[balthasar]

What are your thoughts about films that do not tie everything up or leave you to make your own ending?
For example The Thing or The Italian Job. I just watched Colossus The Forbin Project it had one of those very 1970s, wonder what happened type endings.

[Dave1979]

If you had asked me this 10 years ago I would have said I hated them but my taste in films has changed dramatically after doing some film theory night-classes in my 20's.

I now cannot get enough Truffaut, Godard, Rohmer, Buñuel etc. I would previously have called them crappy, old, pretentious crap. It amazes me now how many of the devices and techniques that they invented that we take for granted now!

Old favourite film - Batman
New favourite film - The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

[Bad Juju]

Some say JCs The Thing is kinda resolved cause the guy (not Mac) has no condensation breath at the end.

[SHANK0055]

Michael Caine on the Italian Job's ending:

At last Michael Caine reveals ending to the Italian Job
It is a mystery that has baffled movie lovers and armchair engineers ever since the Italian Job came out: what happened to the coachload of gold perched precariously on a cliff edge at the end of the film.

Sir Michael Caine met Boris Johnson at the Visit London Awards this week where Caine was awarded the London's Favourite Londoner Award.

Now the star of the cult British crime caper Sir Michael Caine has revealed the real ending on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the film.

Sir Michael said an ending was made to the film with the gang of criminals escaping, but the gold tumbling into the ravine.

The rival Mafia gang watched the whole event from the valley – and grabbed the $4 million dollar cargo of gold.
Sir Michael's version of the events comes as the Royal Society of Chemistry is holding a competition to see who could come up with the most original – and elegant-ending to the film.

It has already had more than 750 different entries.
Speaking at the 2008 Visit London Awards, Sir Michael told how the producers of the 1969 movie filmed the ending at the time.

But they decided against using it – leaving filmgoers with the famous cliffhanger ending.

In the closing moments of the film, audiences see the British gang travelling in high spirits on their way from Italy to Switzerland.

The coach careers along a winding mountain road while the crooks celebrate in the back.

But, by mistake, the driver sends the vehicle into a skid. The back end of the coach is left teetering over the edge with the gold slipping towards the rear doors.

Charlie Croker – the gang leader played by Sir Michael – issues his famous final words: "Hang on a minute, lads. I've got a great idea," and the credits roll.

Sir Michael revealed the real ending after the Royal Society of Chemistry held a competition to solve the riddle of what happened afterwards.

Sir Michael, 75, said: "In the coach, I crawl up, switch on the engine and stay there for four hours until all the petrol runs out.

"The van bounces back up so we can all get out, but then the gold goes over. There are a load of Corsican Mafia at the bottom watching the whole thing with binoculars.

"They grab the gold, and then the sequel is us chasing it."

The real version by the actor, who was at the ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London after being voted the capital's favourite Londoner, is unlikely to stop the debate on the subject.

A competition currently being run by the Royal Society of Chemistry is expected to announce a winner in January.

[balthasar]

So nobody minds if the story is not neatly wrapped up?

Or is it case by case?

[Verence]

Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid

Right at the end when Butch and Sundance are surrounded by the Bolivian army they charge out of the building with all guns blazing and the film ends with a freeze frame.

The real Butch and Sundance did have a shoot-out with the Bolivian army in 1908 and there are legends that both of them survived

[geordielady]

Inception.

[dreamycreamy]

Originally Posted by geordielady

Inception.

I liked that, it made you think, whether it was real or not.

[SteelEdge]

The Wrestler had an unresolved ending. Part way through the film Randy has a heart attack, and is advised against ever wrestling again, but he can't resist one more match. He has another heart attack during the match, but is determined to see it to the end. In pain, he climbs the top rope, salutes the crowd, dives off with the finishing move and the screen fades to black. So we don't know if he survived or not

[Eddie Badger]

Hitchcock's The Birds

[cmq2]

I thought The Wrestler's end was clear. He slammed into the deck and his heart gave way. Randy chose to die in the ring rather than struggle to create a new life with Cassidy. Poignantly, she got to him too late to change his mind. Until that moment, her practical offer was something he dreamt of, a real game-changer for him.

