Film Language Tag: flashback
A shot, scene, or sequence that follows an image set in the present with an image set in the past.
La Saraghina, 8½
Guido (Marcello Mastroianni) recalls when, as a young Catholic boy, he got in trouble for visiting a prostitue, La Saraghina (Eddra Gale).
"I Choose Nevers", Hiroshima Mon Amour
He (Eiji Okada) learns about her (Emmanuelle Riva) first love, a German solider (Bernard Fresson) who was killed before they could elope.
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 Loving Brother, Once Upon a Time in the West
Frank (Henry Fonda) rides to Sweetwater to face Harmonica (Charles Bronson) in a duel. Harmonica recalls how he gained his harmonica.
A Movie About Flowers, Adaptation.
Charlie meets up with Valerie to discuss adapting The Orchid Thief into a screenplay.
A Son, Letter from an Unknown Woman
Lisa (Joan Fontaine) gives birth to a son whom she gives his father's name, Stefan (Louis Brand).
A Survivor, The Grey Zone
Hoffman (David Arquette) finds a girl (Kamelia Grigorova) that survived the gas and, with the help of Max (David Chandler) and Schlermer (Daniel Benzali), get her to Dr. Nyiszli (Allan Corduner).
Adapting is Shameful, Adaptation.
Leroache and Susan talk about natural adaptation as they drive.
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.
An Epic of Peace, Wings of Desire
Cassiel (Otto Sander) follows Homer (Curt Bois) in the library and at the Berlin Wall.
Antique Store, The Night Porter
Lucia visits an antique store and finds a pink negligee.
Aquaphobia, The Truman Show
At the beach, Truman (Jim Carrey) remembers losing his father Kirk (Brian Delane) at sea and gets caught in the rain.
At the Opera, The Night Porter
While opera singers perform Mozart's The Magic Flute, Lucia (Charlotte Rampling) and Max (Dirk Bogarde) recollect events that took place years before at the concentration camp where they first met.
Avalyn and Brian Discover Dead Deer , Mysterious Skin
After meeting to discuss shared memories of alien abduction and violation, Brian (Brady Corbet) and Avalyn (Mary Lynn Rajskub) encounter a dead deer she says was experimented on by aliens and then left in the field near her home. When she presses Brian to insert his hand into an incision in the body, he experiences flashbacks of past alien abduction and violation -- with a young Neil (Chase Ellison) appearing in them alongside his own past self (George Webster)
Bailey, Once Upon a Time in America
Noodles (Robert De Niro) meets Secretary Bailey, who reveals he is Max (James Woods).
Becoming Caligari, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Driven mad with obsession, the asylum director (Werner Krauss) decides to imitate Dr. Caligari.
Bert Performs, The Night Porter
Bert (Amedeo Amodio) performs for Max (Dirk Bogarde) and other Nazi officers.
Buddy Deeds Ain't On Board, Lone Star
Mayor Hollins (Clifton James) tells the story of when Sheriff Charlie Wade (Kris Kristofferson) tried to get Buddy Deeds (Matthew McConaughey) into his business.
Butch's Watch, Pulp Fiction
Butch (Bruce Willis) is shown as a child receiving his father's watch from world war 2. The watch is given to him by Captain Koons (Christopher Walken) a friend of his who explains its origins.
Clemenza, The Godfather Part II
Vito (Robert de Niro) properly meets Clemenza (Bruno Kirby), who ropes him into a plot to steal a rug.
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 Sequence, Don't Look Now
John follows the red-hooded figure while Laura races to catch up to him.
Closing Sequence, Minority Report
Burgess decide whether to spare Anderton or to kill him, with his freedom or his life’s work hanging in the balance.
Closing Sequence, Letter from an Unknown Woman
Stefan (Louis Jourdan) finishes reading Lisa's (Joan Fontaine) letter, learning that both she and their son (Leo B Pessin) have died of typhus, and decides to engage in his duel with Johann (Marcel Journet).
