In a film studies class I took last quarter, we had to write a full length paper based solely on the ending scene of one film. It was challenging at first, but made me realize just how much an ending says about a film, and how much can be said about that ending, analytically. I chose Fight Club, which has become one of my favorite film endings of all time. Now, a month or so after writing the paper, I’ve gotten to thinking about film endings again. There are a lot of classics out there, such as The Godfather and The Usual Suspects, but I wanted to write about which ones are my personal favorites and why. Although Fight Club would normally be in my top five, since I just wrote a 5 page paper on it, I’m going to skip talking about it again in this post. Among many endings I love, such as Before Sunset, The Painted Veil, Amelie, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, Cape Fear, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Raw, Call Me By Your Name, The Florida Project and The One I Love here is what made the top 5:
5. No Country for Old Men
I surprised myself by choosing this as part of my top 5, as this movie isn’t one that particularly stuck with me. I know it was an incredible movie in terms of writing, acting, directing, etc but violent crime movies like this aren’t usually my style. I’ve also never been particularly fond of the Coen brothers. Regardless, this ending has remained haunting to me since I watched it for the first time many months ago. A key element is the lack of music, not only in this scene, but throughout the movie. There is no score, which it adds an even eerier vibe to an already chilling movie. The silence is heightened in this final scene by the ticking of a clock. Ed Tom Bell, played by Tommy Lee Jones, has retired from his job as a sheriff, without catching the villian he has been chasing throughout the film, Anton Chigurh, played by Javier Bardem. Bell previously states that he feels “over-matched,” and chooses to leave his position as a sheriff instead of bringing Chigurh to justice. In Bell’s dream, he describes seeing a man on horseback ride past him and says “I knew that whenever I got there, he’d be there.” While he is describing his father in the dream, the dream also is a metaphor for his chase after Chigurh, and how Chigurh would always be waiting for him. “Then I woke up,” says Bell, meaning he has left the dream both literally and metaphorically. He has quit his job as a sheriff, and let Chirgurh continue on. In doing so, Bell will no longer have to risk his life, in a country that has no place for old men.
4. The Revenant
“You came all this way just for your revenge, huh? Well you enjoy it Glass. Cus ain’t nothin’ gonna bring your boy back.” These are the final words of John Fitzgerald (played by Tom Hardy) who has murdered the son of Hugh Glass (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and left Glass for dead. The movie follows Glass on his journey to find and kill Fitzgerald. However, after a long battle between the two, instead of finishing Fitzgerald off himself, Glass whispers “revenge is in God’s hands, not mine.” He then pushes Fitzgerald through an icy river towards the native peoples, who kill him. Glass crawls away along the riverbank and sees a vision of his late wife, who is walking away from him. She looks back, smiles, and then disappears into the snowy trees. Glass turns to look directly into the camera. The screen goes black and we hear only his breath. While it is left ambiguous to viewers, I believe that Glass dies in this scene, and that the breaths we are hearing are his final ones. I believe his visions of his wife throughout the film represent the fact that he will ultimately not survive. The fact that she disappears before he actually dies represents that he will never bring his family back, as Fitzgerald says. Glass’s sole mission in the film is to avenge his sons death, since without his son and wife, he has nothing to live for.
However, the religious undertones are an important concept throughout the film, and one that might change the analysis of this ending. I thought it interesting how Glass continues to credit his creator in the film. I thought it seemed odd that he would still have faith after so many terrible things happened to him. However, it could be seen as a miracle that he survived all of those terrible things, and that could show that God was with him all along. It could be said that Glass sees his wife before him, because she is leading him to the end of his life, and that they will finally be together in death. If this is the case, then I believe when he looks directly into the camera, he is looking into the face of God, and accepting his fate, which is death. I found it interesting how much of the movie is done in close-up, since isolation is usually portrayed in long shots. So maybe the camera that’s right next to Glass’s face for a majority of the movie is supposed to represent God being with him all along. At the end, Glass acknowledges the presence of God beside him, knowing that it is time to die.
I just re-watched The Revenant and googled the ending. It was interesting to see that most interpretations were the opposite of what I wrote. It said that his breath continuing after the film ends signifies that he stays alive, and that these aren’t his final breaths. It ties back to one of the beginning lines “as long as you can grab a breath, you fight” which I realize makes more sense than my initial reasoning. This would mean that Glass will continue on, even though his wife is gone (her walking away from the camera is her leaving once and for all, not her signaling him to follow her into death) and his son is gone and he has nothing left except his life force.
