10 Movie Moments That Changed Film History
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VOICE OVER: Patrick Mealey
WRITTEN BY: Andy Hammersmith
Cinema has the power to transform our perception of storytelling. Join us as we explore the most groundbreaking movie scenes that revolutionized filmmaking, pushing boundaries of technology, narrative, and social commentary across different eras of cinema. Our countdown includes iconic moments from "Tron", "The Jazz Singer", "Psycho", "Bonnie and Clyde", and more that forever changed how we experience movies and challenged the artistic and technical limitations of their time! Which movie scene do you think changed history the most? Share in the comments.
Top 10 Movie Scenes That Changed History Forever
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most groundbreaking, influential, and/or timeless scenes in film history.
Before the 1980s, it was much harder to imagine a movie taking place in a digital world. “Tron” helped to change all that with cutting edge, never-before-seen visuals. Jeff Bridges’ character finds himself in a digitized place where the scenery needs to look convincing. The famous light cycle sequence was key, and a thrilling moment that includes fully computer-generated environments. The painstaking process needed to build these images represented a huge step forward for modern VFX. Without scenes like this one, many of the believable worlds in current live-action and computer-animated features wouldn’t exist. There’s also the 2010 sequel that pays homage to the original project’s look. It certainly deserves to be celebrated.
For this biopic about the US folk singer Woody Guthrie, the filmmakers used a now-vital new piece of equipment. One scene guides audiences through an encampment with fluid motion, and it’s all thanks to the Steadicam, invented by Garrett Brown. Brown’s technology finally allowed for camera operators to have more stable and precise movements. Putting viewers in the midst of the action, this sequence feels as if you’re truly walking with Guthrie in the 1930s. Cinematographer Haskell Wexler brilliantly applied the newfound tech, taking the Oscar for his work on “Bound for Glory”. Other movies, such as “Rocky”, would also use the invention that same year, and the rest is history.
Edwin S. Porter directed this Western in 1903, and it’s widely held to be one of the most influential silent movies of all time. Perhaps most famously of all, however, Porter decided to conclude this landmark project with a bang. An outlaw fires a gun at the screen, breaking the fourth wall for a classic ending. Back then, it was a hugely inventive way to alter the audience’s expectations. Martin Scorsese later paid tribute to the shot at the end of “Goodfellas”, and today the fourth-wall break is a tried and tested trope. But it was “The Great Train Robbery” that really put it on the map, and it was Porter’s creativity that paved the way.
For this Oscar-winning film, Sidney Poitier plays the iconic role of Virgil Tibbs. The detective finds himself investigating a crime while dealing with racism in Mississippi. When, in one scene, Tibbs confronts the plantation owner Eric Endicott, it was a pivotal moment. While the racist man slaps the hero, the lead character immediately puts Endicott in his place. The aftermath and the reactions combine to create a scene that’s heavy with tension. Poitier gave audiences a radical look at a black character fighting back against white oppression. It’s a moment that represented a new step in the civil rights movement, taking a pointed look at race relations in America.
Before reaching Hollywood, Hedy Lamarr had already made a name for herself in Europe. One of her earlier films was the Czech production, “Ecstasy”. Released in 1933, it contained shots that were considered extremely sexually explicit for the era. One sequence found Lamarr’s character in an intimate moment with her lover, for what could reasonably be called the first sex scene to feature in a mainstream release. The overall movie was so controversial that it was censored in many countries. It might be considered tame by today’s standards, but it broke boundaries in the ‘30s, and rewrote the rules around sex and the big screen.
Arthur Penn directed this controversial but acclaimed film, and it was much more than just your average crime story. Starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, its tale of the real-life, eponymous bank robbers takes a graphic look at violence - and at a time when that wasn’t the norm. The end sequence features what are still considered to be some of the most visceral killings ever put to screen. Penn doesn’t hold back, delivering a scene that still has the power to shock audiences. It’s a truly gruesome finale, riddled with bullets. But it also served to dramatically influence American cinema from that point forward. All the way up to today, where movie violence is… not unusual.
Very few scenes can claim to be quite so studied as this one is. In Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller, the plot goes haywire when Marion Crane takes a shower. And the result is an even more iconic chapter in cinematic violence than “Bonnie and Clyde” would be, seven years later. Hitchcock famously kills off his leading lady in dramatic fashion, using a series of quick cuts to show her bloody fate unfolding. It broke new ground and defied censorship rules, at the same time. The shocking narrative shift so early in the movie is another reason why "Psycho" stood out. In an often-repeated claim, this is also said to be the first scene to show a toilet being flushed. That’s not quite true, but showing a toilet was a surprising rarity. All in all, it certainly changed how we saw our bathrooms.
