Watching the remake of the 1974 classic The Taking of Pelham One Two Three reminded me of one of the all time great film shots. The last shot just before the credits in the original is legendary. Lt. Zachary Garber (Matthau) has gotten all the bad guys but the chief engineer for the squad. He's searching and investigating all the old engineers that may have a beef, but has had no luck thus far. Until he comes across Harold Longman (Martin Balsam) in his investigation.Garber shows up at Longman's apartment, and the two partake in a verbal investigation as Garber sort of gazes over the apartment. Longman is smart, seemingly oblivious to the day's events, and convinces Garber to continue his search elsewhere. As Garber begins to close the door on his way out, Longman lets out a simple *cough cough*... the same cough Mr. Green has had throughout his negotiations with the hijackers. The door creaks back open ever so subtle, Garber's head peers in, looks at Mr. Green with that Matthau glare, and we all know: Gotcha. Cue music, role credits, great ending.
I love just how impactful, and memorable, a single great shot can be.
3 better thoughts:
Perfect ending indeed. The first time I watched this movie it was on DVD....I immediately hit the rewind button to watch the end again.
Ah, the great Owen Roizman. The original "Pelham" wipes the floor with Tony Scott's overbearing maneuvering...
This ending shot really made the film for me. It was entertaining enough throughout, but the final scene was the highlight for me.
Post a Comment