It seems like sad endings are just as cliche as happy endings now, so how do you end something?
I believe the key here is: Big Explosions.
Three of the best endings ever can answer this question for you:
Quote from: Paul Thomas AndersonCAMERA holds on Claudia. She's sitting up in bed, covers around her, staring into space....a SONG plays....for a very, very long time....she doesn't move....until she looks up and sees someone enter her bedroom.... a FIGURE from the back enters FRAME and walks in and sits on the edge of the bed....from the back it is clear that it's Jim Kurring. She tears a bit and looks at him...HOLD....
She turns her eyes from him and looks INTO THE CAMERA and smiles.
CUT TO BLACK.
Quote from: Alan BallLESTER (VO)
I had always heard your entire life flashes in front of your eyes the second before you die.
First of all, that one second isn't a second at all. It stretches on forever, like an ocean of time.
For me, it was lying on my back at Boy Scout camp, watching falling stars.
And yellow leaves from the maple trees that lined our street.
Or my grandmother's hands, and the way her skin... seemed like paper.
And the first time I saw my cousin Tony's brand-new Firebird.
And Janie. And Janie.
And ... Carolyn.
I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me. But it's hard to stay mad when there's so much beauty in the world.
Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once and it's too much.
My heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst. And then I remember to relax... and stop trying to hold to on to it.
And then it flows through me like rain, and I can't feel anything but gratitude... (whisper) for every single moment... of my stupid little life.
You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure. But don't worry.
CUT TO BLACK.
You will someday.
Quote from: Stanley KubrickALICE
Fuck.
Or there's the art film cliche: the differences between the end and the rest of the film are so imperceptible that it seems as if nothing has happened at all.
nip.
Quote from: tremoloslothIt seems like sad endings are just as cliche as happy endings now, so how do you end something?
DECISIVELY and INDELIBLY, a la
Your Friends and Neighbors or
Safe. A good sharp cut to black is almost always better than a fade to black, in my opinion.
There are a million other emotions in that nebulous area between happy and sad that could potentially be evoked in this manner.
Agreed. You always remember the cuts to black much better than the weak, feeble fades. They all make statements. Magnolia, Amercian Beauty, and Eyes Wide Shut, the three examples I gave, all cut to black.
Other endings that are memorable: Rushmore, for its slow-motion, ambiguous final shot. Fight Club: the walls of Jericho come crashing down. Stuck for more examples right now, but you get the idea. A film doesn't have to end happily or sadly, it just has to end in a way that makes an impact on you, and ties up the strands in an acceptable way. Rushmore does this because the principle players are all in full view. Fight Club does this with Tyler's line: "you met me at a really weird time in my life," as Tyler and Marla watch the buildings collapse. Magnolia, of course, does this with Claudia's smile. And every time I watch this in the future, I'm always gonna remember That Moment when Paul and Fiona are doing their little sketch: "NO ONE CARES ABOUT HER SMILING!" and "NO, YOU'RE TOO LONG! NO ONE CARES! STOP DANCING!" Priceless. But I digress. :-D
PTA said it best: "the saddest happy endings I can come up with".
If it ends with things looking up for the characters, but you still feel like shit, it's a gooder. Fellini called this the life-goes-on ending, I believe. It's in pretty much every one of his movies.
Quote from: SoNowThenPTA said it best: "the saddest happy endings I can come up with".
If it ends with things looking up for the characters, but you still feel like shit, it's a gooder. Fellini called this the life-goes-on ending, I believe. It's in pretty much every one of his movies.
a life goes on ending. i like that.
Quote from: SoNowThenI believe the key here is: Big Explosions.
You saying that is more cliche then actually having big explosions....
Quote from: godardianA good sharp cut to black is almost always better than a fade to black, in my opinion.
I usually don't like fades. Cuts to black have so much more impact. Although... Kubrick has pulled off fade outs a few times, right?
Quote from: Jeremy BlackmanQuote from: godardianA good sharp cut to black is almost always better than a fade to black, in my opinion.
I usually don't like fades. Cuts to black have so much more impact. Although... Kubrick has pulled off fade outs a few times, right?
Oh, yeah. And they can be exactly right on some occasions. But for IMPACT... no, nothing beats a good sharp cut to black.
I believe that 'PDL' ended PERFECTLY. It was just so well timed/in sync/lovely final shot. It left me floating out of the cinema. Really somber and warm. Its my favourite of Paul's endings so far.
Quote from: Duck SauceQuote from: SoNowThenI believe the key here is: Big Explosions.
