The Truman Show. Once the conceit has been exposed and Truman discovers the truth at the exit, I think Christof's pleading with Truman to stay anyway is sort of out of kilter with the rest of the premise. I can't explain why.
I guess that it all falls under the films statement in its own way. For the most part the film deals with how people "accept the reality we are presented" by the media. The films ending echoes how the media will run everything into the ground when given the chance. Even when Truman knows the truth and the veil is lifted, there is still an attempt to keep the dream alive, to keep cashing in, to allow the media to present it's own rendition of reality ahead of offering the actual truth - which is what the people truly want by their own admission in the film when they urge him to escape, despite watching him on TV for so many years.
I guess that it all falls under the films statement in its own way. For the most part the film deals with how people "accept the reality we are presented" by the media. The films ending echoes how the media will run everything into the ground when given the chance. Even when Truman knows the truth and the veil is lifted, there is still an attempt to keep the dream alive, to keep cashing in, to allow the media to present it's own rendition of reality ahead of offering the actual truth - which is what the people truly want by their own admission in the film when they urge him to escape, despite watching him on TV for so many years.
And then they all just turnover and watch something else!
It had to end with that.
I agree the ending to The Birds is great and a brave decision by Hitchcock. The tacked on ending that always makes me weep is The Magnificent Ambersons.
Suspicion (1941) had a studio ending forced upon it.
I always felt that was a real let down, as was another Hitchcock. In North by Northwest. One minute Cary Grant is trying to grab Eva Marie Saint's hand as she is slipping down the side of Mount Rushmore, and then the next minute he is lifting her up into a bunk of a train. I felt that was a cop out, with the last rather obvious phallic scene of the fast speeding train entering a tunnel. ;-)
The Truman Show. Once the conceit has been exposed and Truman discovers the truth at the exit, I think Christof's pleading with Truman to stay anyway is sort of out of kilter with the rest of the premise. I can't explain why.
It's been so long since I've seen the film, but I thought the part where everyone just turns over "Let's see whats on that channel" etc, was brilliant. Fantastic performance by Jim Carrey
The Abyss, purely because of the alien craft which when it comes out of the water at the end, looks like it's made of wood.
Usually I am against directors making changes to films years after making them but this the exception to the rule.
I think The Abyss would have been a much better film without any aliens at all. There was plenty of dramatic tension in the claustrophobic underwater setting without them. It all got a bit silly at the end.
I always felt that was a real let down, as was another Hitchcock. In North by Northwest. One minute Cary Grant is trying to grab Eva Marie Saint's hand as she is slipping down the side of Mount Rushmore, and then the next minute he is lifting her up into a bunk of a train. I felt that was a cop out, with the last rather obvious phallic scene of the fast speeding train entering a tunnel. ;-)
David Fincher's The Game. It could have ended at the point Nick Van Orton jumps off the roof, believing he'd shot dead his brother (as well as having been through loads of other shit) and it could have been a film about how a well intentioned gift from his brother to 'the man who has everything' destroyed both their lives. Instead he lands on an air-bag, the gun was a fake and all the other shit turned out to have been faked too. A fiendishly tricky film that gets very dark and 'WTF?!' (in the good way), but when it's all revealed to be staged, you start to think 'Hang on, that just doesn't make sense now'.
I first thought of the American remake of The Vanishing, however I suppose the ending only lets it down if you've seen and are comparing it to the original. As a film in it's own right, however, the ending isn't any better or worse than what's come before it.
I think The Abyss would have been a much better film without any aliens at all. There was plenty of dramatic tension in the claustrophobic underwater setting without them. It all got a bit silly at the end.
Yes, that film couldn't make its mind up what it was. It was as if the writer had no idea how to end it. As you say, it is a brilliant setting but the stupid deus ex machina at the end ruins it.
David Fincher's The Game. It could have ended at the point Nick Van Orton jumps off the roof, believing he'd shot dead his brother (as well as having been through loads of other shit) and it could have been a film about how a well intentioned gift from his brother to 'the man who has everything' destroyed both their lives. Instead he lands on an air-bag, the gun was a fake and all the other shit turned out to have been faked too. A fiendishly tricky film that gets very dark and 'WTF?!' (in the good way), but when it's all revealed to be staged, you start to think 'Hang on, that just doesn't make sense now'.
I first thought of the American remake of The Vanishing, however I suppose the ending only lets it down if you've seen and are comparing it to the original. As a film in it's own right, however, the ending isn't any better or worse than what's come before it.
I know what you mean, I thought it was a great film up to that point. I thought it would be a better ending if Nicholas really kills himself - end of film? And THEN maybe a small suggestion it was fake not that big party scene.
But I had a theory that the ending is all in Nicholas' head, if that makes sense.
I think The Abyss would have been a much better film without any aliens at all. There was plenty of dramatic tension in the claustrophobic underwater setting without them. It all got a bit silly at the end.
Yes, as a drama it works perfectly well without the aliens. Their only use is to save the hero's life. However, you'd lose the amazing water tentacle effect, and Lindsey's sarcastic remark "hands up who thinks that was a Russian water tentacle".
