20 of my favourite ending I have seen. Spoilers if you read the description, but if you look at the titles and pictures, they will be less spoiled. The only rule for this list, is that the films are not mainstream Hollywood blockbusters. So 'Fight Club', 'Usual Suspects', 'The Sixth Sense' are out. Now let's start!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20
Das Boot
Possibly the most intense film ever made. This German 3 hour film, isn't an easy watch. Towards the end, their submarine is sunk into deep waters. Things are presumed doomed, until the crew manages to fix the submarine, and the submarine is raised. HOORAY, oh wait. When they arrive, the docks get bombed and most of the main characters die.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20
Das Boot
Possibly the most intense film ever made. This German 3 hour film, isn't an easy watch. Towards the end, their submarine is sunk into deep waters. Things are presumed doomed, until the crew manages to fix the submarine, and the submarine is raised. HOORAY, oh wait. When they arrive, the docks get bombed and most of the main characters die.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19
Klass
There is nothing that can pay back the time you put into a movie than a high school massacre. The most shocking, unflinching and exploitive way to end a movie. 'Zero Day' is equally as shocking, while 'We Need to Talk about Kevin' includes a massacre without showing it. 'If...' is the first film to touch on the subject and 'Bang, Bang You're Dead' does the opposite and makes you think it will end in a massacre, when it doesn't. As endings go, there isn't anything quite like it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18
Don't Look Now
After a chase scene after someone which they think is their dead daughter, through the streets of Venice. Turns out it's an angry dwarf in a red coat... with a knife...
Don't Look Now
After a chase scene after someone which they think is their dead daughter, through the streets of Venice. Turns out it's an angry dwarf in a red coat... with a knife...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17
Nostalgia
Andrei Tarkovsky's film about a Russian poet travelling through Italy with his wife. The end consists of a long shot of a guy holding a candle, and a scene where a guy sets himself on fire. It's only good if you watch it though...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16
Black Orpheus
The retelling of the Orpheus myth in the slums of Rio, during 'Carnival', is a culturally wonderful film, with a sweet ending. After the death of Orpheus, the neighbourhood children gather on the cliff, and play his guitar to make the sun rise.
Black Orpheus
The retelling of the Orpheus myth in the slums of Rio, during 'Carnival', is a culturally wonderful film, with a sweet ending. After the death of Orpheus, the neighbourhood children gather on the cliff, and play his guitar to make the sun rise.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15
Ballad of Narayama
Both the 1958 and the 1983 versions. The story of a small town by a mountain in 19th Century Japanese village where a tradition states 'on their 70th birthday' the elders of the village are taken by their sons to the top of the mountain, and left their to die. A heart-wrenching drama focusing on how important family is. The ending takes place on top of the mountain.
Ballad of Narayama
Both the 1958 and the 1983 versions. The story of a small town by a mountain in 19th Century Japanese village where a tradition states 'on their 70th birthday' the elders of the village are taken by their sons to the top of the mountain, and left their to die. A heart-wrenching drama focusing on how important family is. The ending takes place on top of the mountain.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14
Throw Away Your Books and Rally in the Street
This little seen Japanese New Wave film has a strange ending. Similar to the end of 'The Holy Mountain', all of the characters look into screen as the main character recites a speech about how 'the film is not dream or reality, so what am I?' It lasts about five minutes. Then there is another five minute shot of people's faces. The camera takes one continual long pan. Doesn't make much sense unless you watch the film.
Throw Away Your Books and Rally in the Street
This little seen Japanese New Wave film has a strange ending. Similar to the end of 'The Holy Mountain', all of the characters look into screen as the main character recites a speech about how 'the film is not dream or reality, so what am I?' It lasts about five minutes. Then there is another five minute shot of people's faces. The camera takes one continual long pan. Doesn't make much sense unless you watch the film.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13
The Sword of Doom/Harakiri
While Harakiri is considerably better, both star Tatsuya Nakadai, and both end in an insane samurai sword fight. I'm talking the 1 vs 50 type.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Sword of Doom/Harakiri
While Harakiri is considerably better, both star Tatsuya Nakadai, and both end in an insane samurai sword fight. I'm talking the 1 vs 50 type.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About his Father
The only documentary on the list, is a letter from Kurt Kuenne to his best friend's son, Zachary Bagby, about his father Andrew Bagby. Andrew was murdered by a crazy woman, so Kurt made this film for the crazy woman's son. That means she was pregnant with his baby, when she killed him. It's rare for a documentary to have advancements in the documentary while it was being filmed. It's even rarer for the advancements to be SO DAMN DEVASTATING. Pretty much the crazy woman, killed herself, with zachary. Both dead. Gone. Vamooshed.
The only documentary on the list, is a letter from Kurt Kuenne to his best friend's son, Zachary Bagby, about his father Andrew Bagby. Andrew was murdered by a crazy woman, so Kurt made this film for the crazy woman's son. That means she was pregnant with his baby, when she killed him. It's rare for a documentary to have advancements in the documentary while it was being filmed. It's even rarer for the advancements to be SO DAMN DEVASTATING. Pretty much the crazy woman, killed herself, with zachary. Both dead. Gone. Vamooshed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11
Manon des Sources
The second part to the Jean de Fleurette story and this one is equally as brilliant as the first one. The realization that the hunchback who killed himself is his son, and the girl who hates him more than anyone in the world is his grand-daughter, as well as his nephew committing suicide. It has to be the most depressing ending in cinematic history.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The second part to the Jean de Fleurette story and this one is equally as brilliant as the first one. The realization that the hunchback who killed himself is his son, and the girl who hates him more than anyone in the world is his grand-daughter, as well as his nephew committing suicide. It has to be the most depressing ending in cinematic history.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10
Les Diaboliques
Henri-Georges Clouzet's mystery masterpiece has a devilishly clever ending. It hints at a highly intelligent second ending. I know I've spoilt every other film on here, but this is one I really don't wan't to. IT'S THAT GOOD.
