Ending was terrific. Again, they didnt give you Hollywood and spoon-feed the ending for you. You have to have an appreciation for how well the movie was done and the symbolism.
There are a lot of interesting things in the movie.
The whole movie is about how times are changing. A.nton represents evil and everything that the society is turning into. He is the new challenges that an old sheriff like Tommy Lee must face.
At the end, Tommy Lee sees the lock cylinder blown out, just like it was at Moss' trailer and he knows A.nton is either there now or has been there at some point.
He gathers his courage, and goes into the room. He pushes the door open all the way. He IMAGINES and dreams that A.nton is in there waiting for him. He wonders what is on the other side of the door but when the door is pushed open, it shows that A.nton is not behind the door. When Tommy Lee goes to the bathroom, the window is locked from the inside, deflating any theories than A.nton escaped out the back and confirming that Lee was picturing it in his head.
Lee sits on the bed and sighs in relief. It shows he didnt want to have to face that evil and he is not up to the new challenges.
He looks at the floor and the AC vent was off. The only person who knew about the AC vent hiding place was Moss (who is dead) or A.nton. If you look closely, there is a dime on the floor by the screws. That was how A.nton got the last AC vent off. It shows A.nton got the money and when he breaks his arm in the car accident he pays off the kid for his shirt with a crisp $100 bill confirming he got the money.
Tommy Lee goes to his uncles house after the near-encounter, and tells him how God wouldnt like the man Tommy Lee is. Tommy Lee knew he had the courage to go into the room, but he really didnt want to and he was scared. He decides to retire because he knows he cant do it anymore. He retires afterwards because he knows he cant face that evil.
There are a lot of interesting things in the movie.
The whole movie is about how times are changing. A.nton represents evil and everything that the society is turning into. He is the new challenges that an old sheriff like Tommy Lee must face.
At the end, Tommy Lee sees the lock cylinder blown out, just like it was at Moss' trailer and he knows A.nton is either there now or has been there at some point.
He gathers his courage, and goes into the room. He pushes the door open all the way. He IMAGINES and dreams that A.nton is in there waiting for him. He wonders what is on the other side of the door but when the door is pushed open, it shows that A.nton is not behind the door. When Tommy Lee goes to the bathroom, the window is locked from the inside, deflating any theories than A.nton escaped out the back and confirming that Lee was picturing it in his head.
Lee sits on the bed and sighs in relief. It shows he didnt want to have to face that evil and he is not up to the new challenges.
He looks at the floor and the AC vent was off. The only person who knew about the AC vent hiding place was Moss (who is dead) or A.nton. If you look closely, there is a dime on the floor by the screws. That was how A.nton got the last AC vent off. It shows A.nton got the money and when he breaks his arm in the car accident he pays off the kid for his shirt with a crisp $100 bill confirming he got the money.
Tommy Lee goes to his uncles house after the near-encounter, and tells him how God wouldnt like the man Tommy Lee is. Tommy Lee knew he had the courage to go into the room, but he really didnt want to and he was scared. He decides to retire because he knows he cant do it anymore. He retires afterwards because he knows he cant face that evil.
I agree
I too thought the ending was excellent, read the book also, we are so used to the hollywood ending where everything is wrapped up in a nice little bow. I judge a movie by how many days I'm still thinking about it. I always try to remember the title of a movie or book when it's over. He knows he doesn't have the energy to face evil, but the dream he tells his wife is about hope, his dad is carrying a flame or light as he passes him on horseback.
I disagree with this paragraph.
I think A.nton is in the room next door.
When the Sheriff drives up to the Hotel they show two
rooms blocked off.He chooses the room on the left.
A.nton is in the room on the right.Lee wasnt picuring anything in his
head.He was releived that he wasnt in there,and didnt get killed.
He knows he would of lost.
Great movie,great ending.Top 5 all time for me.
Thats an interesting take. It forced me to break out movie and have a look. First off I think Coens left enough vagueness throughout so people are welcome to intrprt differently. But toward that scene, at hotel room door TLJ is staring at reflection off lock-cylinder housing and it showed someone in reflection. I assumed he saw AntnC stirring around in room so that made me think he was there at that point. True, the bathroom window was locked but did he get out some other way? Thru vent even though it looked too small? At some point in movie someone says that they think AC is a ghost or something like that, maybe thats why = he has made escapes like that previously?
If that was all in TLJ's imagination they filmed it in a strange way. Usually they let you know that it was a dream sequence or imagined etc. That scene showed AC standing behind a door with gun and crazy look in his eyes, seemed to deliberate to be "imagined" or whatever.
But the gist of movie I thought was in following seen where he drives out to see his brother? and they talk about the old days and stuff. TLJ says that way back when he felt that when it was time to hang it up, God was going to come into his life and take care of him. He then said it did not happen. In a following scene he is retired with wife and he describes dream of him and his father back in "old times" and how he rode on ahead of him, lit a fire in the darkness, and TLJ was to meet up with him later or whenever. This could be intrp to be his father or God I thought. Like I said movie seems to be done so that it can be intrprtd in various ways.
Questions I still have was #1 - did AC kill CarlaJean? Think probably, he checked bottom of shoes when leaving, but then again she refused to call coin flip so by principle he could not carry out decision, a stalemate.
And when TLJ was approaching hotel where Moss was killed, there was all that gunfire and then that pickup came flying around the corner heading away from hotel --WTF?? AC was not with them or did I miss something?
Also wondered if he killed that accountant when he went up to hit the exec type, same for guy with chicken truck but pretty sure popped him after he cleared chickens off truck.
You can get a host of answers to this question by googling "pulp fiction briefcase".
From Wikipedia:
The mysterious briefcase
The combination of the mysterious suitcase is 666, the "number of the beast". Tarantino has said that there is no explanation for its contents—it is simply a MacGuffin, a pure plot device. Originally, the case was to contain diamonds, but this was seen as too mundane. For filming purposes, it contained a hidden orange light bulb that produced an otherworldly glow.<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-158>[159]</SUP> In a 2007 video interview with fellow director and friend Robert Rodriguez, Tarantino "reveals" the secret contents of the briefcase, but the film cuts out and skips the scene in the style employed in Tarantino and Rodriguez's Grindhouse, with an intertitle that reads "Missing Reel". The interview resumes with Rodriguez discussing how radically the "knowledge" of the briefcase's contents alters one's understanding of the movie.<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-Myspace_159-0>[160]</SUP>
A.nton definitely killed Moss's wife. If you remember after he shot Woody Harrelson, he casually put his feet on the bed as the blood was running towards his feet so he wouldnt get any blood on his shoes. Then when he leaves her house, he checks his shoes for blood - indicating that the deed had been done.
Actually....of the two doors only 1 of the deadbolts is blown out. A.nton makes it clear all movie how he gets into doors. The door next door does not have a deadbolt blown out. So he didnt enter.
ALso, A.nton is standing in the room with the light from the missing cylinder shining through. So he is in that room, physically or mentally.
I stand by what I said, that I believe it is the threat of A.nton being in that room that Ed Tom is visualizing. He knows what lies on the other side of that door.
Yes it was not your typical Hollywood ending, but I dont know if I would call it an excellent ending either...Just because it made you think does not make it great, just different... I dont like how we missed out on Moss`s death and its suddeness..I think it was a hell of a movie, but the average viewer was left with an empty feeling at the end..although the unexpected car wreck was a great addition..
I think Boxslayer`s interpretation is outstanding-The Menace
I think Boxslayer`s interpretation is outstanding-The Menace
