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The Best Film Endings

post #1 of 49
6/5/10 at 5:35pm
Thread Starter 
So I posted Chaplin's " City Lights" in the 'Give an Expression of Love' thread.
Did you miss it? It's --never mind. You can Google City Lights end scene--or see the thread, Goldang it !

Then I wondered what would you consider The Best film endings, ever.?

Offhand for me:

1. Of course: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3odt...eature=related

2. Is nobody perfect?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLW5jzHsW7c

3. I do love acting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOLypkY8LMc

4. Kazantzakis' masterpiece; right after a " splendiferous catastrophe. " That bankrupts the boss:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=690_4...eature=related

5. Another love story, besides City Lights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnR3v...eature=related

Your Turn,

Mario
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post #2 of 49
6/5/10 at 6:12pm
Primer. The indie film. I recommend everyone to see it for a royal mind-fuck.
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post #3 of 49
6/5/10 at 7:17pm
That's tough. Off hand I'd say the ending scenes of Once Upon A Time In America, Duck You Sucker! and Gran Torino.
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post #4 of 49
6/5/10 at 8:53pm
I love the ending of A Room With A View:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEUkk6w9cXg
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post #5 of 49
6/5/10 at 10:17pm
I always thought the ending to Cinema Paradiso was really excellent.
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post #6 of 49
6/5/10 at 10:33pm
The ending to one of my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrQ9evXIIe4
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post #7 of 49
6/5/10 at 11:41pm
Casablanca ...i think the most famous of all the endings ...along with Gone with the wind :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDhGS4EJS8M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2RxWs60dRM
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post #8 of 49
6/6/10 at 5:13am
...and of course there's Brandon deWilde....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxFYEmhkfIc
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post #9 of 49
6/6/10 at 5:39am
The Sixth Sense: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj0JDnQIZf0

Se7en: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzAIZN9HuFg

The Usual Suspects: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbqkL2pZR6c

The Others: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRFw7...eature=related
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post #10 of 49
6/6/10 at 5:53am
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The Shawshank Redemption. Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), escaped from 'hell' successfully and now wealthy, refinishing a boat on a Mexican beach, reunites with his recently paroled but breaking parole friend and fellow inmate Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding (Morgan Freeman).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YInN9mc9vXA

The Usual Suspects. Watching Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey) change back into Keyser Soze and walk away a free man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBrwUGdbODA
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post #11 of 49
6/6/10 at 8:08am
Re: Usual Suspects, Life of David Gale, Sixth Sense and others with "twist" endings-- I love them, but they are best the first time you see the film; unless the film is very well made, that sort of ending makes it less likely that I will view it again and again. (Although, those three are worth watching again, and I have.)

Slightly off- topic: For those who like twist endings in short stories, Jeffrey Archer has written a number in that style, in his books A Twist in the Tale; A Quiver Full of Arrows; Twelve Red Herrings. These are collected together in To Cut A Long Story Short.

Well, now I see he has a new book of short stories out, And Thereby Hangs a Tale...

...and I've reserved it at the library! Computers make library usage so easy.
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post #12 of 49
6/6/10 at 9:05am
Planet Of The Apes
Unforgiven
Some Like it Hot
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post #13 of 49
6/6/10 at 9:27am
The Lives Of Others
Cinema Paradiso
Goodbye,Mr Chips (1939)
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post #14 of 49
6/6/10 at 9:30am
Citizen Kane - absolute perfection

at the opposite end of the spectrum, however in a strictly personal opinion and actually referring to a TV series:

subjectively speaking, the ending of "The Sopranos" did not live up to the genius of this series
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post #15 of 49
6/6/10 at 10:19am
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Another vote for The Usual Suspects. I love that show and the ending where Spacey's character loses his limp.

Also, I love how the plot ends in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Couldn't find a video clip of the ending alone, but one would have to watch the whole movie for the ending to make any sense anyways. So here's the trailer:

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post #16 of 49
6/6/10 at 10:19am
The end of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

I'll think of some more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgCSl9xgzKw
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post #17 of 49
6/6/10 at 1:05pm
The Apartment is another great one.
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post #18 of 49
6/6/10 at 1:31pm
The ending to Robert Mulligan's The Other is pretty freaky.

Planet of the Apes
Psycho
Hell, I'll even throw Psycho II on here
Harold and Maude http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zexCVdpQtcM
It's a Wonderful Life
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Ghost Writer
Freaks (one of us! one of us!)
The Innocents
The Others
Chinatown
Blood Simple

I'd pass on Pink Flamingo's ending unless you have an iron stomach.

As a writer, I never actually start writing until I know my ending.
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post #19 of 49
6/6/10 at 2:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Haunani View Post

The ending to one of my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrQ9evXIIe4

My favorite part of this movie is in the middle, at about the 4:30 mark in this clip:



<SWOON!> Now that's how you plant one on a lady! And that carriage driver is pretty hot too! Another favorite, of course, is the long, uncut scene of Julian Sands and Rupert Graves frolicking starkers in the lake. My, but this Merchant/Ivory art house film has so much delightful sex and nudity to recommend it, n'cest pas?