In the early 20th century, many Soviet filmmakers helped to shape the future of cinema, with plenty of experimentation and innovative editing choices. This scene, however, is remembered above any other. Director Sergei Eisenstein created the look, feel and incredible tragedy of a violent massacre. The Odessa Steps sequence combines striking imagery with strategic cuts, to create unbearable tension. Chaos takes hold, while the iconic image of the baby carriage ties the sequence together. Although “Battleship Potemkin” is inspired by true events, this exact scene on the stairs didn’t actually happen in real life. And yet it still holds up as one of the greatest ever depictions of bloodshed and conflict on film.
Imagine watching a movie in 1939 and seeing this happen. Contrary to popular belief, this moment actually wasn’t the first time that people had seen color on screen. But it did mark the finest use of Technocolor to that point, and a true breakthrough in the industry. Dorothy and Toto exit their drab Kansas life, entering into the vibrant set of Munchkinland, for one of the most magical transitions in the history of film. Creating it was no easy feat, with the cast and crew reportedly working on some individual scenes for weeks, even months at a time. Everyone had to adjust to make the new technology work. The Technicolor process, among other things, is said to have skyrocketed the studio’s electricity bill to more than $4 million in today’s money. But, no matter how they got there, the result is nothing short of a classic.
Up until the late 1920s, movies were largely silent affairs. The trajectory of cinema then changed with “The Jazz Singer”. The 1927 release includes the first instance of synchronized dialogue, with this scene featuring the lead Al Jolson addressing a crowd. It’s a simple line, but nothing was ever the same again. Behind the scenes, the moment was made possible by the Vitaphone system at Warner Bros., something which co-founder Sam Warner, in particular, had pushed very hard to set up. In an eerie twist of fate, Sam died the day before the world premiere of “The Jazz Singer”, and so he never saw the lasting impact that this one movie would have. The talkies had arrived.
Which specific movie scene would you say changed everything? Let us know in the comments.
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most groundbreaking, influential, and/or timeless scenes in film history.
#10: Light Cycle Run
“Tron” (1982)Before the 1980s, it was much harder to imagine a movie taking place in a digital world. “Tron” helped to change all that with cutting edge, never-before-seen visuals. Jeff Bridges’ character finds himself in a digitized place where the scenery needs to look convincing. The famous light cycle sequence was key, and a thrilling moment that includes fully computer-generated environments. The painstaking process needed to build these images represented a huge step forward for modern VFX. Without scenes like this one, many of the believable worlds in current live-action and computer-animated features wouldn’t exist. There’s also the 2010 sequel that pays homage to the original project’s look. It certainly deserves to be celebrated.
#9: The Steadicam
“Bound for Glory” (1976)For this biopic about the US folk singer Woody Guthrie, the filmmakers used a now-vital new piece of equipment. One scene guides audiences through an encampment with fluid motion, and it’s all thanks to the Steadicam, invented by Garrett Brown. Brown’s technology finally allowed for camera operators to have more stable and precise movements. Putting viewers in the midst of the action, this sequence feels as if you’re truly walking with Guthrie in the 1930s. Cinematographer Haskell Wexler brilliantly applied the newfound tech, taking the Oscar for his work on “Bound for Glory”. Other movies, such as “Rocky”, would also use the invention that same year, and the rest is history.
#8: The Final Shot
“The Great Train Robbery” (1903)Edwin S. Porter directed this Western in 1903, and it’s widely held to be one of the most influential silent movies of all time. Perhaps most famously of all, however, Porter decided to conclude this landmark project with a bang. An outlaw fires a gun at the screen, breaking the fourth wall for a classic ending. Back then, it was a hugely inventive way to alter the audience’s expectations. Martin Scorsese later paid tribute to the shot at the end of “Goodfellas”, and today the fourth-wall break is a tried and tested trope. But it was “The Great Train Robbery” that really put it on the map, and it was Porter’s creativity that paved the way.
