There is little doubt that Steven Spielberg is one of the – if not the – best directors of the last 50 years. He has produced hit after hit and almost all of his movies have proved that they have real staying power and even years later we still love them and love to discuss them. Spielberg is a master at pacing his movies and including some of the coolest and most talked-about scenes ever, just like the scenes on this list.
The Rolling Boulder – Raiders Of The Lost Ark
There are opening scenes, and then there is the opening scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Not only does the opening sequence, with Indy (Harrison Ford) and his partner played by Alfred Molina perfectly define the character that we would come to adore over the decades, but it includes one of the best action sequences ever. The final booby trap Indy must escape is, of course, the giant rolling boulder and it still leaves us all breathless.
Quint’s Speech – Jaws
Spielberg’s Jaws is often considered the first true “summer blockbuster,” despite the director’s initial reluctance to make it. That mostly has to do, of course, with the shark. If you dig a little deeper though, it’s the human characters that really make the movie so enduring. Quint, played by Robert Shaw, tells one of the most iconic stories in film history when he recounts his experience on the ill-fated USS Indianapolis during World War II.
The Red Dress – Schindler’s List
One of the best tricks that Spielberg pulls in his Best Picture-winning film Schindler’s List is humanizing an event – The Holocaust – that was so vast and the numbers so overwhelming that it’s hard to really understand. One thing he does so effectively to do this is showing the lone girl in a red dress, the only color in the movie until the very end. The red dress is seen later in a pile of clothing of victims of the atrocity, bringing a really emotional gut punch to the whole movie, which is already one of the hardest to ever rewatch.
Until Titanic, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial was the highest-grossing movie of all time and it’s easy to understand why even decades later. The movie is remarkably well-made and beautifully shot. The most enduring shot has to be the kids flying in front of the moon as they are pursued by the Feds.
The Opening Scene – Saving Private Ryan
The opening scene of Saving Private Ryan completely changed how war films are made, especially movies about World War II. The brutal action sequence of the army rangers hitting the beaches of Normandy on D-Day produces a visceral reaction from all who see it and has been praised for accurately depicting what it was like on that fateful day in June 1944. It’s the biggest reason the movie is one of the best war movies ever made.
Playing The Music For The First Time – Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind isn’t as talked about as many of Steven Spielberg’s movies, but one scene that no one forgets is when the humans and the aliens trade music notes in an attempt to learn to communicate. The melody is unforgettable and you’re problem humming it right now.
The First Time Everyone Sees The Dinos – Jurassic Park
It’s hard to explain what a cultural bombshell Jurassic Park was when it landed in theaters in the summer of 1993 to anyone who wasn’t alive at the time. It was huge and the special effects, the dinosaurs, were a huge reason why. The moment that the characters first set eyes on previously extinct animals is simply magical.
Saluting The Kamikazes – Empire Of The Sun
Empire of the Sun is the most underrated movie directed by Steven Spielberg. Even at the time it flew under the radar. Throughout the movie, Christian Bale’s character endures a lot and the moment he watches the Japanese kamikaze pilots take off as the war is ending is deeply emotional for him and the audience.
Arguing In The Fire – Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade is the most fun of the three original Indiana Jones movies. The chemistry between Indy and his father, played by Sean Connery is what makes the movie so charming. Nowhere is this better seen than when the two of them are tied up together by their captors and manage to light the room on fire and save themselves by moving into a fireplace that is more than it seems.
The Stairwell Argument – Munich
When Ali (Omar Metwally), a PLO member, and Avner (Eric Bana), a Mossad agent in Munich find themselves in the same safe house, they have a serious and intense discussion about the future of Palestine and Israel and who will control it in the near and far futures. It’s elegantly shot with smoke from the two men’s cigarettes lingering in the air, just as the question of the fate of the Palestinians and Israelis is.
Defiance – The Color Purple
Oprah Winfrey’s performance in The Color Purple is heartbreak, powerful, and emotional. The scene in which she defies the white men she encounters on the street tells you everything you need to know about her character and the message of the movie.
Lincoln’s Discussion With Grant – Lincoln
Whenever Daniel Day-Lewis takes on a role, you know you’re going to be in for a treat. Of all his many award-winning roles, none are quite as amazing as his performance of President Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln. His conversation with General U.S. Grant (Jared Harris) after the Siege of Petersburg is a quiet part of the movie that says so much about both men.
The Car Race – Ready Player One
One of the biggest changes between the book Ready Player One and the movie is the addition of a car chase for the first key. It’s a smart decision as it plays perfectly in the movie and the action sequence is the kind of chase you can watch over and over, and it’s chock full of easter eggs, just like the rest of the movie.
The Subway Ride – Bridge Of Spies
For anyone who grew up in the ’60s, ’70s, or ’80s, the Cold War occupies a significant amount of memories, especially of The Berlin Wall, In Bridge Of Spies, the scene when Tom Hanks’ character travels from West Berlin to East on the subway, crossing where the wall would be built is an amazing sequence that puts an exclamation point on the job he is doing.
Short Round’s Getaway – Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
While Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom might not be as beloved as the other two in the original trilogy, it still has that signature Steven Spielberg charm. The scene when Short Round, played by a young Ke Huy Quan races in to rescue Indy and speed away in a car he’s not even big enough to reach the pedals on, is everything you could want from a scene like it.
Frank Getting Away From The Hotel – Catch Me If You Can
There are a ton of fun, memorable scenes in Catch Me If You Can but the best is the moment Tom Hanks’ character and Leonardo DiCaprio’s meet in person for the first time. It’s a chaotic scene as Frank Abagnale (DiCaprio) confuses Hanratty (Hanks) and escapes by the skin of his teeth.
The T-Rex Skips Customs – The Lost World: Jurassic Park
There’s no question that The Lost World: Jurassic Park doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor, but there is still one great scene when the T-Rex escapes the boat at the port in San Diego and goes on a Godzilla-like rampage. Sure, it’s a little cheesy, but that’s okay, it’s still super fun.
The Burning Train – War Of The Worlds
The burning train in 2005’s War of the Worlds is one of the spookiest scenes ever seen in a Steven Spielberg movie. As the ghost train flies by with flames coming out of every door and window, the assembled crowd can only look on in silent shock, just like the audience.
John Adams Speech – Amistad
Sir Anthony Hopkins’ performance of John Adams in Amistad is one of the best portrayals of a U.S. President in film history. His speech at the end of the trial is as emotional as it is inspiring and simply the best part of a very hard movie to watch, but an easy one to love.