MovieChat Forums > In a Lonely Place Discussion > Why the ending doesn't work

Why the ending doesn't work

posted 9 years ago by birdman1948
8 replies | jump to latest

Just finished the film and thought it was mostly fantastic, especially the two lead performances of Bogart and Grahame. It's a beautifully crafted film but the ending just doesn't work at all. I don't mean that I would have preferred a "happy ending" but that the ending, as it is, is tonally off. That is, I think the ending's tone is supposed to invoke sadness and a sense of loss- that Dix and Laurel end up apart and not together. We are supposed to feel wistful and frustrated that the murder case didn't wrap up sooner, so that their relationship would not have folded under its stress. Laurel's final comments on the phone indicate as much, including what is intended as the emotional tone of the final scene. But Dix, while not the murderer, is clearly a violent and controlling man. The way he flies into rages, demands to listen to her phone calls, beats up a guy for crashing his car- up to and including choking her in a violent rage- all of these point to a violent and unstable person. I feel relieved for Laurel at the end, certainly not sad. Granted, Dix was reacting to a lot of pressure, but life- and marriage- is full of pressure and what would be his next trigger? The ending is supposed to be sad but it's not. I think the film would have done better to have dialed back Dix's "issues" so we as the audience could have grieved for their relationship. As it stands, Laurel dodged a bullet, as Dix would have been an abusive and controlling husband.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] gbennett5 8 years ago

I agree with you one hundred percent, but I also feel the film is vastly
overrated. There is very little to like in Grahame's character and
Bogart's character is totally rotten - I don't feel a shred of sympathy
for him at all.

[–] KingCobra686 8 years ago

As it stands, Laurel dodged a bullet, as Dix would have been an abusive and controlling husband.

Agreed.

I still think the ending fits the tone of the movie though. We see Dixon at the start as a miserable lonely guy who frequently turns to violence. He meets Laurel and starts to turn things around in his career and attitude in life. Eventually he reverts back to his former ways though, partially because he cant break free, and partially because of the suspicions placed on him because of the murder and the strain that it causes on his relationship with Laurel.

I think the message of the movie is supposed to be a bleak statement about Dixon's life. The movie is telling us a sad story about a man who has created a lonely world for himself that he is unlikely to ever escape. I dont think that they are trying to tell us that Dixon and Laurel should have had ahappy fairy tale ending.

[–] liscarkat (19396) 6 years ago

It's sad that Dix's neurosis and abusiveness destroyed a relationship she wanted, while at the same time it's a relief that she found out and broke up with him at this point instead of later after they were married or even had children. She's young and will meet a man with whom she can be happy. For Dix, there's nothing left but "a lonely place," and he knows it.

[–] LebronCorleone (63) 6 years ago

That's the one small weakness of the movie. As mentioned, Grahame doesn't have any risk in giving herself to Dix or not. If Dix is the murderer, then she'll cut her ties, that's that. But pair off Grahame as a counterpart to Dix - a woman with one last dice to toss into the game of love - and she kisses it all away only to have Dix burn it to the ground, the devastation would have been searing. Instead, Dix just wallows away as he did in the beginning and Grahame just shrugs it off.

[–] liscarkat (19396) a year ago

I doubt she would just shrug it off. But once she gets over it, she has a potentially better future than he does. She's relatively normal. He's the one with the psychological problems.

[–] KutWrite (1334) 6 years ago

I agree - for modern times. In the 50s, I suspect more men pushed their women around, so until the end, maybe it would've seemed less aberrant than today.

My take-away from this film is that Dix, as an anti-hero, is now doomed. Laurel was his last chance at happiness. But he answered the "will you change, get help?" question with "no." Mel, the agent filled us in that he once before suggested Dix get help and got beaten up.

So when he refuses this, his last chance at redemption, he's locked on a downward slide. Mel's only stated reason for staying now is "business is bad." He stuck with Dix through such rages for 20 years, but seems he'd leave as soon as business gets better.

Since his return to good writing was due to his relationship with Laurel, her leaving indicates he'll slide once again into oblivion.

So, in terms of the time it was written, I think the ending does work. For today, it'd have to be rewritten as you indicated.

[–] Ace_Spade (9657) 3 years ago

I think the ending fits the movie, and we just respond differently to it today.

I felt relieved for Laurel, but also sad for them both, and more than a little angry with Dix for killing good things with his awful behaviour. The thing that works about their relationship is that it felt real. There is that initial "honeymoon phase" where they're deeply in love, but it can't hold and starts to break, because here's this evil streak Dix has that wrecks his life. He wants to stop it, he regrets it, but he always gives into it. But what works here is that we get to know both sides of him. We get to see that beautiful relationship and all the potential, and what makes it a tragedy is that the potential is thrown away - no, burned and destroyed by Dixon.

I hadn't considered the effect it would have on his writing. Yeah, he's damned for sure.