One of my favorite endings not yet mentioned, which always brings a happy tear to my eye:



I actually start getting all mushy and misty-eyed when she finds Cat.
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post #20 of 49
6/6/10 at 4:47pm
  • Blade Runner
  • Kind Hearts and Coronets
  • Vanishing Point
  • Das Boot
  • À bout de souffle
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post #21 of 49
6/6/10 at 5:19pm
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Lordy how COULD I have forgotten Blade Runner? Thanks Inselaffe for the remind. This is not quite the last scene but they could well have been.. It put the finishing touch on making a star of Rutger Hauer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_saU...eature=related
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post #22 of 49
6/6/10 at 11:05pm
The Mist (much better than the SKing book)

Memento

The Sixth Sense

Cruel Intentions
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post #23 of 49
6/7/10 at 1:20am
Thread Starter 
Coolness. So many I'd forgotten!
Lost like tears in the rain

And the post by um--is it Heartwood now (?) , when Audrey finds Cat, reminded me of one of life's greatest unsolved mysteries:
Why were Jean Harlow and Marilyn Monroe considered stunning sex symbols, but Audrey Hepburn and Ingrid Bergman were not?
I know I will go to my grave without ever comprehending this.

*sigh*

On a more cheerful subject, here's Hitler--
--or rather Adenoid Hynkel.
Production on " The Great Dictator " began in 1939 one week after the war began.

Chaplin plays Hynkel and The Jewish Barber-- who looks just like The Great Dictator.
Fate, or rather Chaplin's screenplay plot switches them in the end.
The brilliance for me is that up to the end, the film is hysterically funny-- mostly from playing off Hynkel's megalomania.

( I was sooo tempted to post Chaplin/Hynkel's ballet with The Globe of The World--but that's not the ending. )

And then comes this speech, at the end: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34JIGAMFY1E

Pax,

Mario
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post #24 of 49
6/7/10 at 2:19am
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+1 Memento. I think the whole plot is clever.

Add: Reservoir Dogs. I love the ending...

Also: Irreversible. I love the idea/irony of the "beautiful ending"

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post #25 of 49
6/7/10 at 7:52am
Some good ones so far, but my favorite is this:

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post #26 of 49
6/7/10 at 8:25am
Well Momento, of course (the end is the beginning, which is the end..)
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post #27 of 49
6/7/10 at 9:01am
I forgot Dr. Strangelove. A most decisive ending.

Also;

  • Dark Star
  • Get Carter(original)
  • Being There
  • Duel
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post #28 of 49
6/7/10 at 9:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Heartwood View Post

My favorite part of this movie is in the middle, at about the 4:30 mark in this clip:

<SWOON!> Now that's how you plant one on a lady! And that carriage driver is pretty hot too! Another favorite, of course, is the long, uncut scene of Julian Sands and Rupert Graves frolicking starkers in the lake. My, but this Merchant/Ivory art house film has so much delightful sex and nudity to recommend it, n'cest pas?

Oh I have to agree-- the best scenes in A Room With a View are in the middle not the end! Love that stolen kiss-- and the next one. And hilarious skinny-dipping romp scene!!
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post #29 of 49
6/7/10 at 8:31pm
Breakfast at Tiffany's -- yes, yes, the best. Perfect screen kiss, with Cat in between. How in the world did they catch that look on Cat's face? "Moon River" on the soundtrack. Really doesn't get much better than that.
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post #30 of 49
6/8/10 at 8:25am
I really liked last few minutes of Knowing with Nicolas Cage.

The combo of haunting "end of days" visuals and a Mozart clarinet concerto is really effective. An sadly underrated sci-fi gem. This is all too common.
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post #31 of 49
6/8/10 at 8:53am
+1 The Usual Suspect - brilliant performance by Kevin Spacey.

Add:
Saw - the only one from the series worth watching.
Four Rooms - a weird one but the ending is classic Tarantino.
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post #32 of 49
6/9/10 at 3:49am
Scenes From the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills has an ending that's laugh out loud funny and rather true. The final moments from Bread & Tulips stayed with me for days afterwards.
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post #33 of 49
6/10/10 at 6:12am
Ghost The Movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crY-QmZcANQ
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post #34 of 49
6/11/10 at 12:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by noirwest View Post

Scenes From the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills has an ending that's laugh out loud funny and rather true.

I don't quite remember the ending (and it's nagging me, because I know I should), but I used to watch this movie over and over back when Bravo aired quality television centering around the arts, theater, and independent films. It's one of my very, very favorites and I've always felt it's under appreciated and too little known. Mario, you'd *love* it too, imo. And, yes, I've switched to Heartwood. Easier to type, and more like an actual name.
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post #35 of 49
6/11/10 at 1:44am
I forgot Angel Heart and I'd second Planet of the Apes.