3. Whiplash
Throughout the film, Andrew Neimann (played by Miles Teller) is abused and pushed to his breaking point by his ruthless music teacher, Terrance Fletcher (played by J.K. Simmons). Prior to this final scene, Fletcher humiliates Andrew during a performance, by having the band play a piece that he knew Andrew did not know or have sheet music for. Andrew leaves the stage defeated, but then returns and interrupts the band with a drum solo. We see Andrew return to his determination to be the best, no matter what it takes or what it does to him. We see his willingness to keep coming back to Fletcher, in his drive for greatness. We see the despair of Andrew’s father as he watches. He realizes he has lost his son to this, that Andrew has become just as obsessive and single-minded as Fletcher. Andrew brings the drum solo to a climax and then there is a beat of silence. We see close up shots of Andrew and Fletcher’s eyes and they exchange smiles. Fletcher realizes he has finally found his prodigy and Andrew realizes that he has finally gained Fletcher’s respect. There are two winners in the battle for power that has occurred throughout the film. It is both a triumphant ending and a sad one. Andrew has proven himself to Fletcher, but at what cost?
2. Short Term 12
The movie ends as it begins. Mason, played by John Gallagher Jr., is yet again telling a story to his coworkers while they are on break at Short Term 12. The repetition shows how in a way, a lot has changed throughout the film, but on the other hand, nothing has really changed at all. Grace (played by Brie Larson) has finally opened up about her past abuse and is seeking help for it. Grace and Mason are at a much better place in their relationship. We learn from Mason’s story that Marcus, an 18 year old we see struggling at the center throughout the movie, is doing well out in the real world. In this moment, we see the growth of the characters internally, but also how much of their life is the same externally. Sammy, a boy at the center, breaks out from his room, making a mad dash across the lawn just as he does in the opening scene of the film. “Here we go!” says Grace. The scene falls into decelerated motion, and we pull away from the scene at a canted angle, as Grace and her coworkers chase after Sammy. The canted angle matches the chaos that these workers experience on a daily basis, and the beautiful song that’s paired with it reminds us that this story, while difficult at times, is ultimately one of hope and resilience.
1. Phoenix
This movie is a testament to how much of an impact an ending can leave. I don’t remember much of the film itself, but the details of this ending scene are not easy to forget. However, to appreciate the ending, a general idea of the plot must be understood. In Phoenix, Johnny Lenz (played by Ronald Zehrfeld) betrays his wife Nelly Lenz (played by Nina Hoss) to the Nazis, but Nelly does not know this. Nelly survives the Holocaust and the liberation of the concentration camps. She receives facial reconstructive surgery for a bullet wound; she is left bearing a resemblance to her old self but is unrecognizable when she returns to Johnny. Johnny convinces her to “impersonate” his wife, so that he can gain access to her inheritance. Nelly has been warned that it was likely Johnny who betrayed her to the Nazis, but continues to hold a romantic view of their relationship. Nelly finally finds out for certain that it was Johnny who betrayed her.
This final scene is all about realization. Johnny realizes that it really is his wife before his eyes, not just someone who bears a resemblance to her. Nelly realizes that she must let go of her love of Johnny. Why this scene is so striking is because all of this is conveyed without any dialogue. Nelly begins the scene singing softly, her voice breathless and her eyes unsure; she is still going along with Johnny’s plan. As her vocals grow stronger around 1:14, so does her expression, showing that she is ready to reveal herself to Johnny. Johnny slowly looks up at her, questioning if she really is Nelly, and then shakes his head, dismissing the thought as he continues to play the piano. Nelly turns her gaze upon Johnny, and in his moment of realization (which is confirmed by the sight of the numbers tattooed on her arm by the concentration camps) he stops playing the piano. Nelly continues to sing and then stops, turning away and leaving the room. Johnny looks down, in horror at what he’s done. Their friends watching the show are frozen. The expressions on their face read of shock, confusion, and even contempt. The film ends. It is the use of sound, both the singing (first with the piano and then without), and the lack of dialogue that adds to the jarring element of this scene. It is the perfectly executed facial expressions that tell us everything we need to know without saying a word. By far my favorite ending of all time!
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