Film Language Tag: voiceover narration
(voiceover) A person not seen (and who may not belong to the physical world shown in the film) talks directly to the viewer.
10086 Sunset Boulevard , Sunset Boulevard
After giving the repo-men the slip, Joe (William Holden) stumbles upon old Hollywood actress Norma Desmond's (Gloria Swanson) mansion.
A Family of Geniuses , The Royal Tenenbaums
The narrator introduces Margot, Richie, and Chaz Tenenbaum as children.
A Friendship, Jules and Jim
Jules (Oskar Werner), an Austrian, and Jim (Henri Serre), a Frenchman, become fast friends in Paris.
A Movie About Flowers, Adaptation.
Charlie meets up with Valerie to discuss adapting The Orchid Thief into a screenplay.
A Sonata for Good Men, The Lives of Others
After receiving news of Jerska's death, Dreyman plays Sonata for Good Men on the piano.
About My Boat, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Steve Zissou explains the various facets of his boat.
Accessory to Murder, Menace II Society
Caine (Tyrin Turner) and O-Dog (Larenz Tate) shop at a liquor store, but tensions rise when they're followed by the employees
Adelaide Confronts Red, Us
Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) confronts Red (Lupita Nyong'o) who has captured her son, Jason Wilson (Evan Alex). As Adelaide creeps up behind Red, weapon in hand, Red begins a monologue about her life as a tethered. The monologue is overlayed with images of Adelaide and Red as young girls. The twist that Adelaide was originally a tethered is revealed.
Adenoid Hynkel, Dictator of Tomainia, The Great Dictator
Adenoid Hynkel (Charlie Chaplin) delivers a speech in "Tomainian" to a crowd of soldiers.
All is Grace (Closing Sequence), Diary of a Country Priest
The priest (Claude Laydu) passes away. His friend Dufrety (Bernard Hubrenne) recounts his final moments in a letter to the priest of Torcy (Adrien Borel).
An Unconcievable Betrayal, Malcolm X
Malcolm X (Denzel Washington) realizes Elijah Muhammad (Al Freeman Jr.) has contradicted his own teachings.
Armchair Psychology, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
Morosini and a psychologist sit down for an interview to discuss Monica Ranieri.
Calvary Massacre of the Comanches, The Searchers
Ethan and Martin arrive at a Comanches' camp only to find it burned down and the people killed.
Camp Chapman Attack, Zero Dark Thirty
Jessica (Jennifer Ehle) and Maya (Jessica Chastain) text back and forth. Jessica goes to meet a supposed double agent for Al-Qaeda but instead, the agent is a triple agent and sets off a suicide vest, killing 7 CIA operatives. Maya finds out about her friend's death and Thomas (Jeremy Strong) informs her of Abu Ahmed's death.
Chiyo's Arrival, Memoirs of a Geisha
After being sold off by their father, sisters Chiyo (Suzuka Ohgo) and Satsu (Samantha Futerman) arrive in Kyoto to work in a geisha house
Closing Scene, The Great Beauty
As Santa Maria climbs the long staircase inside the Scala Sancta, Jep recalls a recurring memory from his past.
Closing Scene, Ready Player One
The High Five team inherit Halliday's stocks in Gregarious Games and get ownership of the OASIS.
Closing Sequence, Carrie
Sue is terrorized by dreams of Carrie.
Closing Sequence, Paisan
A German officer (Roberto Van Loel) explains his cause to the captured OSS.
Closing Sequence, Men, Women & Children
The narrator’s (Emma Thompson) reflections on humanity are juxtaposed with the lives of each of the families.
Closing Sequence, Biidaaban (The Dawn Comes)
Biidaaban connects with their ancestors through the tradidional practices of tapping trees.
Closing Sequence, Daughters of the Dust
The Peazant family moves to the North.
Closing Sequence, The Grey Zone
After the rebellion, the SS execute the Sonderkommandos who survived (David Arquette, David Chandler).
Closing Sequence, Sunset Boulevard
During their fight, Norma (Gloria Swanson) shoots Joe (William Holden).
Cobb's Flashback, Inception
Cobb flashes back to Mal's suicide.
Contrastive Organisation, Mondo Cane
The practice of eating unusual foods in Asia compared to America is discussed.
CT questions God, Bright Road
CT (Philip Hepburn) questions Ms.Richards (Dorothy Dandridge) about God and race at Sunday School in front of the class.
DeMille's Set, Sunset Boulevard
Joe (William Holden) and Max (Erich von Stroheim) accompany Norma (Gloria Swanson) to Paramount Pictures to see what Cecil DeMille (himself) has to say about the script.
Deus Ex Machina, Adaptation.
Susan and Leroache chase Charlie through the swamp.
