Pico Iyer's essay about how Hollywood has been slowly steering away from Hollywood endings mentions recent films like Cold Mountain, Lost in Translation, House of Sand and Fog, and Mystic River as having darker or less resolved endings. But, as Iyer acknowledges, the tradition can be seen with Gone with the Wind or Casablanca. Which made Gothamist wonder what are the endings that linger more: Seeing Vincent Vega walk end Pulp Fiction alive (versus dead, had the film run sequentially) or James Stewart, left alone, the woman he loves dying twice, at the end of Vertigo? Hannibal Lecter getting away at the end of The Silence of the Lambs or Thelma and Louise getting away but not quite? Dorothy back at the farm in the Wizard of Oz or most anything Ingmar Bergman makes? For what it's worth, Gothamist loves seeing Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant get together in a romantic comedy as much as we love seeing Woody Allen and Diane Keaton fall apart.
Some thoughts about the last scene of Lost in Translation.
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I thought the ending of Lost in Translation was perfect. After all, it wasn't a love story, it was about making a human connection. At the end of the picture, Bill Murray's character is forced to become an adult for the first time. His age and experience are actually as asset, as he is able to reassure Johanssen's character: "It's going to be OK. Really." (At least that's how I interpreted it.)
If you want to see a picture with a very open-ended last scene, try "Marty."
Hey the last link is off
To bad the Lost In Translation DVD HAS FORCED COMMERCIALS!
I too thought the ending was quite perfect, though I'm sure the age difference played some factor in there not being a "happy" ending. But as for those other three movies, do you think the fact that they are based on books has anything to do with the endings? If they were written as movies specifically, would it have changed?
I thought the ending was just as bad as the rest of the movie.
I just watched Lost In Translation for the first time since it came out on DVD (life REALLY changes with a child) and I thought it was beautiful. It was such a visual film as opposed to being narrated primarily by dialogue. I loved it. I can't imagine the person who dislikes this film. Between the two prime characters there were so many instances and images that I identified with. What a great and human piece of work. Brava.
Ah so! Rost in Tlansration was velly velly good indeed! It's at the top of my "bored rich girls staring out of $2,000 a night Tokyo hotel windows while harboring unhealthy vendettas against real actresses" movies!
She should change her name to Sofulla Crappola.
When I saw the trailer for Lost in Translation, I couldn't wait for it to come out. I love Bill Murray. I love Scarlett Johansson. And when I finally saw it, I NEARLY FELL ASLEEP. And it wasn't because I'd eaten a big lunch or I didn't get enough sleep the night before.
Sure, there were some charming moments, and the actors did a fine job with the material. But there just wasn't enough there to maintain my interest. I saw The Station Agent around the same time, and there was just no comparison. The Station Agent was far better.
For me, Lost in Translation is right up there with Wings of Desire. I know many people who adore each of these films. And I know just as many people who think that they are unbearable.
i dont know which is funnier - "Tlansration" or "Sofulla Crappola"!
well done.
For those of you with a taste for deliberately paced movies, may I suggest two of my favorites, both Taiwanese: Edward Yang's "Yi Yi" and Tsai Ming Liang's "What Time Is It There?"
The link to "Some thoughts about the last scene of Lost in Translation." is broken...
Anyone who has watched Lost in Translation and doesn't get it, such as is indicated in some of the above comments, should stick to the bloated, ET Hollywood films that they deserve. This film is brilliant. Its likely that those that couldn't appreciate this incredible picture didn't like films like Punch Drunk Love either.
so i just watched lost in trans. and came online here in search for help of the ending. whether you like it or not i think everyone can agree on the fact that the metaphoricall underlying theme (which "crescendoed" from the beggining to the end) that both were lonely lovers searching for their true "translation of life". within each other by the end they had sufficed each others needs and recognized what they missed and are still missing in each of their lives. my only problem with this movie...is that i dont think the director knew how to end it...
clearly we are seeing the "post-casablanca" endings mature more in hollywood ...but if she was truely trying to make this movie like that...why the 2nd meeting in the street after murray left the hotel...she was going up in the elevator ..he was in the car...very slim chances of finding one girl in a city of that many people. i think the director didnt feel comfortable with leaving everyone on the edge of their seat..instead she had to make the conclusion she thought would make the most people happy instead of the best possible conclusion...(them separating in the lobby for good)...just a long fucking essay i felt like typing
This was a beautiful film with an endind that proves actions speak volumes. Don't taint this section with your naive comments please. It's a waste of your time and ours.
..p037
Lost in Translation is great by the 3rd or 4th viewing. Many great serious or quirky movies are like that. Can you name any. I can think of more than a few.
Don't you wish sometimes that there was a way to erase a movie from your memory so that you could see it for the first time again? I think only film lovers can identify here.