Closing Sequence, The Namesake
Nick/Gogol (Kal Penn) attends a going-away party for his mother, Ashima (Tabu), who is departing for India. He visits his childhood bedroom and discovers the Nikolai Gogol book that his father, Ashoke (Irrfan Khan) has gifted him, and speaks with his mother about his wife, Moushumi's (Zuleikha Robinson) affair.
Closing Sequence, The Namesake
Nick/Gogol (Kal Penn) attends a going-away party for his mother, Ashima (Tabu), who is departing for India. He visits his childhood bedroom and discovers the Nikolai Gogol book that his father, Ashoke (Irrfan Khan) has gifted him, and speaks with his mother about his wife, Moushumi's (Zuleikha Robinson) affair.
Closing Sequence, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
The Man (George O'Brien), while assaulting the Woman (Margaret Livingston), finds out what happened to the Wife (Janet Gaynor) in the storm.
Closing Sequence, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Marianne (Noémie Merlant) recalls the last time she saw Heloise (Adèle Haenel).
Closing Sequence, The Godfather Part II
Michael's (Al Pacino) loose ends are tied up.
Cobb's Flashback, Inception
Cobb flashes back to Mal's suicide.
Confessional, The Conformist
Marcello goes to confession in order to marry Giulia.
Confessione, Il Divo
Andreotti shares his thoughts on all the accusations and rumors.
Congressman Howard, Coffy
After Howard's (Booker Bradshaw) announcement, him and Coffy (Pam Grier) share a night of passion.
Destroy Me, Hiroshima Mon Amour
He (Eiji Okada) asks her (Emmanuelle Riva) to stay in Hiroshima. They walk around the city.
Dime-Store Romance, Hiroshima Mon Amour
He (Eiji Okada) and her (Emmanuelle Riva) walk to the Hiroshima train station.
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).
Don Balosa, Amarcord
The town priest hears Titta's confession.
Don't Look at Her Eyes, Please, Nope
OJ Haywood (Daniel Kaluuya) walks around his house after an alien UFO excretes blood all over it, yelling out for his sister and friend to come to the car. The music is distorted because of the alien's interference with electricity. A flashback reminds him not to look up at the alien.
Edo Discovers the Affair, I Am Love
In an emotional climax, Edo (Flavio Parenti) finally realizes his mother is having an affair with his close friend Antonio (Edoardo Gabbriellini) and then meets his tragic demise by falling and hitting his head on the pool’s stone trim.
Elle and Lui, Hiroshima Mon Amour
A French actress (Emmanuelle Riva) and a Japanese architect (Eiji Okada) wake after a night together.
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
Ending Sequence, Bessie
After the Great Depression stunted her career, Bessie (Queen Latifah) begins to perform again. She meets producer John Hammond (Bryan Greenberg), who helps reinvigorate her career. Amidst new success, Bessie reflects on her life
Ending Sequence: The Aftermath of Siras’ death, Aligarh
Siras (Manoj Bajpayee) has died overnight, and Deepu (Rajkummar Rao) comes to his apartment to see his dead body. Deepu runs away visibly upset. It ends with a flashback of Siras hearing a noise before he dies.
Extra People, Wings of Desire
Damiel (Bruno Ganz) and Cassiel (Otto Sander) observe actor Peter Falk (Peter Falk) on a WWII-era film set.
Flashback to Paris, Casablanca
Rick remembers his time with Ilsa and the arrival of the Nazis in Paris.
Francis and Jane, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Francis remembers the ordeals that Jane and he went through.
Get Out (Closing Sequence), Get Out
Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) continues his escape from the Armitage estate. While on the road, Rose (Allison Williams) catches up to him.
Goodbye, The Godfather Part II
After finding the bodies of the men who tried to kill him, Michael (Al Pacino) says goodbye to his son, Anthony (James Gounaris).
Her Forgetting, Hiroshima Mon Amour
She (Emmanuelle Riva) tells him (Eiji Okada) about recovering from her German lover's (Bernard Fresson) death.
