Best end to a film?

Hammer Michael

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Apologies if threaded already (did check the EF and couldn't see it done before).

Best ending to a film?

Have The Long Good Friday running through my head at the moment so I'm going to start with that one.

The last few minutes when Harold realises the game is up with the IRA (and a silent and very young Pierce Brosnan) being driven away to certain death. Hoskins' acting is incredible, showing a variety of facial expressions from confusion, gallows humour in the situation, to fearful acceptance of his fate....and all with no dialogue, just the super-cool soundtrack.

Perfect!:)
 
can't decide best, but worst.

I saw a film the other year in film studies a 70's french surrealism film (you could tell it would suck balls just from that info)

Called The Phantom Of Liberty, and the ending is just the french police run into a zoo and then the camera focuses on a ostriches head and then gun shots are heard over the top AND THEN credits roll over the animals head.

I was sitting there in class thinking "What the feck?, this is actually dreadful"

edit: the film has nothing to do with a zoo or a ostrich at all,which makes the ending even worse.
 
Its a bit obvious and very commercial, but I have to say the most satisfying ending to a movie that I can remember is The Sixth Sense. Awesome twist and just wrapped up everything that happened before it so perfectly.
 
Diver said:
can't decide best, but worst.

I saw a film the other year in film studies a 70's french surrealism film (you could tell it would suck balls just from that info)

Called The Phantom Of Liberty, and the ending is just the french police run into a zoo and then the camera focuses on a ostriches head and then gun shots are heard over the top AND THEN credits roll over the animals head.

I was sitting there in class thinking "What the feck?, this is actually dreadful"

edit: the film has nothing to do with a zoo or a ostrich at all,which makes the ending even worse.
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I've not seen any of Bunuel's work, yet. But it just seems to me, you just don't understand him and his work. It's surrealism.

What do you think of Lynch. . . or Takeshi Miike?
 
I'll mention the Casablance ending - someone was bound too!

One of the best endings I've ever seen is the ending of "Cinema Paradiso".

The compilation of screen kisses at the end of the film is the height of romantic gestures.
 
Spoony said:
I've not seen any of Bunuel's work, yet. But it just seems to me, you just don't understand him and his work. It's surrealism.

What do you think of Lynch. . . or Takeshi Miike?
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I perfectly understand, i just don't like it. For many of Buneuls films he said that they weren't supposed to have a set meaning. And was more for the audience to decide.

To be honest i see films as entertainment not art, if i want to see art i'll go to a museum. I hate all this pretentious bollocks that gets made and realised then to have a certain "art house" crowd rave about it and go into really deep and meaningful conclusions as to why everything was done. What happened to just making a film for entertainments sake?

Anyway i'm still yet to meet anyone who thinks that a camera focusing on an ostriches head whilst gun shots are heard can be considered entertainment.

I've only seen a few of Lynch's films (assuming you mean David) and they are quite enjoyable they actually have a tangable story. I'm not too familiar with Takashi Miike's work so i can't really speak.
 
Diver said:
I hate all this pretentious bollocks that gets made and realised then to have a certain "art house" crowd rave about it and go into really deep and meaningful conclusions as to why everything was done. What happened to just making a film for entertainments sake?

Anyway i'm still yet to meet anyone who thinks that a camera focusing on an ostriches head whilst gun shots are heard can be considered entertainment.

I've only seen a few of Lynch's films (assuming you mean David) and they are quite enjoyable they actually have a tangable story. I'm not too familiar with Takashi Miike's work so i can't really speak.
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Well it is a form of art. Not every film is made strictly to entertain. That said, most are. . . RE Hollywood.

And calling directors who are willing to express their thoughts in this medium 'pretentious', then what does that make other artists? I know plenty of people who just don't get some aspects of art. . .and end up calling it bollocks or pretentious. Actually many have said the same about David Lynch's work.

Thing is, art doesn't have boundaries. And it's not strictly confined to the galleries or oil canvases.
 
Diver said:
To be honest i see films as entertainment not art, if i want to see art i'll go to a museum. I hate all this pretentious bollocks that gets made and realised then to have a certain "art house" crowd rave about it and go into really deep and meaningful conclusions as to why everything was done. What happened to just making a film for entertainments sake?
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I too watch films for entertainment, but that doesn't mean it has to be mindless.

Phantom of Liberty is an incredibly funny film, it is certainly entertaining. It is close to some Monthy Python sketches in nature. And you wouldnt bother compaining abouth the ending of those, I reckon.
 
Dr Strangelove - bizarre yet awesome (which reminds me I gotta do a Kubrick marathon line up on that other thread)

Brokeback Mountain's ending broke my heart.