You saying that is more cliche then actually having big explosions....
...hence, the joke...
if the explosions thing wasnt a joke i would've agreed. hollywood action flicks are now about kungfu or are starring some kind of little black man with a helium voice. i miss the trucker heroes.
Jack Burton?~
Quote from: godardian
DECISIVELY and INDELIBLY, a la Your Friends and Neighbors or Safe. A good sharp cut to black is almost always better than a fade to black, in my opinion.
There are a million other emotions in that nebulous area between happy and sad that could potentially be evoked in this manner.
But a sharp cut is wrong where you need to slide out, isn't it?
Has
anyone managed to see Roberto Succo yet? The most perfectly timed end shot ever.
As for sad as cliche, it's nothing new really, it's just that art film's become more visible. And as long as those endings still get you, who minds? Happy or not, it's the culmination that's important.
Quote from: budgieQuote from: godardian
DECISIVELY and INDELIBLY, a la Your Friends and Neighbors or Safe. A good sharp cut to black is almost always better than a fade to black, in my opinion.
There are a million other emotions in that nebulous area between happy and sad that could potentially be evoked in this manner.
But a sharp cut is wrong where you need to slide out, isn't it?
Has anyone managed to see Roberto Succo yet? The most perfectly timed end shot ever.
As for sad as cliche, it's nothing new really, it's just that art film's become more visible. And as long as those endings still get you, who minds? Happy or not, it's the culmination that's important.
Oops, I thought I had qualified my comments with "sometimes a fade is exactly right," or something...
::rummaging back through posts to make sure I wrote what I intended::
which type of ending do you guyz like better????
the films that end concrete---------such as heat/goodfellas/caddyshack
the films that end abstract----------"lynch's lost highway & mulholland drive"
the films that end w/ a :?:----------lock stocked and 2........../narc/cast away
i enjoy the later follwed by abstract then lastly concrete
how's about you!
Quote from: NEON MERCURYwhich type of ending do you guyz like better????
its hard to say. whatevers best for the film, i suppose....
Quote from: cecil b. dementedQuote from: NEON MERCURYwhich type of ending do you guyz like better????
its hard to say. whatevers best for the film, i suppose....
:? yeah after posting i realized this......i don't know its just ...ahem... for example the end of American Beauty is perfect imo and CONCRETE i would not have worked any other way...but onthe other hand i like how cast away ends "YOU" get to decide the fate of the character which is cool and for me it tends to be cool when a movie ends whithout anything concrete-you know it shows the last scene the QUICK to black...then you are left wondering it is a neat/efective trick that works if the film fits it i Guess????????
Music is also better when it just stops instead of fading out.
I would like to praise the ending of "Raging Bull". The opening and closing shots are really haunting as Robert De Niro is pretending that he's fighting. It's a great ending to a great movie.
anyone seen the original ending of clerks?
Quote from: Bankyanyone seen the original ending of clerks?
yes. bah. like the one in the movie better. the original one seems like another movie almost
if smith would have gone with the original than the whole context of the movie would change and the film would lose its charm factor. Im glad he went with the one he did because if he went with the other one maybe Clerks would have flopped and he would have not continued his filmmaking career. I know all you PTA heads Hate KS cause the whole magnolia thing but You have to give KS his filmmaking credit.
Can you tell me the difference, because I once heard the one in the french version is the original, and it's the only version I've ever seen.
in the origianl when Randel leaves at the end, Dante is closing up and a guy comes in there and shoots him in the head and robs the quick stop. Its on the DVD, by the way clerks 10 yeah anniversary DVD is coming out soon.
FREEZE FRAME!
That original ending for 'Clerks' would've dampened the whole flick. I didn't believe it when I heard about it but I just watched it the other night and-DAMN. I thought my friend was making it up, kinda like the time he said that '8 Mile's original ending was that Eminem's character gets shot (by those guys he shamed) while walking back to work. But the 'Clerks' ending freaked me out.
yeah watching it for the first time is definantly an eerie experience
Five Fave Endings
1) Boogie Nights
2) All the President's Men
3) American Beauty
4) Manhattan
5) The Game
i bet you like the BN ending
Quote from: tremoloslothIt seems like sad endings are just as cliche as happy endings now, so how do you end something?
You make sure the ending is consistant.
