Endings
SF Chronicle
Java's comment on novel endings reminded me of an interesting article I read a while back in the SF Chronicle. The article mentions many great examples of how an ending can make or break a story but I will temporarily take the stand for the contrarian viewpoint with a single example - the movie "The Big Lebowski" is an amazing and completely satisfying movie despite its relatively weak ending.
posted by Crp @ 11:07 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
I have seen/read so many movies/books where the ending was just a big let down. Because, most of our inspiration, I think, implicitly stems from a conflict and its resolution is something the artist has to work on.
Interestingly, this issue exists even in the research and publishing world. I've been to so many presentations where the presenter begins with a great description of a real problem - say "computer security", its stats, needs etc - and finally ends up giving an unimaginative and clearly inefficient solution. Not that the audience knows what the correct solution is, just that everyone knows that the solution presented is not good enough. A good, inspired solution/ending is very much a rare thing.
I remember watching some interviews of the Seinfeld cast and when asked to pick their favorite episode, they unanimously picked one where the ending "happened by itself" (the episode where everybody finally gets into a car and the car stalls, though they were intended to drive away or something). I'd read a similar something about the ending of Kramer vs Kramer starring Dustin Hoffman too.
There is a scene in the movie "sagara sangamam" - a very popular gult hit that got translated into many languages, where Kamal Hasan on seeing his name in a brochure of performers at some national dance festival starts crying. Its a culmination of sorts to all his travails. Later, in some TV show I saw this "making of the movie" clip, where the director, during the shot itself, asks him (no live sound recording) if he can laugh. And in the same shot (that finally made to the movie), the guy starts laughing hysterically. It is debatable, as to what a good reaction and ending for the scene should be. But that scene, I thought, was brilliant. It isn't the kind you can sit at desk and write down. A good ending hence is also a reflection of the commitment of all the involved artists. The more involved and committed you are in seeking it, perhaps, it seeks you in the same way.
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