#7: Slapping Back
“In the Heat of the Night” (1967)For this Oscar-winning film, Sidney Poitier plays the iconic role of Virgil Tibbs. The detective finds himself investigating a crime while dealing with racism in Mississippi. When, in one scene, Tibbs confronts the plantation owner Eric Endicott, it was a pivotal moment. While the racist man slaps the hero, the lead character immediately puts Endicott in his place. The aftermath and the reactions combine to create a scene that’s heavy with tension. Poitier gave audiences a radical look at a black character fighting back against white oppression. It’s a moment that represented a new step in the civil rights movement, taking a pointed look at race relations in America.
#6: First Love Scene
“Ecstasy” (1933)Before reaching Hollywood, Hedy Lamarr had already made a name for herself in Europe. One of her earlier films was the Czech production, “Ecstasy”. Released in 1933, it contained shots that were considered extremely sexually explicit for the era. One sequence found Lamarr’s character in an intimate moment with her lover, for what could reasonably be called the first sex scene to feature in a mainstream release. The overall movie was so controversial that it was censored in many countries. It might be considered tame by today’s standards, but it broke boundaries in the ‘30s, and rewrote the rules around sex and the big screen.
#5: The Ambush
“Bonnie and Clyde” (1967)Arthur Penn directed this controversial but acclaimed film, and it was much more than just your average crime story. Starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, its tale of the real-life, eponymous bank robbers takes a graphic look at violence - and at a time when that wasn’t the norm. The end sequence features what are still considered to be some of the most visceral killings ever put to screen. Penn doesn’t hold back, delivering a scene that still has the power to shock audiences. It’s a truly gruesome finale, riddled with bullets. But it also served to dramatically influence American cinema from that point forward. All the way up to today, where movie violence is… not unusual.
#4: Shower Scene
“Psycho” (1960)Very few scenes can claim to be quite so studied as this one is. In Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller, the plot goes haywire when Marion Crane takes a shower. And the result is an even more iconic chapter in cinematic violence than “Bonnie and Clyde” would be, seven years later. Hitchcock famously kills off his leading lady in dramatic fashion, using a series of quick cuts to show her bloody fate unfolding. It broke new ground and defied censorship rules, at the same time. The shocking narrative shift so early in the movie is another reason why "Psycho" stood out. In an often-repeated claim, this is also said to be the first scene to show a toilet being flushed. That’s not quite true, but showing a toilet was a surprising rarity. All in all, it certainly changed how we saw our bathrooms.
#3: The Odessa Steps
“Battleship Potemkin” (1925)In the early 20th century, many Soviet filmmakers helped to shape the future of cinema, with plenty of experimentation and innovative editing choices. This scene, however, is remembered above any other. Director Sergei Eisenstein created the look, feel and incredible tragedy of a violent massacre. The Odessa Steps sequence combines striking imagery with strategic cuts, to create unbearable tension. Chaos takes hold, while the iconic image of the baby carriage ties the sequence together. Although “Battleship Potemkin” is inspired by true events, this exact scene on the stairs didn’t actually happen in real life. And yet it still holds up as one of the greatest ever depictions of bloodshed and conflict on film.
#2: Leaving Kansas Behind
“The Wizard of Oz” (1939)Imagine watching a movie in 1939 and seeing this happen. Contrary to popular belief, this moment actually wasn’t the first time that people had seen color on screen. But it did mark the finest use of Technocolor to that point, and a true breakthrough in the industry. Dorothy and Toto exit their drab Kansas life, entering into the vibrant set of Munchkinland, for one of the most magical transitions in the history of film. Creating it was no easy feat, with the cast and crew reportedly working on some individual scenes for weeks, even months at a time. Everyone had to adjust to make the new technology work. The Technicolor process, among other things, is said to have skyrocketed the studio’s electricity bill to more than $4 million in today’s money. But, no matter how they got there, the result is nothing short of a classic.
#1: “You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet”
“The Jazz Singer” (1927)Up until the late 1920s, movies were largely silent affairs. The trajectory of cinema then changed with “The Jazz Singer”. The 1927 release includes the first instance of synchronized dialogue, with this scene featuring the lead Al Jolson addressing a crowd. It’s a simple line, but nothing was ever the same again. Behind the scenes, the moment was made possible by the Vitaphone system at Warner Bros., something which co-founder Sam Warner, in particular, had pushed very hard to set up. In an eerie twist of fate, Sam died the day before the world premiere of “The Jazz Singer”, and so he never saw the lasting impact that this one movie would have. The talkies had arrived.
Which specific movie scene would you say changed everything? Let us know in the comments.