Magnolia has such a terrific ending because the rest of the film is so full of confrontation and despair. Claudia's life to that point had been filled with men who abused and abandoned her. She, alot like Barry Egan, was so filled with doubt when suddenly this man enters her life that genuinely wants to be a part of it, and love her. So, as Jim sits there and tells her how much he wants to be a part of her life, she can't help but just smile. She is overwhelmed. That right there is how the whole movie feels. You feel overwhelmed. All of these people are doing everything they can to cope with their pain. Near the end, when all the frogs are falling, everyone finally comes together in a big heaping mass of character resolutions. Claudia finally has a man in her life who won't abuse her. He won't abandon her. It is also consistant with the chance that the two characters would probably become co-dependant as well.
Ok. I'm done. Consistancy.
You gotta feel like you are in good hands. Directors who take risks with their endings, I believe, are always concious of how well they've set the rest of the film up. Do people feel like they've just been cheated, or does it feel like there is resolution? Bleh. I could go on for a while about endings.
The odd part about this whole thread: Isn't it alot easier to name the films with good endings, and not the films with what everyone would consider a bad ending?
Quote from: halo_onYou make sure the ending is consistant. Magnolia has such a terrific ending.
yeah, but wouldnt it have been BETTER if at the end claudia had found out, the only reason she could see jim, is because she was DEAD! or if frank had realized the reason he didnt get along with his father was because his father was HIS SUPERVILLAIN! or if donnie smith had realized the reason he was gay was because it KILLS ALIENS! i always think about that when i get to the end of that movie.
Quote from: themodernage02Quote from: halo_onYou make sure the ending is consistant. Magnolia has such a terrific ending.
yeah, but wouldnt it have been BETTER if at the end claudia had found out, the only reason she could see jim, is because she was DEAD! or if frank had realized the reason he didnt get along with his father was because his father was HIS SUPERVILLAIN! or if donnie smith had realized the reason he was gay was because it KILLS ALIENS! i always think about that when i get to the end of that movie.
Me too. I always thought that those was PTA's weakness. Not enough aliens and death and cool shit like that.
I think it would have been better had Donnie found out he was some legendary killer without a limp and therefore found a reason for not knowing where the hell to put his love.
And then the ship would sink. :(
My favorite ending is Rashomon's. :(
Gotta love the ending for E.T. as well.
"Sorry little dude, but I gotta go. This Earth place is a dump."
Traffic - kids playing baseball
Quote from: rustinglassTraffic - kids playing baseball
yeah that had this amazing unreal "real" quality.
Quote from: sexterossayeah that had this amazing unreal "real" quality
Do you mean "surreal?"
mog, why aren't you Betty and cbrad is Rita, or vice versa?
Quote from: MacGuffinmog, why aren't you Betty and cbrad is Rita, or vice versa?
hrmmm.... ur ideas r intriguing to me. perhaps this will be the next one.
i'm thinkin of a certain sex scene
Quote from: ©bradQuote from: MacGuffinmog, why aren't you Betty and cbrad is Rita, or vice versa?
hrmmm.... ur ideas r intriguing to me. perhaps this will be the next one.
i'm thinkin of a certain sex scene
Go for it. Yessss..... :-D
Hey, is there some kind of secret way to manually change my status like everyone else is doing? It's gettin' old being a "Screenwriter."
And, I, uh, second that particular scene you fellows are speaking of.
SPOILERS FOR MOVIES MOST OF US HAVE SEEN
As far as lists go, this isn't too bad.
The Top 50 Movie Endings of All Time
A film review by Christopher Null; David Bezanson; Don Willmott; Jesse Hassenger; Mark Athitakis; Norm Schrager; Rachel Gordon; Sean O'Connell; Chris Cabin; Anne Gilbert
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've seen Chinatown a dozen times, and while it's a great movie, two specific things about it stick in my mind: Jack Nicholson's bandaged nose and the final line of dialogue. Acting, directing, a great script... these are essential to any film. But a classic ending, now that can really make a movie.
We spent literally months brainstorming and corralling the 50 films with the absolute best endings we've ever seen. We're not talking about the last half hour. We mean the last minute of movie. You know, the ending.
Needless to say you can consider this entire article one monster SPOILER ALERT. Most of the films here are classics that you've probably seen several times over. But if not, skip past the ones you haven't seen and put 'em in your rental queue, otherwise you're going to ruin a whole lot of good films. Check out the flicks and we promise you won't be disappointed when the credits roll. As always, apologies in advance for the ones we stupidly forgot (and we know you'll be writing to let us know -- yes, Jaws, The Sixth Sense, Seven, Carrie, we're sorry!).
