What's new

Movies with endings that don't resolve anything (SPOILERS SHOULD BE EXPECTED) (1 Viewer)

Jonathan T.

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
May 6, 2005
Messages
136


The movie provides absolutely no evidence that your explanation is correct, but I can BUY it just enough to enjoy the movie...
 

Jonathan T.

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
May 6, 2005
Messages
136


Yes, I think it would make a big diffence to know where the creature came form, precisely because the movie set you up to THINK they are going to reveal the origin of the creature. Frist by mentioning that it feeds ever 26 years or whatever, which plants the seed in your mind that the movie will eventually reveal the origin, and SECONDLY because this particular movie DOES feature a character who seems to know all the answers, in the form of the woman who tells them about the song and calls them on the phone, and yet she doesn't end up knowing the answer to the only question anyone cares about, which is "where the hell did this thing come from?"


Now I must point out that it seems many of you are totally missing the point of this thread. It is not to list every single movie that leaves a plot thread unresolved. GONE WITH THE WIND MOST CERTAINLY SHOULD NOT HAVE COME UP IN THIS THREAD! It is to point out only movies that leave the viewer unfullfilled as a result of an unresolved plot.

someone mentioned mystic river and I will put it forth as another example of a film that does not belong on this list. It certainly is not completely resolved, but the movie is not a whodunnit, but a potent character study. If the only unanswered question is "does kevin bacon arrest his friend or not?", then I think it is better that question is not answered. Incidnetly I think the movie is also fine as a whodunnit, since WE DO find out "whodunnit" at the end.

So from now on, please, only bring up a movie if it has an unresolved plot elemement that caused your viewing experience to suffer. Movies that left you feeling cheated at the end. And please explain WHY ;-)

no more listing gone with the wind unless you also want to explain what specifically bothered you about it.
 

Linda Thompson

Supporting Actor
Joined
Apr 4, 2004
Messages
966
Real Name
Linda
Well, within that narrowed topic (not just movies with unresolved endings, but rather those with non-resolved endings which actively detract from one's enjoyment of the overall movie), the only one of the three that I named (Audition, The Birds, and American Psycho) which fits that criteria for me is Audition.

With the other two, the fact that everything's not all tied up into a neat little package at the end actually enhances the experience.

But with Audition, I would really have preferred something a bit more concrete.
 

Paul McElligott

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2002
Messages
2,598
Real Name
Paul McElligott
The film shows she is not connected to the other "assassins" (otherwise, why would the janitor be trying to scare her?). It also shows that she is still intent on killing "The Teacher" even after the fake plot has been foiled. It shows that the "assassins" worked for "The Teacher" but none of them had any idea who Nicole Kidman's character was until they got to the UN.
 

Holadem

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2000
Messages
8,967
Lots of people (most?) don't go to the movies to experience life and it's uncertainties, but rather the opposite, to escape it.

--
H
 

Jonathan T.

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
May 6, 2005
Messages
136


That all sound very resonable, but unfortunately i don't buy it because there is still the gaping plot hole as follows:

Seh over hears the conversation at the UN. Even though she has a checkered past that might make her suspect and wants the man dead herself, she goes ahead and reports the incident anyway? that simply doesn not computer regardlless of anything else that happens. It's still a good movie, but denying major problems with the plot is not really worhtwhile, IMO.
 

Inspector Hammer!

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 15, 1999
Messages
11,063
Location
Houston, Texas
Real Name
John Williamson
The one recent, or fairly recent, film that angered me to no end because of it's enigmatic ending was the remake of Planet of the Apes. :angry:

I listened to the commentary by Tim Burton in the hopes that he would give me something to go on and work with, but he basically stated that he made the ending confusing DELIBERATELY just to fuck with our heads.

I didn't appreciate that at all and it has forever tainted my opinion of Burton.

BTW, I also figured out Mulholland Dr....sort of. I watched the film and didn't have the foggiest idea of what the hell just happened, but I was intrigued. So yes, I went on-line and read an in-depth explanation to it and then re-watched the movie after that and everything fell into place, I found myself saying "Yes, of course." many times during my second viewing. :emoji_thumbsup:
 

Jack Briggs

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 3, 1999
Messages
16,805
Michael: I would suggest that the ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey very much "resolves" the film. But let's don't drag the thread down discussing just one film. JB
 

MichaelBA

Supporting Actor
Joined
Oct 19, 2005
Messages
747
Oh, I agree 100% with you, Jack!:D

My original question:


I meant that to be taken absolutely rhetorically!

I actually just wanted to help the refocus the thread BACK to the author's (Jonathan T's) original intent, namely:

To discuss films where unanswered questions or unresolved aspects are so necessarily PROBLEMATIC that they DETRACT from the quality of the film.

I certainly don't think that applies to films like 2001 and BLADE RUNNER, or GONE WITH THE WIND, et al.!:)
 

Bromwyn

Auditioning
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
7
Donnie Darko- I think that I 'got' the ending but I might have felt better if I didn't 'get it'

and

The Day After Tomorrow-- The ending was so lame--the earth mixed its self-- how cheap is that-- what problem fixes it's self and why doesn't that happen with leaky faucets?
 

Jon Bell

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jan 14, 2001
Messages
170
John Williamson-- you beat me to it, I was going to mention Planet of the Apes' pointless "WTF" ending.

Also, with all due respect to Jack Briggs, IMO, 2001 is confusing and ambiguous. I enjoy the movie, and I've seen it a bunch of times, but I feel like I need Cliff's Notes for the last 45 minutes.
 

Yumbo

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Sep 13, 1999
Messages
2,227
Real Name
Chris Caine
gee,

haven't you seen the original POTA movies?
all the ending does is point to a sequel, that simply won't happen otherwise.
 

Jason Roer

Supporting Actor
Joined
Oct 5, 2004
Messages
977
Chris,

The ending of the original POTA made sense and became one of the "wow" revelations in cinema history. The ending to the remake was ludicrous, nonsensical, and designed specifically to to screw with the audience - a terrible ploy. I still have a great respect for Tim and want to believe he was hogtied into that ending by the studio. Remember, the script was reported to have something like 25 writers working on it.

As far as Mulholland Drive is concerned, the film was never made with the intention of giving a standard narrative. It was art, made by an artist - Literally. David Lynch is a trained abstract artist first and foremost. Those expecting a traditional narrative will most likely have a hard time with the film as those wanting a visceral experience will most certainly get one. Mulholland is my second favorite film and the beautiful imagery, the atmosphere created, the moody music, the story hinted at (think Wizard of Oz here - David has used this twice now) - all combine to create a wildly entertaining, hypnotic, thought-provoking, and overall very satisfying experience for me that grows with each viewing. It will not please everyone, as the 7 million at the box office will show, but for those looking for a richly textured, abstract piece of art cinema, you won't find a better film to begin with.

Cheers,

Jason
 

Yumbo

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Sep 13, 1999
Messages
2,227
Real Name
Chris Caine
I dare anyone to defend:

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead - anyone else seen it?
War of the Worlds 05
 

Jonathan T.

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
May 6, 2005
Messages
136
Okay, another one.

In Superman II clark is told by his mother than he CAN NEVER REVERSE his choice to give up his powers and become human.

And then a few minutes later he has his powers back with NO EXPLANATION.

Which of course makes is one of most overrated movies of all time, in fact the whole series is overrated, which makes me wonder why bryan singer his making a sequel instead of a clean break. (see my post in the superman thread.)
 

Yumbo

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Sep 13, 1999
Messages
2,227
Real Name
Chris Caine
wasn't it he couldn't be both, rather than irreversible?
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,815
Messages
5,123,828
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top