Honey, Its Late, Memento
Leonard wakes up in a room filled with his wife's belongings and has a flashback to her assault.
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.
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 All Comes Out, Lone Star
Otis (Ron Canada) and Mayor Hollis (Clifton James) come clean to Sheriff Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper) about what happened to Sheriff Wade (Kris Kristofferson).
Jay's Childhood Memory, Wonderful Days
A young Jay (Kim Hee-Jung) recalls the last time she saw Shua (Maeng Se Chang) as a child.
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.
Joel Visits Lacuna, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
After learning that Clementine (Kate Winslet) has erased her memories of him through Lacuna, a heartbroken Joel (Jim Carrey) decides to undergo the memory removal procedure himself.
June Receives her Mother's Feather, The Joy Luck Club
June’s father (Chao-Li Chi) gifts June (Ming-Na Wen) a swan feather. June’s mother, Suyuan (Kieu Chinh) intended to give the feather to her daughter as a symbol of her hope and pride, but passed away prior to this gifting.
Just Breathe, In the Heights
Nina (Leslie Grace), home from Stanford, worries about the expectations and responsibilities on her shoulders.
Killing the Rooster, Caché
In a dream, Georges recalls a violent episode involving a rooster at his childhood home.
Lina and Ying-Ying's Marital Struggles, The Joy Luck Club
Ying-Ying (France Nuyen) hears of her daughter, Lena’s (Lauren St. Clair) marital troubles with her fickle husband, Harold (Michael Paul Chan). Flashbacks of Ying-Ying’s abusive Chinese husband, Lin Xiao (Russell Wong) link mother and daughter.
Linz, Letter from an Unknown Woman
In Linz, Lisa's (Joan Fontaine) parents arrange for her to meet Lt. von Kaltnegger (John Good), who proposes to her.
Marrians Riot, Wonderful Days
As Marrians riot against Ecoban, Shua (Choi Ji Hoon) worries for the safety of his young friend Woody (Kim Sung Min) and protects Jay (Eun Yeong Seon) from an attack.
Max and Lucia Meet Again, The Night Porter
Max sees Lucia again while working as a porter at the Volksoper Hotel.
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.
Memories and Nightmares, Wonderful Days
Cade (Oh In Seong) remembers Shua (Choi Ji Hoon) from his youth and Shua has a nightmare.
Miss Beecher Finds the Body, Sergeant Rutledge
Miss Beecher (Constance Towers) offers her testimony to the court about what happened the night she encountered Sergeant Rutledge (Woody Strode).
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).
Nick/Gogol and Max's Fight, The Namesake
Nick/Gogol (Kal Penn) shaves his head for his father, Ashoke's (Irrfan Khan) funeral. A flashback to Ashoke's shaved head unites the past and the present. Max (Jacinda Barrett) and Nick/Gogol fight about her presence at Ashoke's funeral ceremony.
Nick/Gogol Learns About His Name, The Namesake
Max (Jacinda Barrett) visits Nick/Gogol's (Kal Penn) childhood home and meets his parents. Ashoke (Irrfan Khan) tells Nick/Gogol about the origins of his name. A flashback captures Ashoke's traumatic train accident.
Not My Friend, Intruder in the Dust
Chick Mallison (Claude Jarman Jr.) recounts to his uncle John Stevens (David Brian) how he first met Lucas Beauchamp (Juano Hernandez).
Nothing Left, Letter from an Unknown Woman
Lisa (Joan Fontaine) leaves her mother (Mady Christmas) at the train station to go back to the apartment and see Stefan (Louis Jourdan) once more before leaving for Linz.
Noye's Fludde, Moonrise Kingdom
Sam and Suzy, now together, remember their first meeting at the church's production of "Noye's Fludde."
Occlusion, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
A loss of function leads doctors to suture one of Bauby's eyes.
On Top, Stormy Weather
Bill (Bill Robinson) runs into Selina (Lena Horne) at a cafe in Memphis, who convinces her manager Chick Bailey (Emmett Wallace) to include in their show.
