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Post by stephen on Jan 13, 2024 16:33:53 GMT
Piggybacking off of the "perfect ending" thread, what are some films where they had the absolute best ending possible . . . but for some reason, the film kept going?
I have two major examples:
Lincoln (2012, Steven Spielberg): I mean, come on: you've got what might've been the most devastating and impactful ending of Spielberg's whole career served on a silver platter here. Lincoln's just won the war, he's accomplished his goals, but there is still so much work to be done, but he is taking an evening's respite by going to take in a play at Ford's Theater. Before he leaves his cohorts, Lincoln turns to the room, dons his hat, and with a small smile laments, "I suppose it's time to go . . . though I would rather stay." Knowing that Lincoln actually said these words in real life just adds so much tragedy to it. The scene where he slaps his gloves down as he walks out and Mr. Slade picks them up and walks away . . . then stops, as if compelled. He turns and sees the iconic silhouette walking out of the White House and towards his tragic fate and, ultimately, his immortality as a folk legend. It gave me such chills in the theater . . . and then the film kept going. Now, I don't hate the coda with Lincoln giving his inaugural address because it really is a great and well-staged scene, but I personally think the film should've started with Lincoln's dream and ended with that silhouette shot. I mean, god damn.
Bones and All (2022, Luca Guadagnino): I don't hate the last five minutes like some people do, but come on: the narration over the badlands where Maren and Lee are talking about their future, and how they're just going to keep driving until the truck gives out, and then they'll just pretend to be people "for a while" was such a beautiful and touching moment, and like Lincoln, that ending was so perfect I don't know why they felt the need to keep going. Rylance crushes that last scene but it's ultimately superfluous for the overall film.
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Post by finniussnrub on Jan 13, 2024 16:46:39 GMT
I don't know if Bones and All would be "perfect" in that Sully wouldn't have been resolved in anyway, unless you took out the scene that clearly indicated he was tracking Maren as well. Additionally, I don't quite see the scene as fully superfluous in nature of the scene as it shows that as much as they could try to beat their addiction, it doesn't mean they're suddenly separated from that world of the cannibals, which was indicated by Sully, Stuhlbarg's Jake and Lee's dad throughout the film.
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Post by wallsofjericho on Jan 13, 2024 16:46:57 GMT
Was thinking The Departed and ending it after Damon leaves the elevator.
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Post by stephen on Jan 13, 2024 16:51:56 GMT
I don't know if Bones and All would be "perfect" in that Sully wouldn't have been resolved in anyway, unless you took out the scene that clearly indicated he was tracking Maren as well. Additionally, I don't quite see the scene as fully superfluous in nature of the scene as it shows that as much as they could try to beat their addiction, it doesn't mean they're suddenly separated from that world of the cannibals, which was indicated by Sully, Stuhlbarg's Jake and Lee's dad throughout the film. I feel like the "rejection" scene of Sully still works as a capper on that arc in some way, and that it's less about Sully being a stalker but more about how desperately lonely it is to be a cannibal in this world, and that Lee and Maren really were fortunate to find each other. Sully works as a cautionary tale for Maren, and I think it works better than just having him so obsessive he tracks them down again. |
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Post by stephen on Jan 13, 2024 16:54:03 GMT
Was thinking The Departed and ending it after Damon leaves the elevator. I do kinda wonder if you could go even further back, to the point where Farmiga leaves him. Damon's character is still alive but he's completely alone, and the woman he loves knows he's scum. Ending it there, alone in his apartment, I think packs more of a punch and feels like it would've left things open had they wanted to potentially adapt the other Infernal Affairs films. That said, it does leave the Wahlberg stuff open-ended, as his exit does feel like it's setting up that last scene. |
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Post by finniussnrub on Jan 13, 2024 16:55:13 GMT
I don't know if Bones and All would be "perfect" in that Sully wouldn't have been resolved in anyway, unless you took out the scene that clearly indicated he was tracking Maren as well. Additionally, I don't quite see the scene as fully superfluous in nature of the scene as it shows that as much as they could try to beat their addiction, it doesn't mean they're suddenly separated from that world of the cannibals, which was indicated by Sully, Stuhlbarg's Jake and Lee's dad throughout the film. I feel like the "rejection" scene of Sully still works as a capper on that arc in some way, and that it's less about Sully being a stalker but more about how desperately lonely it is to be a cannibal in this world, and that Lee and Maren really were fortunate to find each other. Sully works as a cautionary tale for Maren, and I think it works better than just having him so obsessive he tracks them down again. Eh, I feel then Sully should've seen less dangerous from the start, where multiple moments in their first interaction indicate that he's not nearly as harmless as he's presenting himself to be. |
