Great moments of suspense

[nic.h Member Find all posts View Profile Close nic.h]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to get a feel for how really suspenseful scenes look on the page, so I'm looking for some suggestions of scenes (not necessarily whole films) that carry suspense brilliantly.

These are not action scenes, but moments of build-up. Subtle, tense... That, "Oh ****..." kind of thing films like Jaws perfected. The moments before a possible disaster, even if they're false alarms. It's all about the mood. The guy behind the door stuff. Silent, watchful.

So, any recommended SCENES (rather than whole films) that I should read. (And probably watch. But read, more importantly.) The best of the best, where possible. They don't have to be thrillers - in fact, better if they're not. But the scene should be thrilling/suspenseful in some way.

Thanking you in advance.
Nic

[carcar Member Find all posts View Profile Close carcar]

Re: Great moments of suspense

I just reread the execution scene from The Green Mile and it stopped time for me. May not be exactly what you mean, but even though I've seen the movie at least a dozen times, I held my breath.

[9Ball User Find all posts View Profile Close 9Ball]

Re: Great moments of suspense

The start of Scream is pretty suspenseful as I remember it.

Also any film where they have to defuse a bomb - hurt locker, Die hard with a vengeance.

If I think of any more i'll post them up.

[nic.h Member Find all posts View Profile Close nic.h]

Re: Great moments of suspense

Thanks guys. Some good suggestions there.

I'm actually keen on dramas that have moments of suspense, rather than films that rest entirely on it. Seeing how they achieve that - balancing it against the overall tone - would be really helpful. So carcar, that's a particularly good suggestion.

Thanks for such quick replies. (I'm always expecting everyone to be asleep when I post in the evening.)

[nic.h Member Find all posts View Profile Close nic.h]

Re: Great moments of suspense

The start of Scream is pretty suspenseful as I remember it.

Also any film where they have to defuse a bomb - hurt locker, Die hard with a vengeance.

If I think of any more i'll post them up.

Thanks!

[Knaight Member Find all posts View Profile Close Knaight]

Re: Great moments of suspense

UPRISING had some good ones, because you've come to expect a certain amount of brutality from the aliens and the protagonist is so willing to get in their faces.

The scene where he's first brought up to be interviewed by the head alien bad guy was pretty intense, as I remember it.

[zenplato Member Find all posts View Profile Close zenplato]

Re: Great moments of suspense

Hey Nic,

I think the opening of 'Speed' would be worth checking out. I think it does a great job of setting up the protag/antag while generating a bunch of tension and suspense...even if it's action.


ETA: I think Bill M. wrote an article about this using an example from a scene in North by Northwest...I think.

[Terrance Mulloy Member Find all posts View Profile Close Terrance Mulloy]

Re: Great moments of suspense

Watch Panic Room, Nic. The whole film is one big suspense sequence. Fincher is a master at this type of thing. Plus the basement scene in Spielberg's War of the Worlds is quite suspenseful. Very well executed. Pity the rest of the movie was a bit meh.

[nic.h Member Find all posts View Profile Close nic.h]

Re: Great moments of suspense

Zen, Knaight... great suggestions.

I'll also trawl through Bill's website for some suggestions, after I check out North by Northwest. (I haven't seen that film in an age.)

Cheers, boys.

[nic.h Member Find all posts View Profile Close nic.h]

Re: Great moments of suspense

Watch Panic Room, Nic. The whole film is one big suspense sequence. Fincher is a master at this type of thing. Plus the basement scene in Spielberg's War of the Worlds is quite suspenseful. Very well executed. Pity the rest of the movie was a bit meh.

I haven't seen Panic Room, so will check out that.

Can't believe I'd forgotten that basement scene in WotW... That was literally the only impactful scene in the whole film.

Good call, Terrance. Ta.

[Richmond Weems Member Find all posts View Profile Close Richmond Weems]

Re: Great moments of suspense

I haven't seen Panic Room, so will check out that.

Can't believe I'd forgotten that basement scene in WotW... That was literally the only impactful scene in the whole film.

Whaaaaaaaaa? (Personally thinking that the scene after Cruise loses the car and the gun and breaks down crying while his kids look at him askance before finally they come together was pretty good, too.)

Anyway...

The Russian roulette scene in The Deer Hunter. (Little known fact: DeNiro used real bullets. He is a method actor, you know.)

When Walt and Jesse try to poison Tuco while Tuco's uncle/father(?) rings the bell on his wheelchair. (That's from season 2 Breaking Bad, a tv show, but it's a helluva suspenseful scene.)

Oh, and the scene in Zodiac where the police and SF Detectives confront a prime suspect in the killings. I admit it loses some impact when I watched it again on DVD, but I remember being in the theater and getting goose bumps while watching it the first time I saw it.

HH

[RGF Member Find all posts View Profile Close RGF]

Re: Great moments of suspense

'The Untouchables' stairway scene in the train station. An homage, sure, but amazing tension.

[9Ball User Find all posts View Profile Close 9Ball]

Re: Great moments of suspense

I've always loved Hitchcock's definition of the difference between surprise and suspense:





I'm sure many members and indeed the OP of this thread will be aware of this already, but thought I'd post up anyway as it's an interesting comparison.

This seems to suggest the key to suspense, at least for Hitchcock, is finding something that can harm the protag (bomb, murderer etc.) and let the audience know it exists and not the protag.

[instant_karma Member Find all posts View Profile Close instant_karma]

Re: Great moments of suspense

The escape from the cop car scene in Scream 2

The first 20 minutes or so of Jeepers Creepers

Being stalked in the dark in Silence of the Lambs

The drug deal in Boogie Nights

The bedroom scene in The Haunting (original version)

[Huangjinyoujiao New User Find all posts View Profile Close Huangjinyoujiao]

Re: Great moments of suspense

Anything Hitchcock. More recently, I love the scene in the middle of Infernal Affairs when the mole is tailing the other mole. Skip the hack version made by Scorcese and watch the original.