Opening Sequence, Pan's Labyrinth
Princess Moanna's backstory is revealed.
Opening Sequence, Devil in a Blue Dress
Laid off from the factory, Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins (Denzel Washington) is introduced by his friend Joppy (Mel Winkler) to DeWitt Albright (Tom Sizemore), who offers him a job.
Opening Sequence, Stormy Weather
Bill Williamson (Bill Robinson) recounts to the neighborhood kids his return to New York from France and going to the bar with his friend Gabe (Dooley Wilson).
Opening Sequence, Letter from an Unknown Woman
Concert pianist Stefan Brand (Louis Jourdan) enlists his mute butler John (Art Smith) in helping him evade a duel, and sits down to read a letter from an unknown woman (Joan Fontaine).
Opening Sequence, Bessie
Bessie (Queen Latifah) performs in a vaudeville show and reflects on her childhood
Opening Sequence, Run Lola Run
Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu) tells Lola (Franka Potente) how he lost 100,000 marks.
Opening Sequence, Aftersun
Sophie (Frankie Corio) and her father Calum (Paul Mescal) go on a vacation to Turkey.
Opening Sequence, Sunset Boulevard
Joe Gillis (William Holden) begins the story of his demise.
Opening Sequence, The Godfather Part II
As a boy, Vito Andolini (Oreste Baldini) is run out of his hometown, Corleone, Italy, and immigrates to the United States by himself.
Otis Meets Sheriff Wade, Lone Star
Minnie (Beatrice Winde) tells Sheriff Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper) about when a young Otis (Gabriel Cassius) met Sheriff Charlie Wade (Kris Kristofferson).
Personal Reasons, Philadelphia
Andrew Becket (Tom Hanks) explains why he was fired from his job to Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) with hopes that Miller might represent him in court
Phone Ring, Once Upon a Time in America
The thugs beat Fat Moe (Larry Rapp) and learn Noodles (Robert De Niro) is hiding out in an opium den. Noodles remembers finding his friends Patsy (James Hayden) and Cockeye (William Forsythe) killed and his friend Max (James Woods) burned beyond recognition.
Phone Ring, Once Upon a Time in America
The thugs beat Fat Moe (Larry Rapp) and learn Noodles (Robert De Niro) is hiding out in an opium den. Noodles remembers finding his friends Patsy (James Hayden) and Cockeye (William Forsythe) killed and his friend Max (James Woods) burned beyond recognition.
Pilar's Story, For Whom the Bell Tolls
Pilar recalls a time when Pablo was different and they first fought the Nationalists.
Playback, The Conversation
Harry plays back the recordings of the couple.
Post Internet, Transcendence
Max Waters reminisces about his friends Will and Evelyn Caster in a post-internet world.
Prognosis, Fruitvale Station
Wanda (Octavia Spencer) waits at the hospital to hear of her son Oscar's (Michael B. Jordan) prognosis after being shot by a BART police officer. A doctor informs her and other loved ones that Oscar is not responding well to treatment, prompting Wanda to lead a prayer for him. However, Oscar dies.
Pronto, Marriage Italian Style
While at work, Filumena receives a surprising phone call.
Registering Prisoners, The Night Porter
The Nazi SS officers register the new prisoners and take photos.
Richie's Suicide Attempt, The Royal Tenenbaums
Richie shaves his hair off and attempts to commit suicide.
Safety and Danger, The Garden of the Finzi-Continis
Micòl (Dominique Sanda) and Giorgio (Lino Capolicchio) share an intimate moment in the carriage house at the Finzi-Contini villa.
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.
She's Happy, Don't Look Now
Laura goes to help Wendy and Heather tells Laura that she saw Christine laughing and sitting with Laura and John.
Sunken Place, Get Out
After waking up in the middle of the night for fresh air, Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) runs into Missy (Catherine Keener), who sends him to the Sunken Place.
Suzy Follows the Footsteps, Suspiria
Suzy hears the footsteps and decides to follow them to Madame Blanc's office.
