Ruth at “…let’s be splendid about this…” recently wrote a list of cinematic moments that were so indescribably perfect that they were just… well, indescribable. These moments are known as photogenie. She wrote a list of twenty great movie moments that for her were absolutely amazing, and when Stevee at Cinematic Paradox borrowed the idea, I finally realized how brilliant it was and how I had to do one myself. Instead of twenty, I’ve decided to bump my list up to fifty (although in some cases I have chosen more than one moment/scene of photogenie from the same film). Here goes! In no particular order:
1: An embrace in the storm – Code Unknown
2: The three children on a road in Iceland – Sans Soleil
3: John C. Reilly shines a flashlight into the camera – Magnolia
4: The tree in winter – Le Quattro Volte
5: The family dances around the house – Fanny and Alexander
6: “But Mr. Hagelmayer, it’s still not over.” – Werckmeister Harmonies
7: Erika stabs herself – The Piano Teacher
8: Heaving the luggage – Songs from the Second Floor
9: The look of distant recognition on Laura Dern’s face – Inland Empire
10: “What are they gonna do in Budapest?” – Stranger than Paradise
11: Ingrid Thulin’s scream in Cries and Whispers
12: The dinner guests are gunned down – The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
13: The camera swings from a chandelier – Napoleon
14: The marriage fantasy sequence – You, The Living
15: Irimias collapses in the fog – Satantango
16: “Fuck.” – Eyes Wide Shut
17: The burning building – The White Ribbon
18: The burning building – The Sacrifice
19: The burning building – The Mirror
20: Juliette Binoche hears the sounds of physical abuse – Code Unknown
21: A candle across an empty pool – Nostalghia
22: The final shot of Juliette Binoche – Three Colours: Blue
23: Monica Vitti’s hair blowing in the wind – L’Avventura
24: The climax of the Odessa Steps sequence – Battleship Potemkin
25: Maria Falconetti’s face – The Passion of Joan of Arc
26: The absolutely goddamn beautiful landscapes – Mother and Son
27: The faces of Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann spliced together – Persona
28: A naked, weak old man is alone – Werckmeister Harmonies
29: Veronique is seized by a wave of inexplicable emotion – The Double Life of Veronique
30: The journey to the well, each day – The Turin Horse
31: Anna Karina’s face as she watches The Passion of Joan of Arc – Vivre sa Vie
32: The final scene of the film, and the end credits that follow it – Dogville
33: A rocket explodes – Koyaanisqatsi
34: Tears stream down Mouchette’s face – Mouchette
35: The little girl looks into the bar from outside – Satantango
36: The approaching storm in the final moments – A Serious Man
37: The terrifying, unexpected images of war – Code Unknown
38: A perfect moment of silence – Werckmeister Harmonies
39: Coin tapping – Me and You and Everyone We Know
40: Xiao Si’r sobbing at the body of Ming – A Brighter Summer Day
41: Jeanne sits alone with bloodstained hands – Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
42: Antoine’s face – The 400 Blows
43: Frenhofer decides what to do with his finished masterpiece – La Belle Noiseuse
44: Sliced eyeball – Un Chien Andalou
45: Daisy cradling Bud in her arms – The Brown Bunny
46: Badii sits alone in a dust storm – Taste of Cherry
47: This man’s facial expression – Damnation
48: The final shot – The Fire Within
49: The subtle way a boy’s face seems to change from laughing to screaming on a TV screen – The Decalogue
50: “Is anybody out there?” – Code Unknown
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So what do you think? What are some of your moments of photogenie, or cinematic awesomeness?