- Christopher Null, Editor-in-Chief
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
50. The Blair Witch Project (1999) - The movie isn't particularly scary... at least until the last two minutes, which take the tension level from 10 to 100 at an exponential pace. The final seconds -- wherein a member of the cast is spotted, back turned and facing a corner, as an unseen spirit does away with the remaining member of the crew, who's been filming all of this in a panic-stricken run through an abandoned house -- rank as some of the most terrifying moments ever put to film. It gives me chills just to write about it. -CN
49. A History of Violence (2005) - David Cronenberg's sly, brilliant merger of a revenge fantasy and an essay on the American Dream has an appropriately messy, provocative ending. Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) has exposed a terrible truth about himself that's left his wife, Edie (Maria Bello), in despair. They gaze at each other in silence across the dinner table, and the looks in their eyes lets you know it's impossible, yet painfully necessary, to pretend nothing has changed. -MA
48. Batman Begins (2005) - As the title suggests, the Dark Knight's mission to cleanse Gotham has just begin. Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) hands Batman (Christian Bale) a playing card left at the scene of a recent crime. He flips it over, and fanboy hearts race in unison as we contemplate director Christopher Nolan's next move. -SO
47. All That Jazz (1979) - A film especially priceless in its rendering of death in big, Broadway musical number style. Extremely well collaged as the self-defeating choreographer ties up all his loose ends in fantastical choreographic zeal, Roy Scheider's Joe Gideon simply walks into a flirtatious angel's embrace. -RG
46. Dead Again (1991) - The second film Kenneth Branagh directed before his ego became too inflated from his Shakespeare renown, is also still the best helming he has managed to date. Beautifully combining intelligent romanticism with reincarnation between he and his then wife/co-star Emma Thompson, the film gracefully culminates with a death scene, love re-established, and the past resolving itself, without losing an emotional beat. Even those who don't believe in filmic romance melt as the modern day Branagh holds his partner and exhaustedly says "The door is closed." -RG
45. Pulp Fiction (1994) - It's hard to pick this over Reservoir Dogs, since Quentin Tarantino plagiarized himself here, but Pulp is more refined and more funny in its treatment of a Mexican standoff, this time with a "happy" ending to it. Of course, we know the buffoonish Vincent Vega's going to get shot coming out of the toilet on another job, but he and his Bible-spewing pal get to walk away this time, even if they do look like idiots. -CN
44. Fargo (1996) - Cinema, especially recent cinema, isn't known for its portrayals of happy marriages -- especially not in crime movies. But the last scene in this Coen brothers masterpiece doesn't involve any blood, bullets, or double-crosses. It just shows the Gundersons, Marge (Frances McDormand) and Norm (John Carroll Lynch), sitting in bed. He tells her that his painting is going to put on a three-cent stamp, she tells him how great that is, and the emotional core that has been developing throughout the film is suddenly sitting right in front of us. No wood chipper needed. -JH
43. Shane (1953) - When the kid yells, "Shane, come back!" at the departing hero, it's one of the rare tear-jerker scenes that just feels right. -DB
42. The Terminator (1984) - One of the first major science fiction trilogies to be a true inspiration to an entire new generation of filmmaking, the initial installment is brutal, bright, and brilliantly executed. From Ah-nold's one-liners to Sarah Connor learning to want to be great female hero, it was also one of the first films to create a spellbinding circle in its narrative, to have the end reflect where it all began. He'll be back. -RG
41. Say Anything... (1989) - Lots of romantic comedies end with the boy getting the girl; Say Anything makes him, her, and us all earn it. We leave Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) and Diane Court (Ione Skye) not in passionate embrace, but sitting on an airplane, holding hands, looking upward, waiting for the "ding" that will tell them everything is okay. This final shot is everything that's great about Say Anything: sweet, a little bit funny, and completely believable. -JH
40. The Thing (1982) - Easily the most chilling ending in horror, Carpenter purposefully never lets the audience in on exactly how the contagion is spread and allows us to stew in absolute terror as to which man will split apart and become the alien host. The last thumps of the moody score are enough to make anyone shiver with fear. -CC
39. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Find me a better last line uttered by any villain than "I'm having an old friend for dinner." With wit, charm, and unyielding bravado, Hopkins caps off his career performance with an exit (forgetting Ridley Scott's forgivable Hannibal) that oozes menace and wild provocation. Fava beans, anyone? -CC