Memoirs of a Geisha sticks out in my mind. I hate the fairy tale happy ending, but I hated it when I read the book so I don't know what I was expecting
Children of Men - I just wanted him to see the rescue ship coming before he died to know she was safe. Him dying before hand was kinda mean.
and that George Clooney film where he goes round sacking people - at the end we see he has 2 choices at the airport. I would've just like a shot of him smiling, or even just beginning to smile to let you conclude he'd made a decision, rather than iirc them cutting to black and for all we know he could still be there umming and ahhrrrring.
Children of Men - I just wanted him to see the rescue ship coming before he died to know she was safe. Him dying before hand was kinda mean.
and that George Clooney film where he goes round sacking people - at the end we see he has 2 choices at the airport. I would've just like a shot of him smiling, or even just beginning to smile to let you conclude he'd made a decision, rather than iirc them cutting to black and for all we know he could still be there umming and ahhrrrring.
That would be too 'nice' an ending for a film which is darker than it's made out to be. (Up in the Air, BTW).
It wasn't a let down as such but I think The Shawshank Redemption would have been more powerful without the scene on the beach at the end, and could have ended with Red on the bus not knowing where his journey would take him. It was a powerful bit of writing about hope, friendship, freedom and excitement and that was enough for me.
I'm still very happy with the film of course, I just don't need that final few seconds.
That made the ending more beautiful for me. Leaving it at the bus would have made their finding each other ambiguous - couldn't have that.
Heathers; another movie with an ending forced by the studio.
To be honest I think the studio got it right.
I don't get the big deal over the ending that was originally written. It seemed overly pretentious and obvious. I much prefer the ending used, it seemed to have more faith in the audience to form their own thoughts on the message and also how the future story will pan out.
Haute Tension would be my pick for an ending which kills a great film. I don't know if the twist was necessary or not but either way they way it's played out totally changes the tone of the film and kinda feels like a silly tacked on ending a US remake would add.
I didn't like the 'Hollywood' ending of Captain Corelli's Mandolin - he goes straight back to see Pelagia after the War, whereas in the book he can't bring himself to, and doesn't return until they're old, which I quite liked. But obviously the ending to a love story with characters who are older is not what Hollywood ordered.
Comments
I like the uncertainty in that sequence. It's actually a little more hopeful than the book.
And then they all just turnover and watch something else!
It had to end with that.
That bit is genius.
I always felt that was a real let down, as was another Hitchcock. In North by Northwest. One minute Cary Grant is trying to grab Eva Marie Saint's hand as she is slipping down the side of Mount Rushmore, and then the next minute he is lifting her up into a bunk of a train. I felt that was a cop out, with the last rather obvious phallic scene of the fast speeding train entering a tunnel. ;-)
It's been so long since I've seen the film, but I thought the part where everyone just turns over "Let's see whats on that channel" etc, was brilliant. Fantastic performance by Jim Carrey
No, I think that was quite a nifty ending.
I first thought of the American remake of The Vanishing, however I suppose the ending only lets it down if you've seen and are comparing it to the original. As a film in it's own right, however, the ending isn't any better or worse than what's come before it.
Yes, that film couldn't make its mind up what it was. It was as if the writer had no idea how to end it. As you say, it is a brilliant setting but the stupid deus ex machina at the end ruins it.
I know what you mean, I thought it was a great film up to that point. I thought it would be a better ending if Nicholas really kills himself - end of film? And THEN maybe a small suggestion it was fake not that big party scene.
But I had a theory that the ending is all in Nicholas' head, if that makes sense.
Yes, as a drama it works perfectly well without the aliens. Their only use is to save the hero's life. However, you'd lose the amazing water tentacle effect, and Lindsey's sarcastic remark "hands up who thinks that was a Russian water tentacle".
Yes, The Sixth Sense was a great ending.
Pretty much every other film he's made has a stupid, "I'm not quite sure how to finish this movie" ending. He has squandered some great ideas
Heathen.
That was an absolute classic of an ending.
and that George Clooney film where he goes round sacking people - at the end we see he has 2 choices at the airport. I would've just like a shot of him smiling, or even just beginning to smile to let you conclude he'd made a decision, rather than iirc them cutting to black and for all we know he could still be there umming and ahhrrrring.
That would be too 'nice' an ending for a film which is darker than it's made out to be. (Up in the Air, BTW).
That made the ending more beautiful for me. Leaving it at the bus would have made their finding each other ambiguous - couldn't have that.
I don't get the big deal over the ending that was originally written. It seemed overly pretentious and obvious. I much prefer the ending used, it seemed to have more faith in the audience to form their own thoughts on the message and also how the future story will pan out.
Haute Tension would be my pick for an ending which kills a great film. I don't know if the twist was necessary or not but either way they way it's played out totally changes the tone of the film and kinda feels like a silly tacked on ending a US remake would add.
Unbreakable had a good ending but still I'm not sure "why" it was like that.