If I had to pick the greatest ending in the history of the movies then it would be City Lights!!
I'd tend to agree.
They actually kind of copied this ending in Cagney/Sheridan's City for Conquest. But, Chaplin is simply MAGNIFICENT.
The Godfather (1972)
Ikiru (1952)
400 Blows (1959)
Le notti di Cabiria
shareCity Lights is my favorite movie ending, and I have much enjoyed the eloquent essays about it in this thread.
Others that deserve recognition:
Shane
The Purple Rose of Cairo
The Accidental Tourist
Belle du Jour
I do think City Lights is one of the greatest endings in film history.
The other one I'll say is Chinatown.
ah, i got all the way to the end before seeing shane...what a surprise.
also nominating...
hitchcock's "notorious"
united 93
and shocked that i haven't seen... "that'll do pig. that'll do." (from "babe")
still, i think that city lights is my favorite.
Umm, no. Definitely not. Absolutely beautiful, fantastic ending, though. No doubt about that. Let's try to refrain from hyperbole, though, especially since no one on this thread has seen every ending in film history.
shareI don't know if its THE best, but its certainly one of the best.
Poorly Lived and Poorly Died, Poorly Buried and No One Criedshare
I think it is definitely one of the best endings in film history. I also love the ending to The Circus and Modern Times.
At the end of The Circus, I love how Chaplin at first sits there, reminiscing about his time at the circus and his selfless love for the girl, and then he finally gets up, kicks the ball of paper away and walks on to his next great adventure with that famous walk of his. Absolute classic. The ending to Modern Times I love because it is sort of similar to The Circus, except I believe that The Tramp possibly found the love of his life and life is not perfect but he tells her to smile and they walk off on to their next adventure. Very hopeful ending.
An obviously delightful film, but I´m not so sure about the "greatest ending" ever, regardless of which movie we could be talking about.
I´ve just rewatched this, and whether it be a deliberate decision on Chaplin´s part, or just Virginias´s performance, or both, it seems to me that the "disappointment" in her eyes is more than obvious, to the point where I cannot see anything but an obviously much more attractive woman who is holding that hand as she were trying to hold on to those "noble" feelings she had for the man that changed turned her life around, but ultimately failing to TRULY feel capable of falling in love with him all over again, once she can see already see him for what he is. The snarky "I´ve made a conquest!" bit seem to point us in the exact same direction.
As such, and if you understand like this, I would define this deliberately open ending as "pretty sad", which is probably not the very best way to achieve the title of "greatest ending" ever, IMO.
Cheers.
I was underwhelmed. It was good but not the best. Some of the films with THE best endings are are Le Notti di Cabiria, La Strada, Throne of Blood, and Rebel Without A Cause to name a few.
shareyeah, I cried!
share