The scene Denis Villeneuve called the “most powerful cinematic shot”
When putting together any good movie, it always comes down to getting the right shot. Nothing in any finished film is done by accident, and the beauty behind cinematic art is taking the basic framework of cinema and flipping it to create something breathtaking to look at, like a genuine watercolour painting.
Denis Villeneuve, the director behind works such as Sicario and Dune, has been no stranger to creating spellbinding works of art in front of the camera. Throughout his career, the director has produced outstanding shots that still feel like what the future will look like even with years in the rearview. When working on shots like that, though, there are always going to be those few who are trying to push it one step further.
When combing through his favourite movies, the director has learned the importance of establishing the proper shot to evoke emotion from the viewer. Looking at some of the most incredible scenes that he had ever seen, Villeneuve remembered being transfixed by the murderous Anton Chigurh in No Country for the Old Men, chilling him to the bone when he saw the murderer’s eyes as he kills a police officer in broad daylight.
When talking about some of the most incredible single frames he had ever seen, Villeneuve had a particular love for what Jacques Audiard brought to the 2009 film A Prophet. Setting the scene of a police drama, Villeneuve remembered thinking that one shot of a deer getting hit by a car was one of the most breathtaking sequences in cinema history.
Even outside the context, the way the take was edited together is simply pristine. Taking the essential parts of regular filmmaking, the idea to go with slow motion for the scene makes the whole scene feel almost operatic, despite seeing something tragic happening onscreen.
Villeneuve would recall to The New York Times: “The deer being killed in slow motion by a car in A Prophet remains one of the most powerful cinematic shots of the last decade.” While it may have struck a nerve with him at the time, the director knew that the kind of guttural effect of a shot typically comes from where it is placed in the context of the film.
Since the grittiness of A Prophet invites something more sinister, the beauty of the scene may have been wholly lost if put into the backdrop of a comedic moment. Other films have showcased Villeneueve’s love of the magic that can go into creating a shot. Even though A Prophet may have a powerful shot in it, he feels like comparing the best shots in the movie is like apples and oranges, especially when working with distinctly different genres at every single turn.
Even though some visual artists might like to bring their all to every shot they take in front of the camera, Villeneuve knows there’s more behind it than the standard movie masterpiece. Regardless of how pretty a shot may be, Villeneuve knows that it is as important to how it serves the story rather than creating something meticulously perfect.