And when I watched The Usual Suspects for the first time when I was 15 or so, it completely blew me away.

Requiem For A Dream doesn't have the best ending, but it certainly proves a point.

For "textbook" endings however, I don't think anything can beat Thelma & Louise.
 
And OH!!!! How could I have forgotten the most uplifting movie ending EVER with that dance/"lift" at the end of Dirty Dancing?!?!
 
Big Trouble In Little Vagina.

Arguably T.J Commings finest hour.
 
cinc said:
I too watch films for entertainment, but that doesn't mean it has to be mindless.

Phantom of Liberty is an incredibly funny film, it is certainly entertaining. It is close to some Monthy Python sketches in nature. And you wouldnt bother compaining abouth the ending of those, I reckon.
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To be honest i wouldn't.

I can't see how anyone could call it "incredibly funny" maybe slightly humourous in places. I just find it interesting that you could laugh at a random naked person playing a piano, incest between an aunt and nephew, people eating dinner on toilet seats etc

I do appreacite that film can be art but this film is certainly pretentious. And the difference between this and Monty Python is that the Pythons humour was all about taking the piss and this includes taking the piss of arty farty bollocks such as Phantom of Liberty.

But we're all entitled to our opinions and i respect everyones. I am glad i watched this film though as it gave me a good insight into different cultures / genres.
 
RedMarla said:
And OH!!!! How could I have forgotten the most uplifting movie ending EVER with that dance/"lift" at the end of Dirty Dancing?!?!
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Robbo said:
If you're not female you must be homosexual then
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yep.

Great endings. Obviously, Jacob's Ladder. Das Boot was pretty mental too, Dolls' ending was beautiful. Others such as Memento, Planet of the Apes, The Godfather, Rosemary's Baby, The Tenant, Ran, Yojimbo, Seven Samurai, Chinatown, Oldboy, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest and Seven, had fantastic endings, too
 
I do like a bit of a bleak ending myself...so along with The Long Good Friday, I'm going to nominate Get Carter (the original), The Wicker Man (original) and Night of the Living Dead - the bleakest of all bleak endings!
 
Spoony said:
yep.

Great endings. Obviously, Jacob's Ladder. Das Boot was pretty mental too, Dolls' ending was beautiful. Others such as Memento, Planet of the Apes, The Godfather, Rosemary's Baby, The Tenant, Ran, Yojimbo, Seven Samurai, Chinatown, Oldboy, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest and Seven, had fantastic endings, too
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Good choices there Spoony, particularly Chinatown (forgot about that one in my 'bleak endings' posting...).

Better ending though? Godfather 1 or Godfather 2? Partial to a bit of Pacino sitting all moody and melancholic in his garden as the Autumn leaves rustle in the background. Fuc*in' poetry!:D
 
Hammer Michael said:
Good choices there Spoony, particularly Chinatown (forgot about that one in my 'bleak endings' posting...).

Better ending though? Godfather 1 or Godfather 2? Partial to a bit of Pacino sitting all moody and melancholic in his garden as the Autumn leaves rustle in the background. Fuc*in' poetry!:D
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Hmmm. Both endings were fantastic. Part II was just so cold. Tough choice. Must admit to be in love with those two movies.

As for bleak endings, I agree. Which something that let Shawskanks down(aside for the prison movie cliches)

Other quality endings(recently seen films) Rainy Dog. Tarantino nicked the last scene from it(Kill Bill) and Last Life in the Universe.
 
Spoony said:
Hmmm. Both endings were fantastic. Part II was just so cold. Tough choice. Must admit to be in love with those two movies.

As for bleak endings, I agree. Which something that let Shawskanks down(aside for the prison movie cliches)

Other quality endings(recently seen films) Rainy Dog. Tarantino nicked the last scene from it(Kill Bill) and Last Life in the Universe.
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Starting to warm to Part Three after all these years!;)

Great ending to an Asian horror film (and has a neat twist, linking it to another thread) is A Tale of Two Sisters - quality film.
 
The Killing (the bit with the dog)
Central Station (great movie but the ending was tear jerking)
The Sting (always makes me smile)
 
He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not (À la folie... pas du tout) - starring Audrey Tautou. (You'll love this film, Mehro)

Empire Strikes Back.
 
mehro said:
The Killing (the bit with the dog)
Central Station (great movie but the ending was tear jerking)
The Sting (always makes me smile)
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And one hell of a film to boot!;) Good ending!

On the subject of class endings to film noirs...The Last Seduction. Neo-noir, admittedly, but one smart film all the way through. Linda Fiorentina kicks ass!:D
 
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