Like all stories, movies must have endings. It's an undeniable part of the medium, even if the two hours or so we just watched were an absolute blast. Once the conflict has been resolved, the story must tie itself together in a satisfying way so that the audience can go on their merry way.
In fact, the ending is crucial in crafting a fulfilling theater experience. It's the last moments we share with the story, so it must be memorable. However, it also needs to offer a final thought and give one last reason for why what we just watched was worth watching. It doesn't need to painstakingly spell anything out, but the ending is the last stab a film gets at leaving an emotional impact on the audience.
When done right, a good ending can make a fine film memorable and a great film an all time classic. In fact, many of the greatest films of all time have equally memorable endings to match. Some examples include Gone with the Wind, King Kong, The Godfather, Reservoir Dogs, and La La Land. Although these are excellent films through and through, it's that final scene that cements them as amazing stories from start to finish.
Yet, a bad or confusing ending can turn a story that once felt excellent into an unfulfilling experience. For instance, the other day, I rewatched the critically adored No Country For Old Men with my family. While everyone enjoyed the movie, half of our members found the ending to be unsatisfying, rendering the whole experience a waste of time.
For anyone who has never seen the film, it follows lowlife Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), who finds a briefcase full of money, and Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), the ruthless assassin trying to get it back. Moss spends a large part of the film evading the monstrous figure, but at the end, he dies off screen and Chigurh wins.
Most confusing of all though, the final scene includes neither of them. Instead, we see the Sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) who followed the case as he introspects on some dreams he had last night. Then, the movie ends.
Now, I personally love this ending. It perfectly subverts the traditional westerns of the past, where the cowboy would ride off into the sunset after saving the day. Here, our "hero" is gunned down without much of a fight, the psychopathic killer gets away, and the lawman is uncapable of doing anything to prevent it. The Sheriff ruminating on his dreams doubles for him realizing that this idealized West is over, and what has grown in its place isn't fit for him anymore (i.e. it's no country for old men).
Yet, it's still a tough ending to chew through, which is why many audience members, my family included, didn't take to it. I must ask then though, what makes a movie ending so great? We know iconic endings and the quotes that stem from them, but what exactly did they do to attain such a legendary status?
There is no definitive answer, especially since each movie's story requires different threads to be wrapped up and questions to be answered. For instance, a confusing ending like No Country For Old Men's would be especially off-putting it followed a Disney film. Different endings work for different stories depending on the tone, theme, characters, and genre.
What that does mean, however, is that the rest of the story dictates the ending. As the story progresses, characters change, themes evolve from the action, and a plot must be followed. Thus, the ending must derive from one or all of these things, tying them together logically so that the story ends in a satisfying way.
In other words, a tremendously shot action sequence would be an awful way to end Little Women because nothing in the story has led to that. Similarly, these ambiguously abrupt endings that have grown in popularity in recent years won't work in every story. They only work in stories that have been winding towards confusion, as they reflect the conflicting nature of the story itself.
Still, stories with proper endings are far different from those with great endings. The films that drive their stories into breathtakingly iconic endings do so through tremendous buildup.
To explain, I've a few all time great movie endings to dive into, starting with the mega blockbuster Avengers: Infinity War. The plot itself is pretty straightforward; cosmic villain Thanos (Josh Brolin) tears through the universe in search of the six infinity stones so that he can wipe out half of all life everywhere. The Avengers and their allies scramble to stop him, but soon realize that Thanos' might far outweighs their own.
At the film's ending, Thanos arrives on earth, needing only one more stone, which is embedded in Vision's (Paul Bettany) head. Heroes like the Hulk, (Mark Ruffalo), Captain America (Chris Evans), and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) try to stop him, but can barely even touch him.
Eventually he makes his way to the last stone, but the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) destroys it and her love before he gets there. Her somber victory seems rightfully earned, but Thanos aptly uses the Time Stone to retrieve the last stone.
He has seemingly won, but Thor (Chris Hemsworth) flies into to save the day, launching his new axe straight into Thanos' chest. The audience is relieved, as the Avengers seemed to have pieced together a surprising victory. But already having the stones, Thanos snaps his fingers, then quickly leaves.
The final sequence of the film then shows a plethora of our favorite heroes turning to dust, including the Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man (Tom Holland). Our Avengers soon realize that what's happening to them is happening everywhere and their loss is incalculable. The final shot is a satisfied Thanos enjoying the sunset as the rest of the universe descends into chaos.
Upon first glance, this ending is absolutely shocking. I recollect my opening night theater, which was packed full, sitting in stunned silence as the credits rolled. For a franchise that had been criticized for having no real stakes, having the Avengers lose their biggest battle with trillions of lives on the line caught every fan off guard.
However, upon reevaluation, the story reveals that this was the only way the film could end. Although despicable, Thanos' willpower far outweighs that of the Avengers. This is partially attributed to Thanos' past, as his home planet, Titan, fell to ruin because of ignoring his genocidal plan. As such, Thanos has convinced himself that his plan is the only one that can allow life to flourish.
The film then does a tremendous job of showing that he's unwilling to compromise on his beliefs. While the heroes falter by not willingly sacrificing Vision and making mistakes because of personal loss, Thanos never loses sight of his goal. When he is tasked with sacrificing his favorite daughter Gamora (Zoe Saldana), he does so, because he has no choice in his mind. He grieves while doing so, but never hesitates once when completing his mission.