Les Diaboliques
Henri-Georges Clouzet's mystery masterpiece has a devilishly clever ending. It hints at a highly intelligent second ending. I know I've spoilt every other film on here, but this is one I really don't wan't to. IT'S THAT GOOD.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
09
The Seventh Seal
How could I not include this on my list. The infamous 'Dance of Death' is a glorious, and crazy way to end. Jof has 'second sight' and tells his wife he can see "they're all there. The blacksmith and Lisa, the knight and Raval J, and the grim master, Death, invites them to dance. He wants them to hold hands and dance in a long line. And the grim master leads with scythe and hourglass. They move away from the dawn, in a solemn dance away to the dark country". His wife replies "You and your dreams and visions".
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How could I not include this on my list. The infamous 'Dance of Death' is a glorious, and crazy way to end. Jof has 'second sight' and tells his wife he can see "they're all there. The blacksmith and Lisa, the knight and Raval J, and the grim master, Death, invites them to dance. He wants them to hold hands and dance in a long line. And the grim master leads with scythe and hourglass. They move away from the dawn, in a solemn dance away to the dark country". His wife replies "You and your dreams and visions".
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
08
Sightseers
"Have you had a good holiday?". Ben Wheatley's darkly comedy, where a husband and wife (Chris and Tina) go on a caravaning holiday and start killing people is definitely to an aquired taste. The last 5 minutes are the only part not in the trailer. After their killing spree, they run to an aquaduct. Chris has had the idea of jumping off it since the begining of the holiday, Tina sort of agrees to it. They are standing on the edge, Chris counts down as they hold hands. He jumps off to a violent and bloody death, while she looks down frozen in shock. Cue to credits with an upbeat Pop cover of 'Tainted Love'
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
07
The Canterbury Tales
This is here purely for the insanity. Pasolini's ending are often crazy, but this is mental. After a meh film, with atrocious dubbing and a scene where Tom Baker gets jerked off, a friar is alone in his bed after two young girls have left. An angel appears from the window and says "You must come with me. We are going to pay a visit to hell". The friar says "Why?", to which the angel replies "Up above they decide to do what they like", "Close your eyes, 1, 2, 3"... They appear walking through hell, with demons raping people one side and people being torchered to the other, and screams through the audio. Satan appears, and the angel tells him "Hey Satan, show him where you keep the friars in hell" he lifts up his tail, and shits them out. Then there's a shot back to Chaucer where he finishes his book, and finally a shot of Canterbury cathedral to finish it off.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
06
The Human Condition
It wouldn't be any kind of a list without my favourite film ever. After escaping the Russian POW camp, he is Running through the cold, snowy wasteland all alone, whispering the name of his lover, which they have been apart for ages. Eventually he dies.
The Human Condition
It wouldn't be any kind of a list without my favourite film ever. After escaping the Russian POW camp, he is Running through the cold, snowy wasteland all alone, whispering the name of his lover, which they have been apart for ages. Eventually he dies.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
05
Excision
That weird movie with the girl who has the fetish about blood has a 'killer' ending. To save her ill sister from dying, she kidnaps both her sister and the girl which lives across the street, and performs surgery on them. The mom comes home to find a tied up father, two dead girls, and her daughter who says "After I successfully retrieved the lung, I practised my incision. You have to take a closer look mum, she's extraordinary". More frightening than Alistair Darling's eyebrows.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
04
Spoorloos (The Vanishing)
For a mediocre film, this has a hell of an ending. One which kept me awake for ages, and plays on one of our worst fears of being buried alive. 3 years have passed since his wife gets kidnapped at a service station. He gets a letter from the killer, telling him to meet. When they meet, the killer tells him to go on a road trip, and at the end of the road trip he will find out what happened. When they finally arrive at the gas station, the killer tells him "drink this coffee and you'll know what happened to her". Even after knowing there is a sleeping pill in the drink, he is so crazy about finding her, he drinks it. He then wakes up in a coffin.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
03
8 1/2
Fellini's best loved film, peaks at the ending. Everyone from the director's life appears and dances around a circle, while some circus players play the music. When anyone thinks of anything being Fellini-esque, I automatically think of this one scene and how amazing it is.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
02
Psycho
The film I thought was boring the first time I saw it, turned into one of my favourite films the second time. Once you know the ending, you spend the film, looking for clues, and analysing the Freudian subtext and gazes. I'm not talking about the 'He wouldn't even harm a fly' scene, but the scene where Lila is looking for somewhere to hide, but goes to the basement. The audience knows that something terrible is down there, but she has no idea. When the corpse swings around and Norman opens the door in his mother's wig, it sends shivers down my neck every time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
01
Life is Beautiful
If you don't cry during this, you will never cry. A very sad story about jews in a holcaust camp. Instead of full-on disturbing like Schindler and his list, this film plays on your emotions by a father sacrificing himself for his son. The reunion between the mother and the son is also heart-wrenching.
A Couple of Terrible Endings
Gaav
The guy finds out his cow dies, and falls over and dies INSTANTLY.
Signs
Water? Is that the best ending they could come up with?
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Aliens? Is that the best ending they could come up with?
Irreversible
Despite having a couple of brutal, shocking scenes, ending it with her figuring it out she was pregnant is thin ice. Real thin.
No comments:
Post a Comment