Martha Marcy Mae Marlene's conclusion annoyed a number of people but I thought it was reasonably decisive. For some it may have been the film as a whole, with the ending summing up their frustrations.

Fassbender and Mulligan's Shame has an ambiguous ending. I imagined Brandon was not going to immediately revert to his old habits. Though if caring for Sissy and, her influence on his personality, did not force a dramatic change, he may soon drift back.

[CLL Dodge]

Picnic at Hanging Rock.

Though the last chapter of the book was removed before publication so the filmmakers were being true to that.

[LykkieLi]

I like them. I like being left bewildered, not at the time but afterwards, if that makes sense.

[little-monster]

I love the Black swan ending. It's very ambigious on whether Nina has died due to her injuries or not.

[Verence]

Zack Snyder's 2004 remake of Dawn Of The Dead

At the end of the film four characters manage to escape on a boat and begin to make their way to an island.

Right at the end of the film there is a montage of video footage that shows the four relaxing on the boat and reaching the island only to conclude with footage of them being chased by a bunch of zombies.

The assumption is that they were killed by the island zombies

[Johnny Clay]

Originally Posted by SteelEdge

The Wrestler had an unresolved ending. Part way through the film Randy has a heart attack, and is advised against ever wrestling again, but he can't resist one more match. He has another heart attack during the match, but is determined to see it to the end. In pain, he climbs the top rope, salutes the crowd, dives off with the finishing move and the screen fades to black. So we don't know if he survived or not

Originally Posted by cmq2

I thought The Wrestler's end was clear. He slammed into the deck and his heart gave way. Randy chose to die in the ring rather than struggle to create a new life with Cassidy. Poignantly, she got to him too late to change his mind. Until that moment, her practical offer was something he dreamt of, a real game-changer for him.

Both of these are valid, although, IIRC, Aronofsky has said that if that dive he takes doesn't kill him, then the next one will. It's just a matter of time.

It's clever how it's shot from beneath, so he's rising up out of the frame, hinting at themes of heaven/death/ascension etc.

Brilliant film, btw.

[killthedirector]

Rocky 3

[zwixxx]

I don't mind open endings but there are some films such as Children of Men and that one with George Clooney (he's a man who flies around the country firing people in person) that I'd wish we'd got 1 more second showing:

Spoiler

(1) clive smile at the resuce ship as it drifts into view, he can then die
and (2) him giving a knowing smile - the original film having ended with him looking up at the flight leaving board.

[RebelScum]

Flash Gordon

[TOSSerr]

Blair Witch

[mialicious]

Martyrs

[treefr0g]

Originally Posted by LykkieLi

I like them. I like being left bewildered, not at the time but afterwards, if that makes sense.

I've never thought about that before but it makes perfect sense.

Once Upon a Time in America springs to mind.

[Takae]

Originally Posted by balthasar

So nobody minds if the story is not neatly wrapped up?

Or is it case by case?

Definitely case by case. There are some cliffhanger endings that work and there are some that don't. It's all down to degree of satisfaction, really.

Most fun: The Italian Job
Most frustrating (in a good way): The Thing

I don't agree that the ending of Inception is a cliffhanger, though. In the end, DiCaprio's character says it doesn't matter any more, which renders the ending "the end". His abandonment of his quest means the film doesn't require us to know the conclusion of his quest any more, not like The Thing and The Italian Job.

[braincapers]

Originally Posted by CLL Dodge

Picnic at Hanging Rock.

Though the last chapter of the book was removed before publication so the filmmakers were being true to that.

Kubrick fillmed Clockwork Orange using the book version with the last chapter missing. I think he did the right thing.

[PJ68]

Limbo.