Dinner with Roland, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Madame Émery (Anna Vernon) invites Roland Cassard (Marc Michel), a wealthy jeweler, to dinner. Roland reveal to Madame Èmery he wants to propose to Geneviève (Catherine Deneuve).
Drama, The Watermelon Woman
Cheryl (Cheryl Dunye) and Tamara (Valarie Walker) visit Lee Edwards (Brian Freeman) to learn more about the Watermelon Woman.
Elephant In the Room, Exit Through the Gift Shop
Banksy has a live, painted elephant at his art show.
Ending Sequence, Menace II Society
Caine (Tyrin Turner) and Ronnie (Jada Pinkett Smith) get ready to move to Atlanta
Ending Sequence, Memoirs of a Geisha
After returning to Kyoto, Sayuri (Ziyi Zhang) reunites with her lifelong love, the chairman (Ken Watanabe), who finally admits his affections
Epilogue, Minority Report
Anderton describes the fate of the precognitive system in the aftermath of Burgess’ death.
Esperanza's Monologue, Salt of the Earth
Esperanza (Rosaura Revueltas) speaks about her family's historical connection with what was once "San Marcos," but was changed to "Zinc Town" by white settlers.
Every Rose Has Its Thorns, Pan's Labyrinth
Ofelia talks to her brother through her mother's womb and tells him a story.
Face-to-Face, Jules and Jim
During his stay at Jules (Oskar Werner) and Catherine's (Jeanne Moreau) chalet in the Rhineland, Jim (Henri Serre) finds himself drawn to Catherine as her marriage with Jules falls apart.
Facemash, The Social Network
Mark and his roommates create Facemash and get it live for people to use.
Fausto's Triumphant Return from his Honeymoon, I Vitelloni
Fausto (Franco Fabrizi) returns home from his honeymoon with Sandra (Leonora Ruffo) and dances with the vitelloni at their reunion.
Finding Allah, Malcolm X
Learning about the Honorable ELijah Muhammad (Al Freeman Jr.) from Baines (Albert Hall), Malcolm (Denzel Washington) eventually converts to Islam.
Forgotten Star, Sunset Boulevard
Joe (William Holden) and Norma (Gloria Swanson) watch one of Norma's old films.
Free France, Casablanca
A French resistance fighter carrying visas and papers is chased and shot.
Getting Away, Menace II Society
Ronnie (Jada Pinkett Smith) asks Caine (Tyrin Turner) to move to Atlanta
Gimme My Money, Menace II Society
Caine (Tyrin Turner) witnesses the lifestyle that his parents have chosen.
Good Days and Bad Days, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Marcel (Jenny Slate) takes care of his grandmother, Nana Connie (Isabella Rossellini), and observes the attention they are getting. After ensuring privacy in his home, he goes on to "ice-skate" on a dusty table before he notices a squirrel in the house.
Hide Me Somewhere Really Buried, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Joel takes Clementine into a particularly humiliating and repressed memory from his childhood.
I Want You to Hit Me, Fight Club
Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) encourages The Narrator (Edward Norton) to stay over at his place. Once that's settled he asks him to hit him. The Narrator then gives us a backstory for Durden. It flashes back to the present and The Narrator hits Durden, starting the first fight of the movie and the beginning of fight club.
In Pursuit of a Good Time, Il Sorpasso
Roberto and Bruno pursue two German women through the Roman countryside.
In Real Life, On TV, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
The 60 Minute crew sets up for Marcel's (Jenny Slate) interview.
Into The Woods, Rashomon
The woodcutter recounts what happened when he went into the woods.
Introduction of Aman (Shah Rukh Khan) - An Angel Appears, Kal Ho Naa Ho
When Naina’s (Preity Zinta) family finds themselves in hard times, they pray together for something or someone to change their lives for the better. Aman (Shahrukh Khan) appears to do just that.
It Would Be Romantic, Adaptation.
Charlie contemplates kissing Amelia.
Jackie Goes to Washington, The Jackie Robinson Story
Jackie Robinson (Jackie Robinson) wins the pennant for the Brooklyn Dodgers and travels to Washington, DC.
Jerry Maguire Opening Title Sequence, Jerry Maguire
A list of opening credits superimposed upon a montage of the protagonist's work experience.
Joe's First Night, Sunset Boulevard
Joe (William Holden) spends the night at Norma's (Gloria Swanson) and wakes up to all his belongings in the guest room.
Kal Ho Naa Ho Opening Sequence, Kal Ho Naa Ho
The opening sequence voice-over, and the credits against the backdrop of New York work together to depict the city as a land of economic and romantic possibilities for non-resident Indian Naina (Preity Zinta).
Laurie Reads Martin's Letter, The Searchers
Laurie reads Martin's letter to her family and they find out what him and Ethan are up to.