38. 8 1/2 (1963) - As the crazy director finally embraces the joy and absurdity of life, a group of freaks, friends, loonies and journalists begin to dance in a huge circle, with the great circus behind it; it's so good that Woody Allen would outright copy it in Stardust Memories. Has any ending, or any film for that matter, better encapsulated what it's like to understand life as the great, crazy joke it is? -CC
37. Rocky (1976) - As Bill Conte's score soars in the background, a bloodied Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) and a hatless Adrian (Talia Shire) finally proclaim their love for one another. And in the distant background, a ring announcer tells a frenzied crowd that our hero has actually lost the fight that held us captive for an entire final act. In one dramatic move, two shy nobodies find their hearts and nothing else matters. -NS
36. Jacob's Ladder (1990) - It was all a dream, freak-out style. This time at least it's with good reason: We find out that Jacob (Tim Robbins) was on his deathbed, having been shot during the Vietnam War, and everything that has preceded has been a sort of cruel flash-back-forward because Jacob hasn't been willing to let go. Suddenly it all makes sense. -CN
35. Back to the Future (1985) - The most brazen call for a sequel imaginable. What if the movie had flopped? Not a chance. All seems right with Marty's world, until Doc Brown returns from the future to alert him of a troubling family issue. The stage is set for an eventual trilogy that continues to entertain to this day. -SO
34. King of New York (1990) - After facing the last (and oldest) cop of the four that stalked him, crime lord Christopher Walken sits in a cab, letting the bullet in his gut take its final resting place. Abel Ferrara's crime sonata ends the idea of the great overblown gangster ending, seeing Scarface as an aging villain who can't say anything else, feeling the only thing left for him to do is silently drift off to death amongst the dazzle of the city he loves. -CC
33. A Clockwork Orange (1971) - Stanley Kubrick excised the last chapter of the book in order to give Clockwork a nihilistic ending that has Alex (Malcolm McDowell in the role of a lifetime) learning absolutely nothing from the last two hours of screen time, dreaming of a pseudo-orgy while trapped in a hospital bed. It's a controversial choice that has had cineastes debating for decades, but it still packs a wallop. The book's ending, suffice it to say, would have hardly been cinematic. -CN
32. Being There (1979) - Peter Sellers' crowning achievement ends with a little bit of mysticism, which is at once completely out of character for this very grounded movie while also being totally apropos. You have to smile when you see it. -CN
31. Magnolia (1999) - Everyone remembers a certain cataclysmic plot turn in the final act, and while I love P.T. Anderson's audacious willingness to simply let frogs fall from the sky, the real ending to Magnolia is much simpler. In an extended close-up, we see troubled Claudia (Melora Walters) listen to sweet cop Jim (John C. Reilly) talk. His words are barely audible; instead, we focus on Claudia's face, which finally breaks into a slight smile, a split second before the movie cuts to black. Desperation turns to hope in an instant, and Aimee Mann's "Save Me" ices the cake perfectly. -JH
30. Pickpocket (1959) - Copied and re-rendered by hundreds of films (most recently: L'Enfant and Art School Confidential), French master Robert Bresson ends his tale of spiritual bartering with the pickpocket and the girl who loves him, pressing against each other in a prison visitor room. Emotionally penetrating and gorgeously shot, the ending brings up all the yearning and transcendental themes into complete concentration, using Bresson's patented flat acting style. -CC
29. Wait Until Dark (1967) - In this suspenseful period thriller, Audrey Hepburn plays a blind woman targeted by a hit man (Alan Arkin). At the end of the film, she is trapped in her flat and he's stalking her. She knocks out all the lights so that they will be equal... but she forgets one light! This one is exciting right up to the last minute. During its first run, theaters turned out all the lights for the last few minutes to enhance the effect. -DB
28. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986): For sheer pleasure, you can't beat the sweetness of watching reformed drug addict/punk-rock chick Dianne Weist and comedy writer/religiously-confused Woody Allen cuddle in a dim hallway as she breaks the good news to him. Call it artful sentimentalism. -CC
27. The Searchers (1956) - John Wayne, a symbol of the male ego, dominance, and everything right with the Wild West, stands alone in a doorway, isolated by feelings and ideologies that simply won't be accepted anymore. Deconstruction of the cowboy myth began here and John Ford, haunted by his own racist past, gives the shot a haunting, sobering feel of loneliness and change. -CC
26. Rushmore (1998) - The Salinger of the screen ends his best film in his lovable faux-theatrical and pastel style without a hint of irony. Max and the woman of his obsession stand prepared to dance as The Faces' "Ooh la-la" plays, easily ranking in the top 10 best ending songs of all time, as the other characters dance around them. It sure beats the hell out of a gate closing on a headstone. -CC
