6. The Chase – No Country for Old Men (2007)
The scale in the brothers 2007 adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s crime drama is quite frankly staggering – but not due to a heightened budget or elevated location shooting – rather the ways in which they capture every droplet of taut emotion and adrenaline from even the most basic sequences. The night time chase however is hardly a typical scene.
As Josh Brolin’s protagonist attempts to defend himself from heavy gunfire, he starts what becomes a testament to his will to survive. Having to ward off a persistent Jeep, he then must overcome a blood-thirsty hound who chases him through the desert and a lake laden with choppy waters. The cinematography here is immaculate and the step-by-step intensity of the sequence is what separates the filmmakers from many others working in Hollywood today. Its pulse-pounding and gut-wrenching, but elegant and poised. They don’t need pyrotechnics or gimmicks, just a cavalcade of smarts.