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Post by pacinoyes on Jan 13, 2024 17:00:30 GMT
PTA (often) has problems with endings - TWBB too quick, The Master - wrong scene order, Magnolia - ends repeatedly for an hour  - but definitely Phantom Thread should end at the table.......all are must see movies (Magnolia a bit less) but could have been perfect..........and actually were at one point usually tbh  |
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Post by stephen on Jan 13, 2024 17:01:24 GMT
I feel like the "rejection" scene of Sully still works as a capper on that arc in some way, and that it's less about Sully being a stalker but more about how desperately lonely it is to be a cannibal in this world, and that Lee and Maren really were fortunate to find each other. Sully works as a cautionary tale for Maren, and I think it works better than just having him so obsessive he tracks them down again. Eh, I feel then Sully should've seen less dangerous from the start, where multiple moments in their first interaction indicate that he's not nearly as harmless as he's presenting himself to be. I mean, he is a cannibal and Rylance is playing it in a way that is just naturally off-putting. I could easily see a version of the film where Sully is trying to be fatherly to Maren, but his lack of social grace and decades of isolation have made him unable to really be anything other than creepy. Stuhlbarg does something similar, but we get the point of Jake and his compatriot as a sort of toxic "what-could-be" with Lee and Maren without needing to revisit them. I dunno, I remember seeing the film for the first time and when my proposed ending came on screen, I really thought it was incredible . . . but I did have that thorn in my mind of seeing that shot of Rylance putting his fingers to his lips from the trailer and I wondered if that was an excised scene, but nope, the film kept going. If I hadn't seen the trailers, I don't think I ever would've given Sully another thought past his second scene exit. That said, if you're going to give us that final scene, then I want a parallel film of Sully tracking down Maren and systematically killing the other characters they run across. I need Sully versus Jake. |
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Post by finniussnrub on Jan 13, 2024 17:05:11 GMT
Anyway disregarding whether or not the ending is "perfect" but films with definitely needless extra scenes.
Drive My Car (Removing the pointless scene after Uncle Vanya)
Source Code (End on the freeze frame for a bittersweet ending, rather than the super duper extra happy ending)
Many Spike Lee movies, where in case you didn't get his message he spells it out in neon letters.
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Post by stephen on Jan 13, 2024 17:07:12 GMT
PTA (often) has problems with endings - TWBB too quick, The Master - wrong scene order, Magnolia - ends repeatedly for an hour - but definitely Phantom Thread should end at the table.......all are must see movies (Magnolia a bit less) but could have been perfect..........and actually were at one point tbh I actually think Anderson has a great gift at endings (big surprise). There Will Be Blood's ending feels grand and operatic in such a way that I feel anything more than what we got could've tipped the scales into the realm of excessive indulgence. The Master has a few scenes that could've worked as endings (Freddie riding off into the sunset, the "Slow Boat to China" scene) but I still fall into the realm of appreciating the shot of him lying down on the beach. It either works one of two ways: either his restless, animalistic side is at peace . . . or he's falling back into his old habits and he'll never change. That's what I find to be absolutely genius about The Master, in that it's very much a cinematic Rorschach test and it's whatever you want it to be, because PTA leaves the audience to make their own judgment about it. Phantom Thread's ending, I can sort of get behind you there . . . but I personally think the best ending is Alma's confessing to Brian Gleeson by firelight. The scenes of their relationship, the baby and the dancing at New Year's (a contender for shot of the year, by the way) and ending with the dress fitting do work, but I love the idea of just ending on Krieps's face, content that she's gotten everything she's wanted, and in that moment we are Brian Gleeson, unsure of how to react to that but knowing how she got to that point. |
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Post by Lord_Buscemi on Jan 13, 2024 17:13:40 GMT
Was thinking The Departed and ending it after Damon leaves the elevator. I know people hate it, but I kinda love the little scurrying rat lol. People think it's too goofy but it's fitting with the rest of the movie in its goofiness. |
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Post by ibbi on Jan 13, 2024 17:14:03 GMT
It's a Wonderful Life is perfect up until he gets to that bridge, and then he starts hallucinating and believing his delusions, and as if that isn't enough, we get a banker bailout to finish it off.