Layman's Language, Chan Is Missing
Jo (Wood Moy) and Steve (Marc Hayashi) meet a lawyer (Judi Nihei) who is representing Chan and is also looking for him.
Life Remote Control, Exit Through the Gift Shop
Banksy talks about Thierry's documentary, Life Remote Control.
M3GAN's Purpose, M3GAN
As Gemma (Allison Williams) brainstorms the initial advertisement scheme for the M3GAN toy, emphasizing the algorithmic/AI features, she debates with Tess (Jen Van Epps) about M3GAN's role as an assistive toy rather than a replacement for the parent or guardian.
Meghna’s Backstory Flashback, Dil Se..
Meghna (Manisha Koirala) recounts to Amar (Shah Rukh Khan) the suffering she endured at the hands of the army.
Moonlighting , Sunset Boulevard
While Norma (Gloria Swanson) undergoes an intense makeover for her "comeback," Joe (William Holden) sneaks out at night to write a script with Betty (Nancy Olson).
Mrs. Chan, Chan Is Missing
Jo (Wood Moy) and Steve (Marc Hayashi) visit Mrs. Chan Hung (Ellen Yeung).
Neil Recalls Brian’s Abuse by Coach, Mysterious Skin
Neil (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) recalls his own involvement in Brian (Brady Corbet)'s being abused by their Little League coach (Bill Sage) as children (played by Chase Ellison and George Webster respectively).
New Year's at Norma's, Sunset Boulevard
Joe (William Holden) attends Norma's (Gloria Swanson) lavish New Year's Eve "party."
Not That Kind of Woman, The Watermelon Woman
Cheryl (Cheryl Dunye) and Diana (Guinevere Turner) visit Martha Page's sister (Patricia Ellis).
Office Fight, Fight Club
The Narrator (Edward Norton) blackmails his boss (Zach Grenier). He then punches himself in the face and stages an entire fight against himself in front of the boss. He says it reminds him of his first fight with Tyler Durden. Once he's sufficiently bloodied, the police arrive and assume the boss was responsible.
Opening Sequence, Pan's Labyrinth
Princess Moanna's backstory is revealed.
Opening Sequence, Candyman
The film opens on the city of Chicago.
Opening Sequence, Divorce Italian Style
Opening sequence
Opening Sequence, Men, Women & Children
Donald Truby (Adam Sandler) watches online pornography on his son’s computer.
Opening Sequence, File Under Miscellaneous
A Mi’kmaq man arrives at a hospital to undergo a surgical procedure to become white.
Opening Sequence, Biidaaban (The Dawn Comes)
A caribou ghost unwraps plastic fencing around a tree.
Opening Sequence, The Piano
Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter) plays the piano.
Opening Sequence, The Joy Luck Club
June (Ming-Na Wen) recounts an allegory following a woman immigrating from China to the US. She brings a swan with her, intending to gift it to her future American daughter. However, an immigration officer confiscates the swan, and the mother is left with a feather.
Opening Sequence, Chungking Express
He Qiwu (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is struggling with a breakup when he first bumps into a woman in a blonde wig.
Opening Sequence, The Jackie Robinson Story
An offscreen narrator explains the importance of Jackie Robinson's story as a young Jackie (Howard Louis MacNeely) walks with his back turned to the camera.
Opening Sequence, Avatar
Paraplegic Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) narrates the view of Pandora, an alien planet with abundant resources. The scenery changes to a futuristic Earth whose own natural resources have been depleted by climate change, war, and overpopulation.
Opening Sequence, The Exiles
A montage of photographs of Native Americans.
Opening Sequence, The Living End
Jon (Craig Gilmore) gets a diagnosis at the doctor's office
Opening Sequence , Waiting to Exhale
On New Year's Eve, four women in separate households navigate relationships with the men in their lives.
Opening Sequence, Roman Holiday
Crown princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) travels on a goodwill tour to various European cities.
Opening Sequence, A Matter of Life and Death
The Earth in the Universe. British pilot Peter Carter (David Niven) radios in June (Kim Hunter), an American radio operator, before jumping out of a burning plane.
Opening Sequence, Sunset Boulevard
Joe Gillis (William Holden) begins the story of his demise.
Opening Sequence, The Seventh Seal
After returning from the Crusades, Antonious Block (Max von Sydow) begins a game of chess with Death (Bengt Ekerot).
Parzival's Monologue, Ready Player One
Parzival reminds his fellow players that they must work together to stop IOI from taking control of the OASIS.
Pilar's Story, For Whom the Bell Tolls
Pilar recalls a time when Pablo was different and they first fought the Nationalists.
Professor von Braun, Alphaville
Lemmy (Eddie Constantine) invites Professor von Braun (Howard Vernon) to return with him to the Outerlands.
