1 (“I believe in America.”)

3.Manhattan (Woody Allen)

4.Raiders of the Lost Ark

5.All about Eve

 

Christian Leithart

1. Saving Private Ryan

2. Un Flic

3. Strictly Ballroom

4. The Matrix

5. The Lion King

 

Joshua Gibbs

1. Magnolia

2. A Serious Man

3. Out Of Sight

4. X-Men (2000)

5. Trainspotting

 

Remy Wilkins

1. Contact

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark

3. Punchdrunk Love

4. Post Tenebras Lux

5. Children of Men

 

Sean Johnson

1. Inglourious Basterds

2. Once Upon A Time In the West

3. The Searchers

4. Rushmore

5. Sunset Boulevard