A great opening line does a lot of work in a few seconds. It sets the tone, introduces a voice, and makes a promise about the next two hours. Some of these lines have stuck in film culture for decades.
Here are ten openings from well known films, with the titles held back. I’ve described each line in my own words so you can guess first. The answer comes at the end of each section, along with a few facts about the film.
Line 1: A Boy’s Lifelong Ambition
A narrator says that for as long as he can remember, he wanted to be a gangster. He says it calmly, almost like he’s describing a career in plumbing. The voice comes right after a tense scene on a dark road.
This is Goodfellas, released in 1990. Martin Scorsese directed it, and Ray Liotta plays Henry Hill, the narrator. The film is based on Nicholas Pileggi’s nonfiction book Wiseguy, which gives that matter of fact tone a real source.
Line 2: The Question Everyone Keeps Asking
A worn out narrator says people keep asking him whether he knows a certain man. The name is dropped as if it were already notorious. The film then spirals into a chaotic, nearly unreadable situation.
That’s Fight Club, from 1999. David Fincher directed it, and Edward Norton plays the unnamed narrator. The film adapts Chuck Palahniuk’s 1996 novel, and the opening sets up the narrator’s unreliable view of events.
Line 3: A Dream About a Country House
A woman’s voice says she dreamed she went back to a grand estate. The tone is quiet and haunted, and the house is treated almost like a person. Anyone who knows classic cinema may recognize the estate’s name.
This is Rebecca, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 film, with Joan Fontaine as the unnamed narrator. The estate is called Manderley. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and it was Hitchcock’s first American production.
Line 4: An Introduction With Chocolates
A man on a bench introduces himself by first and full name and then offers a stranger a chocolate. A feather has just drifted down from the sky. The scene feels gentle, even though it leads into a story that covers decades.
That’s Forrest Gump, from 1994. Robert Zemeckis directed it, and Tom Hanks plays Forrest. Hanks won the Best Actor Oscar for the role, and the film won Best Picture.
Line 5: A Man Who Believes in a Country
A man in a dark room says he believes in America, and then explains how it has treated him. He is asking for a favor, and the request is not a small one. The camera begins close on his face and slowly pulls back.
This is The Godfather, from 1972, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The speaker is the undertaker Amerigo Bonasera, played by Salvatore Corsitto. The film opens with a wedding day request, which is a quiet way to introduce the story’s power structure.
Line 6: Stuck in a Hotel Room
A man complains that he’s still in a particular Asian city, even though his mind is somewhere else. He sounds restless and a little unhinged. A ceiling fan turns above him while helicopters blend into the sound.
That’s Apocalypse Now, released in 1979. Francis Ford Coppola directed it, and Martin Sheen plays Captain Willard, who speaks the line. The city is Saigon, and the film is loosely inspired by Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness.
Line 7: Two Women at a Resort
Two older women are talking about a resort in the mountains. One says the food is terrible, and the other agrees and adds that the portions are tiny. A comedian speaks directly to the camera and uses the exchange as a joke about life.
This is Annie Hall, from 1977. Woody Allen directed it and plays Alvy Singer, who tells the joke. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Diane Keaton won Best Actress for the title role.
Line 8: A Chant Over the Savanna
The film opens with a loud call in a African language, sung over a sunrise. Animals begin to gather from every direction. There’s no dialogue, only a chant that builds into a full song.
That’s The Lion King, from 1994. The chant is in Zulu and was performed by Lebo M, who worked with composer Hans Zimmer. It leads into the song Circle of Life, with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice.
Line 9: A Shout in the Rain
Workers on a remote island are struggling to move a huge shipping crate. Someone shouts an urgent order to shoot the animal inside. The line comes before the audience has seen anything clearly.
This is Jurassic Park, from 1993. Steven Spielberg directed it, and the line is spoken by the game warden Robert Muldoon, played by Bob Peck. The film is based on Michael Crichton’s 1990 novel, and its opening keeps the creature hidden, which builds suspense.
Line 10: A Couple in a Diner
A man at a diner table tells his girlfriend that he’s finished robbing liquor stores. He thinks the risk is too high. By the end of the conversation, they have changed their minds.
That’s Pulp Fiction, released in 1994. Quentin Tarantino directed it, and the couple, known as Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, are played by Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer. The film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and Tarantino and Roger Avary won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