Couple his willpower with strength that far exceeds any Avenger, and Thanos is the perfect villain. Although still shocking, Thanos' victory makes perfect sense. In many ways, Infinity War is his story, as it follows him on his quest and it's the Avengers who must stop him. As such, it's quite logical for Thanos to finish his journey with a victorious moment to look on the universe that he's "saved."
It's not only a great ending, but it also demonstrates that great endings do two things. First off, they surprise us. They don't always have to kill off iconic heroes like in Infinity War, but they need to go someplace that we never expected to see. Good surprises are more than just knee jerk plot twists, as there should be a legitimate reason for the audience to feel shocked. It can be a character choice or a revelation about their world, but it needs to land with intensity worthy of the silver screen.
The second aspect of a great ending is derived from Thanos himself: it must feel inevitable. Whatever ending that transpires must feel like it's the only ending that ever could've happened. The story beats, the character development, and the evolving themes all lead to the same place, whether the audience realizes it or not.
Now, it might seem contradictory that an ending must feel both surprising and inevitable, as it's a fine line to tread to deliver both. However, doing so reveals the intensity and importance of the conflict at hand as well as where the story and character development has been heading the entire time.
Let's return to Infinity War for a moment. While Thanos' victory was inevitable because of his strength and willpower, it was still genuinely surprising when he did snap his golden glove. The Russo brothers pulled this off by giving us several moments where we actually believed that the Avengers might win. There's Star-Lord's (Chris Pratt) tantrum when they almost remove the gauntlet, Wanda's sacrifice that ultimately proved moot, and then Thor's kill shot that was two feet too low.
In each of these moments, the Avengers had legitimate chances to stop Thanos and it honestly felt like they would. Since the Avengers always won before, the audience bought into each scene and felt that victory could be achieved. But alas, Thanos proved them wrong.
This ending perfectly demonstrates how to feel both surprising and inevitable. It plays off of the audience's preconceived notions about superheroes to create a startling conclusion. Yet, it also promises us at every corner that Thanos is the toughest villain out there and will do whatever to win. His victory is inevitable, but we are still shocked to see it happen.
Still, for those unconvinced or unimpressed by comic book films, I will apply my theory to perhaps the greatest ending in cinema history, Casablanca. If you still haven't seen this classic, I'll do a quick run through of the plot.
During WWII, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) owns a bar in Casablanca, a place where both sides of the conflict commune. As the war wages around him, Rick maintains neutrality in his bar, welcoming in Nazis and refugees alike and showing no interests in politics.
However, after former flame Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) returns into his life, we realize that Rick was once a passionate fighter for freedom and justice. Sadly though, he was scorned by Ilsa and has no appetite for helping others anymore. Ilsa is now in Casablanca with her husband and prominent Czech resistance leader, Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid), sp that they can try and escape to America.
But she complicates things again when she tells Rick that she still loves him. They reconnect and Rick has the opportunity to leave with here, but doesn't. Instead, at the last moment, he realizes Lazlo's importance and forces Ilsa to leave without him. She cries but knows she must go, leaving Rick in Casablanca.
It's an iconic ending for a few reasons, like it's perfect dialogue and romantic cinematography. Most importantly though, it maintains a perfect balance between feeling surprising and inevitable.
On the surprising end, Rick has the opportunity of a lifetime to recover a romance he thought was lost. Over the past year, Rick has been mulling over Ilsa, trying to forget her, but he can now make everything right. It sure seems like he will too, as he sets Lazlo up to be arrested by the Nazis and overcomes his scorn to readmit his love for Ilsa. Ultimately, Rick and Ilsa leaving together would provide a satisfyingly romantic ending, so we are shocked when he lets her go.
However, diving into Rick's character arch reveals that this was an inevitable ending. Before Ilsa left him, Rick always fought for what he believed in, helping combat fascism in Ethiopia and Spain. This of course dissipated after Ilsa left him, as he became hardened by this loss. But as they reembrace each other, Rick's old self returns and so does his sense of morality. The man that Ilsa fell in love with and still loves is a man who stands by his ideals even when he's outmatched.
While we expect there to be a romantic Hollywood ending, Rick knows he can't be who he truly is without letting her go. We are startled to see this seemingly destined romance fail again, but Rick's arch would always lead him to being without her. It perfectly surmises the film's themes of morality and romance, especially how we must realize that there are larger ideas out there than ourselves.
As an ending though, Casablanca shows how an inevitable ending can be surprisingly devastating. Of course, it's not the only film that fits this criteria. Many other great films like Psycho, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and The Dark Knight also achieve this critical balance. In my opinion, No Country For Old Men even does this too, with its domineering antagonist snatching victory from the surprisingly inept law enforcement.
Overall, being able to stun an audience while still adhering to the story that's been laid out can create one effective ending. It takes setting up and strong character building, but all the best movies have that too.
It's certainly not the only way to end a movie, as many will argue there are a plethora of other and better ways to do it. However, it's a surefire way to craft a final scene that'll stick with an audience long after the credits have rolled. Afterall, by forgoing predictability and cheap multi twist endings, all that will be left to resonate is strong character development that led to a startling climax that makes every prior second worth watching.