25. Real Genius (1985) - The entire film builds and builds to this exquisite ending, where Chris Knight (Val Kilmer) and his brainiac pals finally revel in their revenge plot against the evil Jerry Hathaway (William Atherton). How they pulled off the stunt to make an entire house look like it was filled with popcorn I still can't figure out. The effect is, ahem, genius. Growing up, my little sister called this film "the popcorn movie." -CN
24. The Bank Dick (1940) - This great W.C. Fields film comedy ends with a parody of a car chase, which was already a film cliché in 1940. Then, in a case of art imitating life, Fields heads to his favorite bar for another drink. -DB
23. House of Games (1987) - David Mamet's finest movie and a personal favorite: After demure psychiatrist Margaret Ford (Lindsay Crouse) murders the ringleader of the gang of con men that cost her thousands of dollars, she takes a vacation. After a little misdirection, she steals a gold lighter from a woman dining one table over. She's got the con game bug, now. So satisfying, but so creepy. -CN
22. Brazil (1985) - Harry Tuttle (Robert De Niro) swoops in to save the day, but it's not to be: Our hero Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is revealed to be wallowing in a torture chamber and, alas, "He's gone." The ending was so controversial that the studio basically stole the film from director Terry Gilliam and edited together a happy ending, known as the "Love Conquers All" ending. Comparing the two versions is a film geek's wet dream. -CN
21. The Usual Suspects (1995) - For two hours, Kevin Spacey's spineless Verbal plays helpless lamb being lured to Chazz Palminteri's slaughter. But with the drop of a coffee cup, and the shaking off of a limp, the true identity of a criminal mastermind is revealed. -SO
20. Before Sunset (2004) - Cooler than pre-Scientology Isaac Hayes in Antarctica eating popsicles and drinking iced coffee, Julie Delpy dances and sings Nina Simone in front of Ethan Hawke and croons, sexy as they come, "Baby, you're gonna miss that plane." Delpy has never been given enough time on screen to fully capture audience appeal, but in this moment, she has it over any hip chick this side of Santa Monica. -CC
19. Memento (2001) - Our sympathetic hero commits an abrupt, cold-blooded, and vengeful murder, entirely to serve his own purposes. He's not the Leonard Shelby we thought we knew. And major bonus points for it coming at both the very beginning and the end of the movie, which are actually the ending and the beginning. Got that? -AG
18. The Wizard of Oz (1939) - The first "it was all a dream" ending ever? I'm not sure, but it's certainly one of the most memorable. The revelation that nearly all the characters we've seen in Dorothy's fantasy world were drawn from her friends (and enemies) is magical. -CN
17. Planet of the Apes (1968) - Charlton Heston (as a lost astronaut) spends most of this modern classic convincing a dominant ape race that man can indeed communicate and reason. And while there's plenty of irony and social commentary there, co-writer Rod Serling's trademark storytelling really surfaces in the final scene. As a cowboy of sorts, a half-naked Heston grabs his woman and rides his horse into unknown territory... but quickly finds that many have been there before him. In an ending worthy of the greatest Twilight Zone zingers, Lady Liberty's head and torch emerge from the sand. And Heston drops to his knees and damns us all to hell. We got it coming. -NS
16. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - Lethal fight scenes, great dialogue ("I love you." "I know."), a traitorous Billy Dee Williams, and the biggest paternal twist in sci-fi history. And then the final shocker: Han Solo is still frozen, and he's not getting out 'til the next movie! What!? Empire turned George Lucas' universe on its ear, raising his franchise's bar to a height no Star Wars sequel or prequel managed to touch. -SO
15. The Godfather (1972) - Derelicts will argue the second one is better, but the ending of the Godfather is everything it should be, foreshadowing all the dark, murky secrets that would be dragged from the depths in Part 2. Kay finally asks about Michael's business and he lies, outright, as the door closes on a good kid who turned into the ultimate family man, and a brooding, calculating monster. -CC
14. The Tenant (1976) - You simply can't comprehend it: after plummeting through glass once, the titular tenant drags himself up the stairs again to finish the job, only to end up the crazed lunatic that kicked off Polanski's most concentrated study of paranoia. It doesn't have the acute horror of Rosemary's Baby, but The Tenant sits in your stomach with sick discomfort, like remembering the most private, embarrassing ordeal you've ever been through. -CC
13. Citizen Kane (1941) - Well, we kind of have to put this one on the list, don't we? One of the earliest examples of don't-spill-the-secret endings and also I've-been-robbed anti-climax, that little wooden sled explains everything and explains nothing about Charles Foster Kane, but it's the elusive piece of the jigsaw that drives one of the greatest movies ever made. -AG