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Post by stephen on Jan 13, 2024 17:20:29 GMT
It's a Wonderful Life is perfect up until he gets to that bridge, and then he starts hallucinating and believing his delusions, and as if that isn't enough, we get a banker bailout to finish it off. Hang on, gotta recut It's a Wonderful Life with the big FBI arrest scene in The Wolf of Wall Street for accuracy purposes. |
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Post by pacinoyes on Jan 13, 2024 17:35:30 GMT
PTA (often) has problems with endings - TWBB too quick, The Master - wrong scene order, Magnolia - ends repeatedly for an hour - but definitely Phantom Thread should end at the table.......all are must see movies (Magnolia a bit less) but could have been perfect..........and actually were at one point tbh I actually think Anderson has a great gift at endings (big surprise). You know - almost inherent in this thread is the idea of movies that "go on past a point that's perfect" and like finniussnrub said - movies which actually need a better end scene than the one they have.......PTA to me is the former to me, Spike Lee is the latter. I did think Licorice Pizza had a perfect end scene btw..... I always say Do The Right Thing is a great movie that needs that last scene but not the way that scene is written and as it is written takes a 10 / 10 down to an 8.5 / 10 for me.........that scene is a betrayal of both characters ........I said the other day in the PTA/Nolan thread that PTA's great gift is he can write and sometimes he writes himself into corners or out of them (The Master is like that, I love the last shot but not the order immediatly prior) well Spike Lee is like that except he never writes himself out of them - he just presents ideas that are someone else's imo (Blackkklansman) or thinks the merely perfunctory is perfectly adequate (Do The Right Thing)..........irl and in better movies....Sal wouldn't toss that $250 at Mookie..........he would punch Mookie in the face probably...................and he wouldn't be there alone either  |
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Post by Kings_Requiem on Jan 13, 2024 18:25:51 GMT
Take Shelter
I think the perfect ending would've been to cut to black right as Shannon is opening the hatch to the titular shelter. It ends the story on a perfect note and still allows the viewer to figure out for themselves what is real and what is imagined. But it goes on for another 15 or 20 minutes and pretty much ruins all ambiguity.
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Post by stephen on Jan 13, 2024 20:34:20 GMT
Take ShelterI think the perfect ending would've been to cut to black right as Shannon is opening the hatch to the titular shelter. It ends the story on a perfect note and still allows the viewer to figure out for themselves what is real and what is imagined. But it goes on for another 15 or 20 minutes and pretty much ruins all ambiguity. I agree with this take 100%. I think making the audience question where Curtis's premonitions are real or a figment of mental illness is the whole conceit of the movie. |
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Post by mhynson27 on Jan 13, 2024 23:53:29 GMT
I wish Joker had ended with the shot of him on top of the cop car, and Dunkirk had ended with the shot of Hardy and the burning plane, with the enemy soldiers coming over the hill in the distance.
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Nikan
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Post by Nikan on Jan 14, 2024 0:20:53 GMT
As someone who didn't like Take Shelter *that much*... it ends on an unforgettable image, better than anything that came prior. Some thread a while ago I realized Drive My Car doesn't end with the Uncle Vanya performance which is just ridiculous. And I'm sure The Return of the King has a place here not at all with The Departed though, which ends perfectly. |
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Post by The_Cake_of_Roth on Jan 14, 2024 4:28:14 GMT
I wish Joker had ended with the shot of him on top of the cop car, and Dunkirk had ended with the shot of Hardy and the burning plane, with the enemy soldiers coming over the hill in the distance.It’s certainly a great image, and I can see why a lot of people would have preferred that as the ending, but I don’t think it would have fit with what Nolan was ultimately going for thematically. In that last shot of Whitehead, there is a hint of dread as he looks up from the newspaper after reading the Churchill speech, suggesting that he realizes this isn’t the end for him and it’s only a temporary respite from the hell of war. It deliberately undercuts the patriotic fervor and ends on an explicitly anti-war note imo. Ending with Hardy and the plane keeps the film in a tonal space that I think would betray Nolan’s intentions. |
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- but definitely Phantom Thread should end at the table.......all are must see movies (Magnolia a bit less) but could have been perfect..........and actually were at one point usually tbh
