Best Endings

[BJBMK2]

No, this isn't an Up The Arse appreciation thread, sadly.

The right tone, imagery, choice of music, all of it can lead to something that really sticks with you. It could be that triumphant hero's victory, a depressing last punch in the gut, or just something that makes you leave the cinema/your living room, going "fuck".

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, was the inspiration for this. The last 3 mins or so are almost indescribable.

Spoiler alert

The combination of that booming, enveloping Badalamenti score. Laura finding a strange kind of peace and happiness, despite knowing that her story, her life, is effectively over. Sheryl Lee delivering a Lynch Smile™ against that flashing white void. Cooper standing guard over her. Even the angel, which should be the most corny thing ever, it just works. Against everything else, it just works

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I guess what I'm after is endings that give you that indescribable feeling. Where you know exactly how you feel about it, but your not sure quite how to say it. The endings/final scenes that just get you...there.

Please list some. Thanks xx

_{I guess spoiler tags aren't strictly necessary, the topic of the thread is going to be naturally spoiler heavy, but I thought I'd better anyway just in case.}

[Dusty Substance]

There Will Be Blood - Oil baron Daniel Plainview, leaning over the

Spoiler alert

bloodied corpse of his religious fanatic rival, having clubbed him to death with a bowling pin, and uttering the immortal phrase "I'm finished"

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is as good as endings - As good as film making - gets.

[Egyptian Feast]

Caddyshack -

Spoiler alert

Rodney Dangerfield proclaims to the assembled cast "Hey everybody, we're all gonna get laid!" and everyone cheers.

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[Sebastian Cobb]

[Custard]

Sightseers

I've read people shit on it, but I thought it was hilarious and perfect

[QDRPHNC]

[phantom_power]

I know people accuse Wes Anderson of lacking emotion but I find the end of The Royal Tenenbaums incredibly affecting, sad and yet uplifting

[Shit Good Nose]

Forum favourite Birdy of course.

[Dusty Substance]

Forum favourite Birdy of course.

Fuck, yes!

[Custard]

The Mist

[mothman]

Contractual-obligation mention of Some Like It Hot.

[bgmnts]

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

[mothman]

^ Funnily enough, that exact example popped into my head. But much as I love this film completely, I'm not a fan of the ending. Sure it's good, but there's something about the way it's executed - from the aftermath of the shootout onwards - that I don't like. And I can't explain why. A sense of finality, maybe, that feels out of place given it is the end of a prequel.

The end of For A Few Dollars More (the true chronological end of the trilogy), now - there's an ending.

[Ron Maels Moustache]

Raising Arizona, Hi imagining his future with all his children and grandchildren. Gets me every time. "And it seemed real...it seemed like us..."

And Tommy Lee Jones' monologue at the end of No Country.

Now I think about it both involve describing dreams, oddly enough.

[BJBMK2]

Raising Arizona, Hi imagining his future with all his children and grandchildren. Gets me every time. "And it seemed real...it seemed like us..."

And Tommy Lee Jones' monologue at the end of No Country.

Now I think about it both involve describing dreams, oddly enough.

Is there a Cohen film with a bad ending?

The final shot of Baron Fink, is perfect. Does it make sense? Who gives. It's perfect. It's the perfect ending to that film.

[Rev+]

Obvious one, but Brazil.  It's the only way out, and done in such a calm and beautiful way.

[Noodle Lizard]

It's not the greatest film by any means, but the last 5 minutes of The 25th Hour hit me very hard indeed. So much going on there, it could be its own short film really. The finale of The Great Beauty (up to the end of the credits) is equally affecting. Lucio Fulci's The Beyond has one of the funnest horror endings, as does The Wicker Man.

I think Once Upon A Time In America has the best ending overall, though. It has the best a lot of things.

EDIT: I'm still going. Kubrick alone owns a few of these. Paths of Glory, 2001, Dr Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, even Eyes Wide Shut. Great endings on all of those.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Day of the Locust

[bakabaka]

Harold and Maude

_{except for the death of}

Spoiler alert

that wonderful, unique car.

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[/sub]

[SteveDave]

The Human Centipede a properly bleak 1970s ending ruined by the sequels.

[sevendaughters]

Where is the Friend's House? - after spending 75 minutes in the middle of the film trying to find where his school friend lives (only in the next village over the hill) is so he can give him his homework book back and prevent him from being expelled the 8-year old protagonist looks at a loss

Spoiler alert

cut to class the next day, the surly teacher opens the homework book and we see in an act of selflessness the boy has done his homework him and the teacher simply says 'very good', ticks the work and presses a flower into the page, end, literally, end there on the book

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.

[holyzombiejesus]

I always mention it but the playing in football in the snow to ABBA in Together is one of my favourite moments in film.

The end of 400 Blows too.

[phantom_power]

Butch Cassidy obv.

[JaDanketies]

Leon: The Professional
American History X
Gladiator
Terminator 2

[Phoenix Lazarus]

The Fury

[phantom_power]

Carrie. The film is one long build up so it needs to stick the landing and it does. In spades. Then there is the classic final final scene

[Twit 2]

Forum favourite Birdy of course.

I didn't even realise she'd died.

[Bennett Brauer]

Silent Running.

I keep putting off a re-watch because I know what it'll do to me.

[madhair60]

Iron Man mate. "siddown, i'm doing the avengers" yaaas!

[paddy72]

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. The 'no eulogies' voice-over and final freeze-frame are just perfect.

And maybe Martyrs. Bit of a different vibe, mind.

Spoiler alert

Though they do both end with a shooting.

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