12. The Birds (1963) - Our heroine and her strapping man might be making a stealthy escape from Bodega Bay, but the camera pulls further back and there are birds, birds, menacing birds as far as the eye can see. How safe are they really, in that soft-top convertible, with those lovebirds? -AG
11. The Graduate (1967) - Dustin Hoffman crashes Katherine Ross' wedding, whish has just ended, and he steals her away on a bus. Her mother tells her "It's too late" and she yells, "Not for us!" It's unbelievable, it's corny, but also (as the guy says in Barcelona) it's real. It symbolizes the moment when the disenchanted '60s generation started their lives. This isn't how romances were supposed to end. -DB
10. Some Like It Hot (1959) - Jack Lemmon finally drops his drag and reveals his true gender to his horny suitor (the perfect Joe E. Brown), who couldn't care less. "Nobody's perfect!" he says, the final cherry on top of a whipped-cream and chocolate-covered sundae of a comedy. -DW
9. Don't Look Now (1973) - Donald Sutherland chases the little child in the raincoat he's seen for the whole film and then Roeg's nightmare springs one last terror on you. That face under the red raincoat is no child, and it will stay in your nightmares for months... or else you'll put it as your computer's desktop picture like my roommate. -CC
8. Big Night (1996) - The old term "silence is golden" has never seemed so appropriate. After a grand night of arguments, fantastic food, and a no-show crooner, the two idealistic opposites (art vs. commerce) sit down to a simple omelet with their waiter, knowing their lives will go separate ways (and bankruptcy is a near certainty) but not needing to talk about it. Soulful, delicate, and bypassing tearjerk-o-rama, directors Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott create a sincere goodbye to their lovely, little film. -CC
7. Night of the Living Dead (1968) - Without a hint of being self-conscious, Romero's horror masterpiece raised the middle finger to all modern narrative constructions. The family dies, the young white couple dies and the black protagonist, surviving the gruesome night, is shot by the cops. It's complete film rebellion, and you can't help but savor it. -CC
6. Boogie Nights (1997) - One of the most unexpected endings in cinema history. Mark Wahlberg's faded porn star stand in the mirror and yanks his penis out, saying with complete conviction, "You're a fucking star." The soul of the inept, underage star still resides in the aged, coke-snorting loser. Its pathetic grandeur (both the ending and the unit on display) is unmatched. -CC
5. Bonnie and Clyde (1967) - The constantly underrated Arthur Penn brings his great, gritty tale of the criminal lovebirds to an end with a scene of unyielding violence and shock. Think of it as the alternate ending for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which ends exactly the same way but stops the film about 20 seconds earlier. -CC
4. Casablanca (1942) - "The beginning of a beautiful friendship" and one of the best movie endings – so good it was recycled as the ending of at least one great film, Woody Allen's Play It Again, Sam. Like the rest of Casablanca, the last scene is now the stuff of cliché, but that's because there are so many dang quotable lines. -DB
3. Chinatown (1974) - "Forget it, Jake, its Chinatown." Chinatown has nothing to do with Chinatown, but it also has everything to do with Chinatown. Explaining its intricacies could fill a book, but it's the very end that punches you in the gut: The bad guy gets away and Nicholson's Jake Gittes, after solving the case, is told to forget the whole affair. Ow. -CN
2. Fight Club (1999) - No matter what you think of David Fincher's translation of Chuck Palahniuk's pre-iPod, post-post-punk nightmare, you have to admire an ending that foresaw things that are still being talked about today. The film predicts the emo-boy nation that we swim in these days, but the ending, with the Pixies' raucous "Where is My Mind?" wailing in the background, sees self-terrorism and numb romance as the new, essential way of life. -CC
1. Dr. Strangelove (1964) - You may remember otherwise, but the climactic scene where Slim Pickens rides the bomb down is not actually the ending of Strangelove (though even if it were, it would still be #1 on our list). Rather, there is a strange scene afterwards in which the leaders of the free world wait for the end of the world while having a demented argument about how to survive the impending nuclear winter ("We must not have a mine shaft gap!"). Then, signaling apocalypse, Peter Sellers' titular mad scientist, wheelchair-bound for the entire movie, stands up and begins to walk, before the War Room (and the rest of the world) explodes to the tune of "We'll Meet Again." It's all weird but absurdly logical, like everything about Kubrick's masterpiece. -DB
...lots of good picks, and I love that they got the "pathetic grandeur" of the Boogie Nights ending (almost always way over-sensationalized in discussions, I think). Good qualification on "as far as lists go," though, because I've started to think lists are so ubiquitous that they've lost all meaning. Seems our culture goes more and more toward breadth, and I crave some depth; e.g., a full exploration of any one of those films might have been more interesting than a list of 50 endings.