T'Challa's Vision, Black Panther
T'Challa is met by his father in the Ancestral plane after taking the heart-shaped herb.
The Cellar and the Tea Room, Hiroshima Mon Amour
At a tea room, he (Eiji Okada) learns about the aftermath of her (Emmanuelle Riva) love affair spent locked by her parents (Pierre Barbaud, Stella Dassas) in a cellar.
The Creation of Don Corleone, The Godfather Part II
During a neighborhood celebration, Vito (Robert de Niro) enacts his revenge on Don Fanucci (Gastone Moschin).
The Dressing Room, The Grey Zone
Oberscharführer Muhsfeldt (Harvey Keitel) finds out the Sonderkommandos (David Arquette, David Chandler, Steve Buscemi, Daniel Benzali) and Dr. Nyiszli (Allan Corduner) are hiding a girl (Kamelia Grigorova).
The Magician, 8½
At dinner, a magician (Ian Dallas) reads Guido's (Marcello Mastroianni) mind, and he recalls a moment from his childhood.
The Memory of an Attack, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
Sam recounts to Guilia how he witnessed the attempted murder and tries to make sense of his flashbacks.
The Mess, Chan Is Missing
Jo (Wood Moy) goes around Chinatown paranoid as Chan's disappearance becomes more mysterious.
The Mole Metaphor, The Landlord
At a party in his building, landlord Elgar (Beau Bridges) hears from several partygoers how being Black in America has changed over time.
The Oxygen Destroyer, Godzilla
Emiko (Momoko Kouchi) recalls when Serizawa (Akihiko Hirata) demonstrated his Oxygen Destroyer to her in his lab.
The Radio Station, The Conformist
Marcello visits his friend, Italo at the radio station.
The Removal of Majid , Caché
Young Majid is removed from the Laurent family estate.
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 Truth, Nothing More, Intruder in the Dust
Lucas (Juano Hernandez) recounts to Chick (Claude Jarman Jr.) and Stevens (David Brian) his encounters with the Gowrie brothers.
Then I Sank into a Coma, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Jean-Do recalls the events leading up to his stroke.
Things Will Get Better, The Ring
Rachel (Naomi Watts) discovers the body of Samara (Daveigh Chase) in the well and has a vision of what happened to Samara in the final moments of her life.
Think Back, Pilgrim, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Ransom (James Stewart) rejects his nomination at the territorial convention, only for Tom (John Wayne) to arrive and reveal that he is one that killed Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin), not Ransom.
This is Life?, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Magazine editor Jean-Dominique (Jean-Do) Bauby awakes from a coma to find himself suffering from locked-in syndrome in a hospital in Berck-sur-Mer, France.
Tower of Babel, Metropolis
Maria tells the story of the Tower of Babel.
Tracking Beth, Contagion
Dr. Leonara Orantes and Sun Feng track Beth Emhoff's behavior after contracting the virus.
Ventimiglia, The Conformist
Marcello is ordered to assassinate Professor Quadri.
Vito's Revenge, The Godfather Part II
Vito (Robert de Niro) returns to Corleone and avenges his family.
Voices of the Gods, In the Heights
Vanessa (Melissa Barrera) shows Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) her work and Usnavi decides to stay in Washington Heights.
We Left Him, Black Panther
Zuri tells T'Challa what happened to his uncle and cousin.
Western Law, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Ransom (James Stewart) recounts about his arrival West on stagecoach, and being beaten and robbed by Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin).
Who is Keyser Soze, The Usual Suspects
Verbal (Kevin Spacey) tells the tale of Keyser Soze.
Wish I Knew How to Quit You, Brokeback Mountain
Ennis (Heath Ledger) and Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) argue about not being together.
Young Jep Almost Drowns, The Great Beauty
Young Jep swims in the ocean and doesn't notice an approaching speedboat.
Your Hollywood Pals, Stormy Weather
Bill (Bill Robinson) and Selina (Lena Thorne) decide not to settle down together.
