In addition to the actors, the film locations are often something like silent contributors, whose aura can have a significant influence on the character of a film - either because they inconspicuously, but precisely, fit the setting of a film or because they are formative for the mood of a scene - whether consciously or unconsciously - and influence the plot.
That&s why it&s interesting to take a closer look at the locations - be they special interiors or views of buildings - of well-known films, perhaps because they are very special places or because it&s impressive how one place has been transformed to represent a completely different one - be it historical, cultural or geographical - in a film, much like an actor.
Palais am Funkturm in Queens Gambit.
A fine example of places being transformed into virtual locations is the popular new Netflix mini-series "The Queen&s Gambit," which is actually set in Lexington, Kentucky as well as some scenes in cities like Mexico City, Cincinatti, Paris and Moscow. Berlin-savvy viewers, however, may recognize that the series was shot mostly at various well-known and lesser-known locations in Berlin, which were transformed by the set design into their respective locations for the action. For example, the Palais am Berliner Funkturm became the "Hotel Mariposa" in Las Vegas or the Friedrichstadt Palaste became the "Aztech Palace" in Mexico City, the Bode Museum became a Parisian cafe or - appropriately enough - Karl Marx Allee became a street in Moscow.
Spectacular locations for its fantasy storyline, on the other hand, are offered by Game of Thrones all over different places in the world - nicely listed with a description of the respective scene here.
Game of Thrones
And also agent series like the James Bond (e.g. Spectre )or the Mission: Impossible movies or the Joker live from their special movie locations.
There is a whole series of sites (and also YouTube videos) on the Internet where you can research at which locations a movie was shot - be it because you love a movie and therefore want to get to know the filming locations or - for example on a trip - to explore very special places that you already know from different movies. On location, special sigthseeing tours are even offered for some films due to their popularity. Sites such as Atlas of Wonders are particularly illustrative, juxtaposing stills from movies with the real locations - whether to remind you of the exact scene or to demonstrate the special transformation via CGI or through props or setups.
Queens Gambit Locations
On Latlong you can find all locations of a series or a movie listed by coordinates and displayed on a map - handy for example to plan a walk along several special locations. Here are the filming locations of Queens Gambit, Mad Men or The Ten Commandments.