it's a great list [especially acknowledging pickpocket, 8 1/2, and magnolia of course] but they missed out on some of the BEST ever:
- Eyes Wide Shut
- Full Metal Jacket
- The Shining
- Barry Lyndon
- 2001
- City Lights
- Annie Hall
- Taxi Driver
underrated endings: Safe, Far From Heaven, Happiness, Breaking the Waves, Epidemic
Quote from: Hedwig on August 02, 2006, 12:24:39 PM
it's a great list [especially acknowledging pickpocket, 8 1/2, and magnolia of course] but they missed out on some of the BEST ever:
- Eyes Wide Shut
- The Shining
- Taxi Driver
i especially agree with those, but i'd like to add
Barton Fink and
The New World and a lot of Bresson endings, cause, at least for me, thats when the brilliance of his films hit me, one huge blow to the gut. i remember struggling through l'argent (it actually took me a few different sittings on different days which i hate to do) but then getting to the end and being overwhelmed with a flurry of emotions. similar with balthazar, though that was in one sitting.
Its a great list because it doesn't discriminate against recent films, which usually seems to be the case with these lists, but
ugh at people still liking the Usual Suspects
ending.
Quote from: JG on August 02, 2006, 01:47:05 PM
but ugh at people still liking the Usual Suspects ending.
Admit it, until the second time you saw it, you were all like "Holy shit!"
But I know where you're coming from. I feel the same way about Sixth Sense.
Quote from: godardian on August 02, 2006, 11:15:23 AM
I've started to think lists are so ubiquitous that they've lost all meaning.
That only holds true for people who have an above-average interest in film. These lists are xixax for people with no desire to be on xixax.
Well, this is just wrong:
Quote from: hackspaced on August 02, 2006, 10:16:49 AM
38. 8 1/2 (1963) - As the crazy director finally embraces the joy and absurdity of life, a group of freaks, friends, loonies and journalists begin to dance in a huge circle, with the great circus behind it; it's so good that Woody Allen would outright copy it in Stardust Memories.
But, all in all, yeah: a pretty good list. It was good to see Before Sunset there in particular: I might put that forward as the most perfect cinematic ending of the millenium thus far... Just breathtaking.
And with that - and broader ideas of endings - in mind, I'm going to do a bit of shameless self-promotion and point you towards a (very) long piece I've written on Before Sunrise & Before Sunset and their links to the traditional Hollywood 'happy ending' (I compare them to Sleepless in Seattle). I believe that, even though they determinedly avoid the romantic comedy-style happy ending they still betray a fascination with the idea of it, and can be seen to use some of its conventions. It's basically trying to get down to ideas about what's a "realistic" way to tell/end a love story. It's a big piece, so only for the very interested, but here it is for those with the inclination: http://www.alternatetakes.co.uk/?2005,9,24
Endings are kind of my thing. I'm going to be starting a research Masters in October with happy endings as my dissertation topic.
Quote from: children with angels on August 03, 2006, 04:49:22 AM
I'm going to be starting a research Masters in October with happy endings as my dissertation topic.
I know a couple of good massage parlors where you can do some "research."
Quote from: hackspaced on August 03, 2006, 07:55:38 AM
I know a couple of good massage parlors where you can do some "research."
:shock:... :)
...
my contribution to the "should've made it" list... of the ones mentioned so far, i most agree with bresson in general, Barton Fink and The New World (jg!), and City Lights. anyway:
Nights of Cabiria
Tokyo Story
Playtime
Dead Man
Beau travail
antonioni films (if i had to pick one, i'd go with L'Eclisse)
Naked
The Third Man
Ghost World
The 400 Blows
Le Samourai
Taste of Cherry
Saraband
The Ballad of Narayama
Underground
My Life to Live
Once Upon a Time in America
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
i think i should stop here.
I've fallen in love with the All The Real Girls ending. oh and Stroszek, thats my new favorite.
my best fiend.
in america.