Five movie scenes that prove the genius of Brian De Palma
Early in his career as a filmmaker, Brian De Palma tried his hand at comedy with the likes of Hi Mom! and Get to Know Your Rabbit. Then, in 1972, De Palma changed direction with his psychological horror movie Sisters, which undoubtedly influenced his future career.
Before long, De Palma established himself in the psychological thriller, crime and horror genres, beginning with 1976’s Carrie and continuing with Blow Out, Scarface, Body Double and Carlito’s Way. A master of suspense, De Palma became an essential part of the New Hollywood era of movie directors alongside Martin Scorsese, Robert Altman and William Friedkin.
Throughout De Palma’s work, though, there is an evident influence from the many great directors of the previous generation, like Alfred Hitchcock and Jean-Luc Godard. De Palma’s work often paid homage to such filmmakers, although his films took a unique approach to exploring violence and sexuality.
We’ve compiled a short list of five scenes that prove the genius of De Palma. So, from moments of humiliating vengeance initiation to foot chases of the most intense kind, via some scenes of genuinely striking violence, here are some of the greatest moments from De Palma’s movies.
The five greatest Brian De Palma scenes:
Carrie (1976) – The Prom
Beginning with one of De Palma’s most iconic on-screen moments, the prom scene in his 1976 adaptation of Stephen King’s novel Carrie is a striking moment of technical proficiency and emotional resonance. By using split-screen, slow motion and a vibrant colour palette, the director invites his audience to gaze upon the heart-breaking tragedy of Sissy Spacek’s titular character.
Carrie appears to be accepted by her peers for a moment, but as a prank in which pig’s blood douses her in slow motion unfolds, her innocence is shattered, while De Palma’s split screen shows the differing reactions of her schoolmates. The Carrie prom scene shows the awful effects of bullying and the moment in which the film’s protagonist swears vengeance on the cruel, all captured brilliantly by De Palma.
Blow Out (1981) – The Final Chase
Five years after Carrie broke everyone’s hearts, De Palma delivered yet another scene that proved his prowess as a director. In 1981’s thriller Blow Out, the final chase scene sees John Travolta’s sound effects technician, Jack Terry, chase down a thug named Burke to save his love, Nancy Allen’s Sally Bedina. The impressive sound design aids the tense, quick-cut visuals, including blasting sirens and the celebrations of a nearby parade.
As the chase draws to a close atop a roof, Jack tragically discovers that he is too late and that Burke has cruelly murdered Sally. Cradling his love in his arms as the paradegoers cheer below in the streets, Jack cries out into the night, accompanied by fireworks banging in the sky. De Palma orchestrates a beautiful juxtaposition between Jack’s sorrow and the wonder of the flashing lights behind him.
Scarface (1983) – The Chainsaw
Violence runs amok in De Palma’s 1983 crime thriller Scarface, along with the glitz and glamour of Miami and the dark descent of cocaine addiction. One of the first moments in which Al Pacino’s Cuban refugee Tony Montana sets himself on the path of self-destruction comes early into the end when he is caught in a faceoff in a cramped Miami apartment during a routine drug deal.
Tony finds himself chained up along with his buddy, and he’s forced to watch as one of his captors fires up a chainsaw. The shots flash quickly and tight to ramp up the tension, and Tony is forced to watch as his friend’s arm is cut completely off by the chainsaw, the blood spraying all over the shower curtain, bringing Tony to near-fainting. What’s best here, though, is the cut to Manny chatting to a bikini-clad woman outside, with De Palma creating a shocking distinction between the joy of Florida’s excesses and the horror of its drug underworld.
The Untouchables (1987) – The Pram
De Palma had often been known to pay his respects to his directing forefather, Alfred Hitchcock. Still, in 1987’s The Untouchables, he provided a brilliant homage to Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein and his film Battleship Potemkin. As Kevin Costner’s Eliot Ness prepares to face down Al Capone’s henchmen in Chicago’s Union Station, a mother makes her way up its vast staircase.
Eventually, Ness helps the lady with her pram and baby, but when at the top, Capone’s goons set upon him, leading the pram to roll back down the stairs with the baby in it a la Battleship Potemkin. De Palma uses his famous slow motion to show the nerve-jangling moments a shootout unfolds around the pram, with some shots hitting it before Ness finally stops it at the last step before taking out the last of his enemies – a genuinely stunning moment of execution from De Palma.
Carlito’s Way (1993) – The Subway Chase
De Palma once again enlisted the iconic Al Pacino to play Carlito Brigante in his 1993 crime drama Carlito’s Way. Nuyorican criminal Carlito has vowed to go straight but finds his violent past challenging to escape. One of the film’s best scenes has Carlito pursued by a gang of violent criminals through the labyrinth of the New York subway system, with the tension cranked up to the max.
As with many of De Palma’s most nerve-jangling moments, the cinematography of the subway chase scene in Carlito’s Way largely contributes to the raised heart rates of the audience. As Carlito makes his way through the claustrophobic subway tunnels, a tense Patrick Doyle score thumps away. Still, Pacino’s performance met with De Palma’s brilliant direction, dousing the scene in desperation and exhilaration.
