2015 has seen some great films released, and some still to come. These films have been justly labelled for multiple reasons; their story, their characters, their humour, their emotion. Others have been a celebration of cinematography and imagery. Here we try to pinpoint some of the most iconic movie scenes/images of the year.
[symple_heading style=”” title=”Mad Max: Fury Road” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””]Starring Tom Hardy in the lead role, this film was a pedal flat to the floor, no holds barred assault on the viewer. It was brutal, bleak, and brilliant from start to finish. The apocalyptic setting allowed for some beautifully stark imagery. There were two scenes in particular which stood out.
This one perfectly represented the viciousness of the film and the head-on approach the filmmakers took. There was not a moment anyone in the film, or anyone watching the film could relax.
This image is as bleak as they came in the film. The five female protagonists abandoned in a barren wasteland, completely dependent on the whim of another human being to save them. It’s a moment that sums up the sheer desperation of the film and the harshness of the setting.
[symple_heading style=”” title=”The Martian” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””]Another with quite bare, deserted aesthetics The Martian was a visual success, both for its time on Mars and in outer space.
The scene of Matt Damon’s lone astronaut surrounded by the vastness of Mars was truly beautiful and summarised his feeling of isolation and helplessness.
[symple_heading style=”” title=”Room” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””]Room was a harrowing film where a mother and her son were confined, trapped, in a claustrophobic space that for the child was the only world he had ever known.
This image both gives us an indication of the space or lack thereof and also of the bond of love between parent and son.
[symple_heading style=”” title=”Sicario” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””]With a master cinematographer like Roger Deakins at the helm and Denis Villeneuve directing, Sicario was always going to be well shot. It was a triumph in suspense but also had some horrifying images at times, and could have played out as such if they wanted it to. After all, the main characters were chasing a monster.
Here, Emily Blunt has been put through the wringer physically and emotionally, literally forced to wash off the demons she has accumulated along the way. It perfectly symbolises the whole atmosphere of the film.
[symple_heading style=”” title=”Ex Machina” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””]Ex Machina was without doubt one of the best films of the year. A fantastically focused look at artificial intelligence that twisted the mind for days.
The film carried a sense of foreboding all the way through and nothing alludes to the quiet danger like Avas gaze here. Nothing is as it seems.
[symple_heading style=”” title=”The Walk” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””]The Walk was always going to be visually spectacular, given it was about the first and only man to walk on a wire between the twin towers of the World Trade Centre. It was said to have audiences nauseous, especially in the Imax, and it’s easy to see why.
Lost River was a film that wasn’t perfect, except when it came to its imagery. There are too many beautifully constructed shots to mention but at it’s core it was a film commentating on the state of Detroit and one image can best describe the situation.
Labelled one of the most interesting and striking horror films in recent history, It Follows was full of disturbingly powerful and creepy imagery.
The characters in the film find themselves fleeing from something that doesn’t move fast but is relentless, it can’t be pushed back or wiped away.
[symple_heading style=”” title=”The Revenant” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””]Leonardo DiCaprio is tipped to finally win his Oscar for Best Actor with this film, while Emmanuel Lubezki is favourite to win his third for cinematography. Shot in all natural light, The Revenant is a testament to the skill and dedication of the filmmakers, and actors.
[symple_heading style=”” title=”Southpaw” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””]
While the plot of Southpaw wasn’t overly original, it was the authenticity of the film that really allowed it to stand up. The fight scenes were some of the best since Rocky.
There are not many cooler filmmakers going around than Neil Blomkamp. With Chappie he managed to ask some big questions about A.I as well as make a particularly entertaining movie.
The image of ‘conscious’ outcast robot Chappie interacting with a dog above Johannesburg is quite heart wrenching.
[symple_heading style=”” title=”Everest” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=”undefined” icon_left=”” icon_right=””]A film about Mt. Everest is not going to fail to stun with its beauty, and the mountain was very much the hero of the film.
Knowing the events were based on fact, some of the more precarious scenes like this one do take your breath away as a viewer.
There are some of the most iconic filmic images of 2015. Are there any we missed? What should we include in our all time list?