Minority Report

thedog · May 13, 2003, 03:09:57 AM

Interesting thing about the Minority Report ending: It never happened. It was all happening in John Anderton's mind through the Halo. When they captured John Anderton for the first time in his old house and brought him to the "Halo prison" (i don't know what else to call it), everything after this point is happening in John's head. He lived his life just the way he wanted it, just like how the Halo was explained earlier in the film. There's a lot of evidence supporting this theory, including the complaint that the ending was overly happy, almost comical (check out the old lady reactions at the upper class dinner party, when John Anderton is uncovering Lamar Burgess). Things never turn out this happy and goofy, even Spielberg knows that.

At least that's what my friend told me. I'd like to see what you all think about it because he told me a few days after I actually saw the movie, and at the time it seemed to make a lot of sense to me. Especially since I heard from Moriarty (his review at AICN) that at test screenings, there was a John Anderton voice over right at the end of the film stating "the next year there were six hundred murders alone" or something to that affect. I really don't know why Spielberg would cut the line unless he had a different idea for the ending of the film. That different idea could be the theory I'm talking about.

anyway, it probably won't make people like the movie any more, but it works for me. almost like an inside joke. but i like the movie regardless.

Sleuth · May 13, 2003, 02:34:58 PM

Quote from: thedogThings never turn out this happy and goofy, even Spielberg knows that.
Quote

NO he doesn't

see: brontosaurus sneezing on Sam Niel aAAHAHAHAHAHno

cowboykurtis · May 13, 2003, 03:47:06 PM

Quote from: thedogInteresting thing about the Minority Report ending: It never happened. works for me. .

i disagree & if that was truly the case, the movie would be a sack of shit -- quite similar to IDENTITY.

pumba · May 13, 2003, 05:58:11 PM

The first time i saw minority report i enjoyed..the second time ,,thought it was garbage (MY FUCKING OPINION). It had one of the best intros to a movie...and there were some really good parts. But all in all it didn't make any sense and who ever liked is an idiot (My opinion again).

It was not one of 100 best movies of the year..although it was fiction It just didn't make sense...

cowboykurtis · May 13, 2003, 07:28:58 PM

Quote from: shnorffBut all in all it didn't make any sense and who ever liked is an idiot ...

so you're saying the people who though it "made sense" (ie. understood it)
are idiots. did you ever consider that maybe YOU are the idiot for not understanding it?

Gold Trumpet · May 13, 2003, 08:56:38 PM

I really wish I could debate someone on this movie, because I think it is a pure masterpiece. The thing is though, this topic is spouting more lines of hate than observance. Even the fucking title to the thread doesn't promise much in way of saying why it was bad or not up to par to the hype it is being given. That would be great.

The things I can comment on though:

Dialogue Cecil complained about being a little too cheesy: Done with purpose to capture the film noir feeling and structure the movie has. Its science fiction on the outside, but a film noir all the way in the mode of Double Indemnity. That dialogue and way of speaking was just the style for the genre. Dark City was similiar too. Personal feelings can say which one was more "hoaky" than the other, but followed the same streams.

Ending: That too, completely film noir. In film noir, it always the fight between the good and bad side, the light and the dark, and in most instances, the ending found the characters reaching the light and living happily ever after or whatever. I'm not saying it is the best creative decision to make, but it did have purpose and really, it is an ending that stands no match time wise to the rest of the film which a lot of people consider brilliant anyways. Not enough to judge an entire film by.

Actually, the reason I think most dissention comes from in Minority Report is that operates on a structure that has been for the most part dead for 50 years. Its not a bad decision, but Speilberg's and an interesting one because he is able to variatize his movie so much in way of editing, action and acting and storytelling even that it seems to be giving the final remarks on an entire genre while still perfectly acting as a film made now with the science fiction added in. But most things in this movie scream film noir and most dissention seems to be dislike of that entire genre instead of the movie specifically.

~rougerum

Cecil · May 14, 2003, 12:02:42 AM

Quote from: The Gold TrumpetDialogue Cecil complained about being a little too cheesy: Done with purpose to capture the film noir feeling and structure the movie has.

thats great, but i felt that that there was something.... missing in the way the dialogue was "delivered." the whole atmosphere to me felt more like fake-film noir than actual film noir. something was off.

Ghostboy · May 14, 2003, 01:14:57 AM

I really liked the movie. If Spielberg hadn't cut that one sentence from the closing monologue, I would have loved it. If I ever meet him, that's what I want to ask him first: why the hell did you cut that line?

