Featured scenes in a particular movie Quentin Tarantino are typically full of extended dialogue exchanges, aestheticized instances of violence, and some frankly beautiful performances. But certain scenes stand out among others, and many of his best are placed at the beginning of their respective projects.
This list will not include or explain the opening title sequences with their sprawling scores and satisfying soundtracks, but instead, if they do indeed appear at the beginning of a particular Tarantino film, this list will look at the sequence that begins as soon as the credits end. Characters and dialogue in this case both comprise a scene. That said, this is every opening sequence of Tarantino's filmography, ranked.
10 Death Proof - The car ride
While there are some gruesome, action-packed death scenes that highlight the film's overall tone, make no mistake: most of Death resistant (2007) revolves around in-depth conversations. Three girls ride in a car - one drives, one in the passenger seat and one leans in the back. They discuss loose, everyday topics, such as many exchanges of Tarantino's dialogue.
But there are also some quirks with this particular group of women, such as their hardcore, respective accents, their cheering for "Jungle Julia" billboards as they drive by, their casual cigarette smoking. And well-placed exposition nestles in every corner of the conversation. The scene lasts just over five minutes, but that time flies by when you find yourself engrossed in the dialogue.
9 Kill Bill: Volume 2 - Beatrix' Monologue
Beatrix Kiddo speeds down a secret road and makes her way through the opening scene of Kill Bill: Part 2 (2004). And, perhaps most importantly, the monologue ends with the line, "I'm gonna kill Bill".
The dialogue flowed well thanks to Tarantino's script, but the biggest story to emerge from this scene is the fact that Uma Thurman was actually harmed during filming. She would have been asked by Tarantino to drive forty miles an hour, just to meet his standards for the finer details of the scene, like her hair blowing in the wind. She asked for a stunt double to take her place, but she eventually did and suffered a concussion after the car crashed into a tree. No wonder they haven't worked together since.
8 Jackie Brown - Jackie is confronted
A riveting entrance from the soundtrack rolls perfectly with the credits as the titular character travels through the airport where she works. Then the plot of Jackie Brown (1997) begins when she is confronted by two men who immediately seem to be more than just airport security guards. And they are, but the public has no idea of the extent of their importance, nor of their affairs with Jackie.
However, it is soon revealed that she smuggled a large sum of money into the United States from Mexico, all for a ruthless arms smuggler named Ordell Robbie. The audience hardly has time to understand these characters in such a short time while still sympathizing with their situation, but Tarantino manages to hold their attention only through well-written dialogues. It is undoubtedly a trend for him.
7 Once upon a time… in Hollywood – Rick Dalton, Bounty Law!
Framed as some kind of trailer or preview for a fictional television show called Bounty lawthe beginning of Tarantino's most recent film Once upon a time... in Hollywood (2019) details the exploits of Rick Dalton (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) as a western television actor. It also introduces the character's stunt double, his friend Cliff Booth - a persona that earned actor Brad Pitt his first ever Academy Award, one for Best Supporting Actor.
In these opening moments, it's clear that DiCaprio and Pitt - in their first-ever side-by-side on-screen appearance - will emphasize the long-term quality of the film with their witty, back-and-forth puns. But this scene also provides a tangible tone to the movie that develops into a truly memorable dynamic long before it's all said and done.
6 Kill Bill: Part 1 - The Carnage
Tarantino starts Kill Bill: Part 1 (2003) with an on-screen proverb: "Revenge is a dish best served cold." He then follows with the bat's incendiary incident - the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, led by the titular Bill, and their murder of The Bride, Beatrix Kiddo. There is only a single line of dialogue in the scene, one from Beatrix just as she is shot. And without a second viewing of the movies, or at least a retrospective after seeing them both, it might not be clear what she's saying.
The entire scene also consists of only one shot: Beatrix's bloodied face. And actually only two things happen. Bill's hand reaches for the frame and wipes away the blood. Then he shoots her. That is it. It is one of Tarantino's shortest opening sequences, second only to the sequel, but it was considered much more intriguing.
