MovieChat Forums > Lost Horizon (1937) Discussion > The End *Spoilers*

The End Spoilers

posted 17 years ago by deadparrotsoc
7 replies | jump to latest

I liked the closing scene where Robert sees that fence but I still think that the film had so many possible ends crammed in already (all depending on how short you want to cut the plot). I am thinking in terms of the film, not the book.

Possiblity 1) When he looks back at Shangri-La and there's a close up on his face, and the heaviness of his emotions on that.

Possibility 2) When Sondra collapses at the fence, chasing after Robert.

Possibility 3) When we find out Robert has lost his memory.

Possibility 4) When Lord Gainsford talks about Robert's adventures etc.

Personally, in terms of the film, I would have preferred any of the above endings. I haven't read the book and I'm sure the book fans would disagree with me, but I still maintain that the end that Capra chose to end with was not the strongest.

"He's not Ginger! He's African Sunset!"

[–] I_Shall_Be_Released 17 years ago

I thought that he shouldn't have found the shangri-la again. The idea that he had one chance for eternal paradise and lost it is more powerful, methinks.

[–] UpRightApe 14 years ago

Maybe it's more powerful, maybe not. What it certainly is is cliche. Only one chance for paradise, only to lose it? Come on. That sort of love-it-or-leave-it theme has been perennially trumpeted as profundity by movie writers and authors. They do so because they can't think of anything really profound to write - so they substitute ambiguity for simply not knowing what to do, and call it "profound." Think "She", by H. Rider Haggard, and literally dozens of cheap Sci-Fi movie spinoffs of that theme. Capra and the writers of "Lost Horizon" (the movie) decided to do something really meaningful for a change, something that even the author of the book could not do - hence the ending in which he not only sees the fence (as others have said) but also the buildings beyond. The latter are distant and out of focus, but their shape and shading makes it obvious what they are.

To pander to viewers who needed the "powerful" love-it-or-leave-it theme, one of the minor characters who left Shangri-La suffered by that leaving by seemingly growing old and dying in the mountain cave. Wow. Deep.

On the other hand, there is the look on Coleman's face when he sees the fence and the buildings beyond. Shallow, right?

NO. I was glad that Capra and his writers broke with the tradition of pretentious cliche and actually tried to film a moving scene for a change.

"only one chance for paradise" "too good to be true" "love it or leave it"

The people who don't make it to paradise are precisely the ones who think that way.

[–] skiddoo 13 years ago

Brigadoon used this same idea only under the banner of the power of love. In that case the man loved a woman so much he was willing to give up his life in the outside world for her and therefore even the curse on Brigadoon could not prevail against him. In Colman's case, who knows whether it was the lifestyle or the woman that gave him the passion to return despite all the forces against him. "Though hell should bar the way," sort of thing. Very romantic imagery that stretches back through literary history--willingly risking all to gain that which you feel you cannot live without.

[–] UpRightApe 13 years ago

Well put, and thanks for the reminder about "Brigadoon". I wasn't even thinking about it at all, but it's a perfect analogy. Also, the movie stars Gene Kelly, who's one of my favorite actors in the "Classics".

Have a good one,
UpRight Ape

[–] jimifanwing 14 years ago

Well the original ending is "A-OK" with me. "Ambiguous endings" work every once in awhile, but I think they are pretty much a gimmicky "cop-out". Lord Gainsford's vivid account of Conway's super human efforts to return to Shangri-La
are priceless and act as a perfect set-up to the last shot. The music swells and the audience is fulfilled and inspired. Certain movies transcend any era and convention. I guess it is normal to play the "what if" game or the "it would have been better" game, but at the end of the day most of the people that comment on IMDB (myself included) have but a fraction of the film making knowledge reposed in the likes of a titan like Frank Capra. "C'mon Man!"

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] 13 years ago

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