Sleuth · May 14, 2003, 02:28:06 PM

FOR EVERYONE WHO HATED THE ENDING:

what would you have preferred to see happen?

©brad · May 14, 2003, 03:32:07 PM

I agree with you. However, regarding this:

Quote from: The Gold TrumpetEnding: That too, completely film noir. In film noir, it always the fight between the good and bad side, the light and the dark, and in most instances, the ending found the characters reaching the light and living happily ever after or whatever. I'm not saying it is the best creative decision to make, but it did have purpose and really, it is an ending that stands no match time wise to the rest of the film which a lot of people consider brilliant anyways. Not enough to judge an entire film by.
~rougerum

...Film noirs don't usually have 'live happily ever after' endings. That was kinda the whole thing that was driving the genre, it was breaking away from the Hollywood standard by making darker films that didn't have happy endings.

As for the ending of Minority Report, some of you have dismissed it as being "Spielberg cheese- happy ending shit." I'm not sure I see it at all. In fact, I see the ending as being very dark. It ends with a suicide for god's sake! I mean geez, that's a happy ending to you? Anderton finds out that the mentor/father-figure in his life is actually behind all the shit that has gone down. This leads to his suicide. Now John has to deal with yet another person that was close to him dying. (the other obvious one being his dead son.)

I guess the cheese moment you are referring to is the shot of John with his pregnant wife. But even then, its not like everything is going to be a-ok from there. They still have to deal with the pain of their lost son. Also, the last shot of the precogs on the island,...uhhh they didn't look too happy to me. obviously they will remain on that island alone for the better part of their lives, probably still haunted by nightmares from past murders.

i guess i don't get why you guys think this ending is such a happy one.

Gold Trumpet · May 14, 2003, 05:54:44 PM

Well, I will agree with you cbr to a point. Yes, sometimes film noir didn't show happy endings and that was the purpose in being different than other genres. But sometimes it addressed the darker side of life and still ended with a happy ending to show good overcoming bad and all that. I think the happy ending specifically was mainly for Speilberg's own feelings and it also could fit in the genre he was recreating.

~rougerum

Sigur Rós · May 15, 2003, 12:55:05 PM

Quote from: shnorffIs it just me or did this movie suck asshole with diameter 5?

This is one of the best sci-fi movies I have ever seen. I really can't see why it "sucked asshole"..... This movie is nearly too perfect..... When I think about it.... it's the best Spielberg-film I've seen. I loved the cinematography, effects, plot and the script was actually pretty well written) + Südow, Cruise and Farrel were all great.

....Maybe you just don't like the hole sci-fi-genre.....In that case may I suggest some good old fashioned Star Trek!

Alethia · May 15, 2003, 08:15:52 PM

most people who don't like spielberg are fucking snobs. not saying that their not entitled to their own opinion, which they are, but most of the haters do so without much conviction.

minority report was fuckin great.

modage · May 17, 2003, 03:36:05 PM

i loved this movie too. i love his seamless use of special effects so that they never take you out of the story. he has not gone CG crazy like a lot of directors who get lazy and want to do everything that way. he realized that the technology for that is not what it needs to be to be FULLY convincing and understands that there is no 1 way to do anything but rather a whole lot of techniques developed over the years that will work best in their own situation. i find it impossible to tell whats on set, or a miniature or cg or what? and this i love, because when something fails to be convincing it can really take you right out fo the reality of the film.

markums2k · May 20, 2003, 02:56:37 PM

Okay, say the ending is real, not in John's head.

Then, say, you buy into the whole "make the murder look like an echo" scheme with a paper-thin motive to pull it off. Okay. So far so good.

So, I ask, why does the final "confrontation" take place on a dark, moody balcony, instead of in the kitchen, where Anderton finally reveals himself?

First time I saw the movie, I was "with it" up until that point. "How the hell did they get there? What the hell??" It defies all logic-- I mean, much more so than had previously occured up to that point. A bad ending became worse.

Minority Report is entertaining on your first viewing. It does not hold up nearly as well upon subsequent viewings. It is filled with many memorable moments and shots, but is extremely flawed as a package. Spielburg, with a capitol "S".

Only film I've ever respected by the man was Saving Private Ryan, and even then, he tries to wrap it all up in happy with the cheesy framing structure.