5 Reservoir Dogs - About Madonna and Tips
a robbery movie, Reservoir dogs (1992) was Quentin Tarantino's directorial debut, and it opens with eight thieves in suits hanging out and having breakfast at a local Los Angeles diner. And they're essentially just having a discussion. They deduce the meaning of a Madonna song and criticize the general prospect of tipping your server, but there's more to it than a simple dialogue scene.
They do not discuss the robbery or other elements of the story that could be considered exposition, but striking personality traits are revealed in the conversation. Take, for example, Mr Orange. Played by Tim Roth, he is eventually revealed to be a double agent working for the police force, who eventually has the team arrested. And here at the breakfast table in the opening scene, you may remember him pronouncing Mr. Pink as the one who didn't tip. A well-placed foreshadowing of Tarantino.
4 The Hateful Eight - A storm is coming
There seem to be two main characters The Hateful Eight (2015) From The Bat: John "The Hangman" Ruth and Daisy Domergue. They were played to a wonderful degree by Kurt Russell and Jennifer Jason Leigh, respectively. But shortly after the opening credits roll, the sprawling score grinds to a halt. The scene moves below and begins to move, and the audience meets another character: Major Marquis Warren, played by Samuel L. Jackson, an old associate of Tarantino.
What follows is a tantalizing exchange of back and forth dialogue, filled with clever exposition and interesting character dynamics. Then, on the way to Minnie's Haberdashery, they pick up another weary traveler: Chris Mannix. The most unstable character of the bunch, Mannix adds a certain animation to the mix, and the resulting performances are nothing short of impressive.
3 Django Unchained - Unchain Django
After a three-minute Spaghetti Western-inspired score, Tarantino introduces the protagonists of Django unleashed (2012) right away. Dr. King Schultz, a former dentist and budding bounty hunter, arrives on the scene to find, buy, and rescue for all intents and purposes a slave named Django, who knows a trio of slave brothers that the bounty hunter has on his list.
And many key personality traits are seamlessly captured - Schultz (an Oscar-winning role played by Christoph Waltz) doesn't speak English as a primary language, but his vocabulary is deeper than any American he meets. Then Django (played by Jamie Foxx) hesitates to harm his former slave trader, quickly developing into a stone-cold killer over the course of the film. And these two characters instantly create a chemistry that lasts all the way through.
2 Pulp Fiction - The Dinner
Famous in part for his seemingly realistic dialogue, Tarantino implemented undertones of everyday subjects into every corner of the conversation. Pulp Fiction (1994). Throughout the plot, these iconic characters discuss common concepts such as burgers, Madonna, and foot massages. And it's totally captivating every step of the way.
In the opening scene in a small diner in Los Angeles, Tim Roth's Ringo (aka Pumpkin) and Amanda Plummer's Yolanda (aka Honey Bunny) seem to be talking about nothing in particular at first, but it all leads to the depicted incendiary incident: withdrawing their guns, holding the restaurant and stealing from everyone. This scene then shows larger structural goals by the time it's all said and done, ultimately embodying the film's emphasis on nonlinearity.
1 Inglourious Basterds - LaPadite's farm
What makes this scene so special was the use of a storytelling technique called vicarious suspense. Popularized by Alfred Hitchcock, the tool is more commonly known as "The Bomb Under the Table", where the screenwriter or director reveals to the audience an important detail of the scene that remains unknown to one of the depicted characters, or more. And in two minutes the bomb will explode - this creates a lot more suspense than simply detonating the bomb suddenly without the characters or the audience knowing it's there.
Tarantino used this device to tee with inglorious bastards(2009) — SS Colonel Hans Landa (played by Christoph Waltz) and Perrier LaPadite (played by Denise Ménochet) have the conversation at the table, and a group of Jewish girls hiding under the floorboards act as the figurative bomb. This created tremendous tension, as Hans Landa, set during World War II, was known in the European theater as "The Jew Hunter", and he was specifically looking for the girls under the floor. This scene introduced the world to Christoph Waltz and at the same time earned him his first Oscar. But it will also go down in history for the masterful filmmaking tactics Tarantino used.
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