Every week, we’ll pose a new “five favorites” question. You just list your five favorites that fit in that category (preferably in preference order) and you’re welcome to discuss and debate the selections and see just how much you do or do not have in common with others. If you want to take a look back at our past articles to comment or enjoy, here is a post set aside to track all of our articles.
A lack of participation is making this feature increasingly irrelevant. As such, I’m considering bidding it a fond farewell. If you think it should stick around, please feel free to say so. To commemorate its potential departure, we will go out like all good movies, with a brilliant closing shot.
8 responses to “5 Favorites #160: 5 Favorite Final Scenes”
Hollywood Z
1. Schindler’s List – Probably the most powerful moment of the movie (which for that movie says a lot) when the gravity of the real events come in and you see the real people that were saved by Schindler with the actors that portrayed them paying their respects at Schindler’s grave. This was probably the most powerful ending for any film to me.
2. The Graduate – You can interpret this ending multiple ways and that’s what makes it such a powerful and lasting image. Something that appears so naturally simple, but so complex, the way that movies should feel.
3. Citizen Kane – How’s this one for a twist ending? We all take the twist for granted, but that final series of shots is a perfect summary to a movie that set out to define a complex character.
4. The Godfather – A perfect ending to a perfect story that leaves such a simple chill.
5. Say Anything… – Fine, call it a sentimental choice, but the timing, the edit and the build-up make this a flawless ending to one of my favorite movies of all time.
And for topics like this, it does merit a continuation, if only by the site’s more adamant fans that enjoy posting outside of the forums. 🙂
I have to concur with Mike on The Apartment and Midnight Cowboy, which would be two of my top ten, so I’ll mention five more:
1. The Grapes of Wrath – Ma Joad’s “we’re the people” speech was written by Daryl Zanuck and tacked onto the ending of the film after John Ford completed it to Ford and Steinbeck’s chagrin, but as phony as it may be, it works.
2. How Green Was My Valley – the chilling rise of the elevator from the mine for the last time as the women wait.
3. Make Way for Tomorrow – from the taxi ride to the hotel dance to Beulah Bondi and Victor Moore’s tender goodbye.
4. Witness for the Prosecution – for its uncanny multiple endings, one more shocking than the next.
5. All Quiet on the Western Front – the hand reaching out.
This is why I’d like to see this topic continued. Great picks. While I’m familiar with all these choices, I don’t often think about the endings to most of them.
Here’s my problem. This is the first time in a long while more than 1 person has contributed. That’s my frustration. If I had more regular participation, it wouldn’t be so bad. I just hate putting these together and then having no one participate. It feels like a waste of my time.
First off, I hope the Five Favorites topic continues. I like that it gives the participants a chance to express their preferences, and not always list the usual suspects (except literally – see below). Even though there are occasional categories that I don’t feel I can adequately contribute to, more often than not, I find it challenging and fun.
End Scenes (I pick scenes rather than a single shot)
1. Cinema Paradiso – for movie lovers everywhere.
2. The Apartment (from Shirley MacLaine leaving Fred MacMurray at New Year’s to the end.
3. The Godfather
4. Midnight Cowboy – just heartbreaking
5. The Usual Suspects – have to pick one twist ending movie.
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