Homework #5: Endings

It seems fitting to discuss endings as our class draws to a close. For this last homework assignment, please consider the importance of endings to films and discuss one of your favorite endings. Note how the ending to Truffaut’s The 400 Blows ended with the freeze frame of Antoine facing the camera, an ending that is intentionally ambiguous, forcing the viewer to continue the story. The ending to Truffaut’s film is so iconic that it is frequently quoted or parodied. See this short clip that shows how Truffaut’s ending was used for the final shot of Nelson’s film in a Simpsons episode. To complete this homework assignment, please submit your favorite endings in a comment.

Homework #5 is DUE by Tuesday May 17th (2 days BEFORE the in-class Final Exam) Thursday May 19th by Midnight. ‹Everyone should submit a POST on their favorite ending.

6 thoughts on “Homework #5: Endings”

  1. There is a whole plethora of films that I have seen, with amazing endings. It’s very difficult to choose just one. A couple of movies with endings that I love are, “The Godfather”, and “The Illusionist”. In the ending of “The Godfather”, Kate insists that Michael tell her about his business affairs. He says it’s not true, the rumors that he killed someone. He denies it and Kate fixes them a drink. After that, His businessmen come and deem him as Don Corleone. Kate watches with wonder as the door shuts. The very ending of the scene had established the mood of it. Without using dialogue, the audience can easily conclude that Michael is up to no good. Kate witness the monster that has been released and that there’s no going back. This is also how Michael tries to separate his family business from his other business affairs. In “The Illusionist” ending scene, the inspector gets a notebook from a boy and it reveals all of Eisenheim’s secrets for all of his illusions on stage. When the inspector fails at chasing him down, he figures about all of his illusions that he pulled just to be with his true love. This is a vital part of the film where it’s also exposed to the audience that the entire film was in fact, an illusion.

  2. For this last homework I was thinking about picking a superhero movie but I decide to go with a movie that everyone should watch it’s so well written and directed. That movie being “The Shawshank Redemption” if you don’t know the story man goes to jail for a crime he did not commit and befriend Morgan Freeman character after deciding he spent enough time in jail he escapes. The ending of the film shows that Morgan Freeman character is finally paroled and decides to keep a promise to his friend Andy by visiting Buxton and finds a cache containing money and a letter asking him to come to Zihuatanejo. It is there that the two friends are reunited after so many years. You have to really watch the movie to get the big picture of the ending the way they met, the things they went though together and a friendship that would last forever.

  3. I knew the last homework would end with endings, so I choose my favorite movie right now, “her” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson, directed by Spike Jonze. It’s such a beautiful movie with a message that resonates today, with today’s technology isolating us more and more as it advances. Joaquin does a wonderful job with his character Theodore Twombly, a lonely man after his divorce from his wife, who writes letters for a living. From beginning to end it was such a great movie, with its landscapes, and beautiful buildings creating a futuristic feel. The ending ends with a heartbroken Theodore walking around looking at the world, saying his last letter to Samantha, and meeting up with his female friend. I really enjoyed the ending not because it was a sad one but because it told the truth about today’s world. Even though Theodore had Samantha, a operating system that he soon fell in love with, he was still lonely and depressed. He was still alone in the world and by the end he felt it the most. He realized that Samantha was still what she was and would change as the world was. Like today, we are only getting farther and farther away from each other and it’s only causing more harm than good.

  4. Howard the Duck a character own by Marvel and a movie done by Locus films, both own by disney now, was in end credit scene Guardians of the Galaxy is surprising to a lot of people but its now, Howard background in cosmics, correlated with the up coming release of the Infinity War(s)(not named infinity wars anymore, names will be release at a future press conferance, ideally comic con NYC before doctor strange) Directed by the Russo brother,
    Towards has written inclusions in Civil War, Doctor Strange, Secret Invasion and much more. Howard appearance is not surprising but where the end sense takes place is, The Collector’s place, a place with basic the rarest objects people etc
 in the multiverse, the mysterious of everything was overall: the perfect timing to use Howard the duck at the end because its provides “infinite” possibility.

  5. My all time favorite movie ending is the end of the movie “I Am Legend” by Francis Lawrence. The movie ends with actor Will Smith trap in his basement with human like monster banging on his protective glass that was cracking. He gave his new family the potential cure and showed them the emergency exit. However, he stayed and sacrificed himself to stop the monsters from chasing them. He took a leftover grenade and charged towards them as the glass broke right after the flashback of his daughter and wife crossed his mind. I personally love this ending because it was very emotional. It moved me because of everything he been through since the plague happened and losing his family to it. The explosion and music made the scene very passionate and made it my favorite movie ending.

  6. My all time favorite movie ending is the end of the movie “I Am Legend” by Francis Lawrence. The movie ends with actor Will Smith trap in his basement with human like monster banging on his protective glass that was cracking. He gave his new family the potential cure and showed them the emergency exit. However, he stayed and sacrificed himself to stop the monsters from chasing them. He took a leftover grenade and charged towards them as the glass broke right after the flashback of his daughter and wife crossed his mind. I personally love this ending because it was very emotional. It moved me because of everything he been through since the plague happened and losing his family to it. The explosion and music made the scene very passionate and made it my favorite movie ending.

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