Richie and Margot Reunite, The Royal Tenenbaums
Margot meets her brother, Richie, who has returned from his voyage at sea.
Rococo, Divorce Italian Style
Ferdinando installs the recording system to spy on Rosalia and Carmelo.
Sam Cooke's Boston Performance, One Night in Miami...
Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Anir) recounts the story of Sam Cooke's (Leslie Odom Jr.) performance for an angry crowd in Boston.
Scena D'Apertura, Il Divo
We are introduced to Giulio Andreotti.
Sergeant Rutledge Saves the Cavalry, Sergeant Rutledge
Sergeant Rutledge (Woody Strode) gives his testimony to the court about what happened during the ambush.
Sofia and Harpo Get Married, The Color Purple
Sofia (Oprah Winfrey) meets her fiance Harpo's father (Danny Glover). Despite his disapproval, she and Harpo (Willard E. Pugh) get married
Spider-Man Opening Title Sequence, Spider-Man
A list of opening credits in conjunction with digital webbing and foreshadowing imagery.
Spiritual Awakening, Malcolm X
Malcolm X (Denzel Washington) travels to Mecca after breaking with the Nation of Islam.
Suzy Follows the Footsteps, Suspiria
Suzy hears the footsteps and decides to follow them to Madame Blanc's office.
The Candyman Legend, Candyman
A student tells the story of a girl killed by Candyman.
The First Rule of Fight Club, Fight Club
Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) lays out the rules for Fight Club decided on by him and The Narrator (Edward Norton). This includes the well-known line, "You do not talk about Fight Club." The first fight begins, which includes someone from The Narrator's office. We flash forward to the following days where The Narrator explains that Fight Club only exists when you're in it—that in the outside world, it is not acknowledged. We see him and various other injured people go about their daily lives without talking about it.
The Fugitive Opening Title Sequence, The Fugitive
A list of opening credits superimposed upon the protagonist, followed by an audio description of the locales used.
The Man Upstairs, The Lego Movie
The Man Upstairs (Will Ferrell) is upset that his son, Finn (Jadon Sand), has been playing with his Lego city.
The Mess, Chan Is Missing
Jo (Wood Moy) goes around Chinatown paranoid as Chan's disappearance becomes more mysterious.
The Picket Line, Salt of the Earth
Esperanza (Rosaura Revueltas) describes how women got involved in the picket line that the miners formed to protest their working conditions.
The Ruse Revealed, Vertigo
Judy (Kim Novak) writes a letter to Scottie (James Stewart) explaining her con as Madeleine, but rips it up instead of leaving it for him.
The Temptation of Dr Antonio (dir. Federico Fellini), Opening Sequence, Boccaccio '70
A cherubic narrator provides an overview of Roman society in the early 1960s.
The Truth Comes Out, Sunset Boulevard
After finding out about Joe's (William Holden) sneaking around, Norma (Gloria Swanson) calls Betty (Nancy Olson) and taunts her.
The War, Jules and Jim
Shortly after Jules (Oskar Werner) and Catherine (Jeanne Moreau) get married, Jules and Jim (Henri Serre) are sent to serve during the Great War on opposing sides.
The Watermelon Woman, The Watermelon Woman
Cheryl (Cheryl Dunye) explains her project on the Watermelon Woman.
Thierry's Accident, Exit Through the Gift Shop
Thierry suffers an accident while working.
Thierry's Process, Exit Through the Gift Shop
Thierry and his employees discuss his artistic process.
Vote Yes, Minority Report
A commercial touting the Precrime Program’s success in Washington D.C encourages Americans to vote yes on a national precrime initiative.
Wade Explains the OASIS, Ready Player One
Wade, in voiceover, explains how the virtual world of the OASIS works.
Wai-Tung Exercises While Simon Works, The Wedding Banquet
Wai-Tung (Winston Chao) works out while a voiceover of his mother discusses his father's health and Wai-Tung's prospects for an arranged marriage. Wai-Tung calls his partner, Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein), to cancel plans before bumping into an old acquaintance.
Wakanda Origins, Black Panther
N'Jobu tells his son about their homeland, Wakanda. Later, N'Jobu is confronted by T'Chaka for giving information on Wakanda to arms dealer Ulysses Klaue.
Welcome to Bricksburg, The Lego Movie
Emmet (Chris Pratt) wakes up and follows his instructions to have another wonderful day in Bricksburg.
Women's Group Interview, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Borat conducts a group interview with a women's rights group.
You Don't Have to Be the Bad Guy, The Lego Movie
The Man Upstairs (Will Ferrell) forgives Finn (Jadon Sand) for playing with his Legos while Emmet (Chris Pratt) convinces Lord Business (Will Ferrell) to put the piece of resistance on the Kragle.