Methinks you are a film buff from your avatar, Insellafe!
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post #36 of 49
6/11/10 at 11:43am
Shawshank Redemption
The last scene together with the Thomas Newman piece "End Title" are just perfect.
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post #37 of 49
6/11/10 at 12:37pm
Fargo (well, here ya are. And it's a beautiful day.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmoYp...eature=channel
Babette's Feast (go to 4:40 for my favorite romantic bit at the end :-) Also, "an artist is never poor"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsxSM...eature=related
Mississippi Masala (because he's home)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4S6K...ext=1&index=35

++ for shawshank, Bladerunner! (two of my all time favorites...)
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post #38 of 49
6/16/10 at 1:11am
Thread Starter 
Some great ones I forgot:

The Maltese Falcon (1941) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJXdA6mG-EI

The Miracle Worker (1962) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-Ey0...eature=related

Becket (1964) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcfkU...eature=related

And, Aw to hell with it--here's the ballet in The Great Dictator even though it's not the ending: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJOuoyoMhj8

Cheers,

Mario
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post #39 of 49
6/16/10 at 1:49am
Gangs of New York
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post #40 of 49
6/23/10 at 12:32am
One of the most stunning and intense film endings has "Face behind the Mask" starring Peter Lorre, one of the best
actors ever. Unfortunately, the film ending was removed from youtube. Fabulous and copied afterwards!
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post #41 of 49
6/23/10 at 5:28am
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Christian Slater's character's life-changing decision in the final scenes of The Name Of The Rose:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufSHxAfSP_Q

One of my all-time Top 10 films.
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post #42 of 49
6/23/10 at 1:56pm
I have to say that Dancer In The Dark has my least favorite ending.

I LOVED the Shutter Island ending. I won't give it away though :-)
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post #43 of 49
6/24/10 at 7:01pm
Ghost, Passion Of The Christ, & Titanic Are Some Of My Favorites!
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post #44 of 49
7/4/10 at 10:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 30 Roses View Post

Re: Usual Suspects, Life of David Gale, Sixth Sense and others with "twist" endings-- I love them, but they are best the first time you see the film; unless the film is very well made, that sort of ending makes it less likely that I will view it again and again. (Although, those three are worth watching again, and I have.)

Slightly off- topic: For those who like twist endings in short stories, Jeffrey Archer has written a number in that style, in his books A Twist in the Tale; A Quiver Full of Arrows; Twelve Red Herrings. These are collected together in To Cut A Long Story Short.

Well, now I see he has a new book of short stories out, And Thereby Hangs a Tale...

...and I've reserved it at the library! Computers make library usage so easy.

And Jeffery Deaver's short stories in Twisted and More Twisted!
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post #45 of 49
7/4/10 at 10:08pm
As for movies, I would say that Stephen King's "Carrie" deserves a mention. The ending dream sequence is certainly one of the best horror moments of all time!
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post #46 of 49
7/13/10 at 3:38am
Thread Starter 
Attention all the Chris Nolan Memento fans!
There's a film he did 4 years earlier shot on a shoestring budget called Following
It's brilliant Brit-Noir and the ending ( and arguably the film itself) tops Memento.
I couldn't find the ending, just the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q8bBAKNSA8

And I'd feel a bit guilty if you only watch the ending of

The Lady From Shanghai (Orson Welles & Rita Hayworth) Film Noir at it's 40's best!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8xQvthS1HI&NR=1

And really guilty posting the end of Withnail and I, since like Lady From Shanghai the entire film is available on YouTube and this is a comedy cult classic--which makes the ending all the more superb--but hard to get if you don't watch it from the start.
Oh, well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6OgL...eature=related
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post #47 of 49
7/14/10 at 4:58am
City Lights may be the best of all time--for me anyway. Just the final shot alone stands out, but how do you read it? It used to make me cry, but now, older and I hope a bit wiser, it makes me smile a bit.

I'd also include Bresson's Pickpocket and Au hassard Balthazzar along with Antonioni's The Passenger and L'eclisse (I've watched this one over and over).

For pure fun and a healthy dose of irony, the ending of The Last of Sheila with Bette Midler's "Friends" on the soundtrack is delicious.

I should also mention Mike Leigh's Naked, as fitting an ending as you're likely to see.
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post #48 of 49
7/15/10 at 2:13am
Thread Starter 
Forlorn said the magic words

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_vqnySNhQ0
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post #49 of 49
7/15/10 at 11:18am
Hands down,,,Pale Rider- Clint Eastwood.
He sets his hat down on the ground, then proceeds to do away with 5 of the 6 regulators throughout the town , then reloads his cap and ball pistol, while walking, after retrieving his hat from the ground and fans 6 shots to do away with the last regulator and then pulls the S&W .32 from his belt and shoots the guy in the head after the last regulator exclaims,,"Y-O-U",,,
Absolutely classic western,, it gets no better IMO
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