Best ending ever?

[David Aaronson]

But if we were to include television, I'd go with Twin Peaks. Bob's reflection in the mirror...

I hated that and loved it at the same time. If only they would've given him another season...  

[Belkin]

You mean the 'I ain't so tough part', or what happens after?

What happens after. The song, I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles, plays on the Victrola phonograph when a phone call to the Powers home reports that Tommy is coming home. His mother cheerfully goes upstairs and hums to herself as she prepares his room for his home-coming: "Oh, it's wonderful. I'll get his room ready. I knew my baby would come home."

In the rival gang's gruesome plan, Tommy's bullet-ridden, rope- and blanket-wrapped 'mummified' corpse/body is gift-delivered by a knock on the door. When Mike answers the front door, Tommy appears alive, bound from head to foot except for his exposed, bandaged and bloody face. It is the film's final memorable bone-chilling image - he tetter-totters on the doorstep, and then his mummy-body falls and crashes with a dull thud - face-first onto the floor. The needle on the revolving phonograph record becomes stuck, sounding like a heart-beat.

Mike examines the body of his brother - and then stares into the camera. Filmed from ground level and from the waist-down, he slowly and steadily walks toward the stairs in the interior of the house, presumably to tell Ma. The needle reaches the end of the record. The film's somber message appears over the image:


The END of Tom Powers is the end of every hoodlum. 'The Public Enemy' is, not a man, nor is it a character -- it is a problem that sooner or later WE, the public, must solve.
Ahh, they don't make em' like that any more!

[David Aaronson]

What happens after. The song, I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles, plays on the Victrola phonograph when a phone call to the Powers home reports that Tommy is coming home. His mother cheerfully goes upstairs and hums to herself as she prepares his room for his home-coming: "Oh, it's wonderful. I'll get his room ready. I knew my baby would come home."

In the rival gang's gruesome plan, Tommy's bullet-ridden, rope- and blanket-wrapped 'mummified' corpse/body is gift-delivered by a knock on the door. When Mike answers the front door, Tommy appears alive, bound from head to foot except for his exposed, bandaged and bloody face. It is the film's final memorable bone-chilling image - he tetter-totters on the doorstep, and then his mummy-body falls and crashes with a dull thud - face-first onto the floor. The needle on the revolving phonograph record becomes stuck, sounding like a heart-beat.

Mike examines the body of his brother - and then stares into the camera. Filmed from ground level and from the waist-down, he slowly and steadily walks toward the stairs in the interior of the house, presumably to tell Ma. The needle reaches the end of the record. The film's somber message appears over the image:


The END of Tom Powers is the end of every hoodlum. 'The Public Enemy' is, not a man, nor is it a character -- it is a problem that sooner or later WE, the public, must solve.
Ahh, they don't make em' like that any more!

They certainly don't. But I found the part where he is delivered home to be so... estranging and hard to believe.

[Belkin]

Two more excellent endings spring to mind: PLANET OF THE APES (original of course) and the wonderful LITTLE CAESAR!

[David Aaronson]

Two more excellent endings spring to mind: PLANET OF THE APES (original of course) and the wonderful LITTLE CAESAR!

Mother of Mercy! Is this the end of Rico?

Belkin, what did you think of the ending of the original Scarface?

[redyred]

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Probably my favourite ending of all time - just that final shot turning to sepia while the sound of gunshots continues)

Aguirre - The Wrath of God (Klaus Kinski's deranged speech on a raft full of corpes)

The Great Silence (As Loco rides off and the text appears with something like "nothing can erase the bloodstains of the men who fell here".

One Flew over the cuckoo's nest (The chief ripping up the basin unit and breaking free)

Ikiru (Everyone at the funeral returning to their daily grind, cutting to a shot of the finished playground)

[Il Buono]

Some which come to my mind:
GBU (you're a son of a AA-AA-AAA--AAAAA)
Kill Bill vol 2 (!)
Apocalypse Now
Planet of the Apes
OUTIW
Liar
The others
Pulp Fiction

One thing is certain, Leone knew how to start a movie, and he sure knew how to end one.

[dave jenkins]

This is actually quite an interesting topic, since the best movies don't necessarily have particularly memorable endings. Leone is a good case in point: his endings are often adequate without being great (however, he did direct one of my faves). Anyway, without further ado, my list, in descending order of interest:

vertigo (absolutely devastating)
casablanca (what's not to like?)
ouatia (a smile more mysterious than the mona lisa's)
strangelove ("We'll meet again....")
sanjuro (thar she blows!)
blue (love preisner's music)
the passenger (cinema's longest single-take ending?)
the year of the quiet sun (zanussi's homage to Ford)
the 400 blows (a freeze-frame for a lifetime)
reuben, reuben (that dog bounding toward Tom Conti at absolutely the worst possible moment: have never laughed so hard).

[Film-Junkie Zach]

KILL BILL
THE SEVEN SAMURAI
THE GODFATHER PART II
RAGING BULL
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST
THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY
CASABLANCA
PULP FICTION
TAXI DRIVER
WEST SIDE STORY
IKIRU
PSYCHO
THE GREAT SILENCE
LA STRADA
GOODFELLAS
THE WILD BUNCH
SCARFACE
AMORES PERROS
JACKIE BROWN
FAHRENHEIT 9/11
STRAY DOG
ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA
Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN
RASHOMON
CITIZEN KANE
REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE
BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE

[Cusser]

Lots of films have great endings (I'll leave out Leone and some previously mentioned)
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Field of Dreams
It Happens Every Spring
Stagecoach 9both versions)
Red River (which is on Turner Classic this weekend)
Death Rides a Horse
Big Gundown
Of the Leones, GBU and Once/West great, For a Few Dollars More always brings a tear to my eye when Mortimer says "Maybe next time" and the music swells up.  Others had potential, such as Romancing the Stone, if they had put Michael Douglas' "return" during the credits or after "The End", because they could have made it memorable.

[Tim]

OUATITW
The Wild Bunch
The Usual Suspects
Hard Times
Major Dundee- Richard Harris charging into the Mexican cavalry

Among many others.

[deMaie]

Well, I haven't been here in a while 
I really love the end of the Deer Hunter,
and Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.

héhé

[Poggle]

Godfather movies, especially the second one - That last shot of Michael was one hell of a way to end a movie. Gives me goosebumps!
The last 15-30 minutes of every Leone movie(But OUATITW/A especially) - They're either kick ass, emotional, cool or all three.
Return of the Jedi - The Vader/Emperor/Luke scene.

[Belkin]

Just re-watched ELECTRA GLIDE IN BLUE.....Jesus, what an ending!!!!!

[dave jenkins]

This is kinda interesting and likely to generate some discussion: http://www.matchflick.com/column/1475