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What Happened At The End??? (asking for spoiler info)

posted 12 years ago by davidwile
9 replies | jump to latest

Hey folks,

Having read all the reviews and threads on IMDb, I could not find anything about the very end of the film. As Brown and Hackman stood on opposite sides of the car near the end, I expected one to shoot the other or both to shoot each other. That did not happen. Instead, the film cuts to Brown leaving at the airport, and as he is about to enter a doorway, a female voice whispers his name from behind, and he turns around. That's it - the end of the film.

Yes, one can say it is for the viewer to fill in the rest, but I think that is just lousy. I thought the film was worthwhile up to that point, but that ending is just plain lame. If I wanted to fill in the rest for myself, I did not have to watch the film at all. I could have just read what has been written on IMDb and saved my time watching it.

Silly me, but I would like to know: What happened between Hackman and Brown at the car? What happened to the money? Who's voice whispered to Brown at the very end? Did I miss something here that someone can tell me, or have others also come to the end with the same questions?

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

[–] YouToober 12 years ago

Hello,

I just saw the film on Turner Classic Movies (TCM). It's a good movie. Very good actors and acting (WOW at the cast!), thrilling and suspenseful at times. I was expecting a "blaxploitation" type of film (this is before they came out, i know), but in my opinion it's a very good rental, or a decent film to own.

Now to answer your questions:

"What happened between Hackman and Brown at the car?"

After they killed all of Jim's accomplices in the robbery (the shootout): "Bert" (Ernest Borgnine), "Harry" (Jack Klugman) and "Marty" (Warren Oates), Detective Lt. Walter Brill (Gene Hackman) and McClain (Jim Brown) went back to the detective's car and Walter let McClain know that the money (McClain's share) was under the passenger seat. No it wasn't a set up, the money was there.

"What happened to the money?"

The detective got most of the money (the dead partners’ shares); McClain just got his cut of the money.

"Who's voice whispered to Brown at the very end?"

The voice, in my opinion, was from Ellie (Diahann Carroll), McClain's girlfriend. Some of the movies from the '60s and '70s sometimes had these vague, ambiguous endings. I take it to mean that McClain conscience was bothering him, since he involved the "straight" and "clean" Ellie into robbery/crime by bringing the stolen money to her apartment (after Gladys' [Julie Harris] suggestion).

I make the speculation that the ending meant that McClain's wouldn't be fully enjoying life and/or the money after seeing what happened to his girlfriend.

[–] davidwile 12 years ago

Hey YouToober,

Thanks for your detailed reply. I did read it very carefully, but I am afraid I hardly remember much about the film any longer. I read my post from January, and I am afraid I don't remember very much about what I was asking. I know that part of the problem is my age - everything falls out of my memory so quickly these days, but lousy films are also partly to blame. I tend to forget so many things about books, films, or whatever when they do not have a really good story to them.

In any case, I thank you for your response. It was very detailed and concise.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

[–] BcSc 11 years ago

Just watched the film for the first time tonight. Very good, and obviously under-rated.

I enjoyed reading your analysis as well, and I thoroughly agree with it!

Well Done!

[–] jmillerdp 10 years ago

Excellent analysis! Thank you.

"I. Drink. Your. Milkshake! [slurp!] I DRINK IT UP!" - Daniel Plainview - "There Will Be Blood"

[–] nomad472002 9 years ago

Message deleted

[–] Underdog_73 8 years ago

"What happened to the money?"

The detective got most of the money (the dead partners’ shares); McClain just got his cut of the money.

Actually, the detective only kept $50,000. He turned the rest of it in. He was going to use this collar to get his promotion. This was explained at the car, during his discussion with McClain.

[–] franzkabuki 9 years ago

The ending's actually one of the best things about this otherwise forgettable little crime yarn. Plays out beautifully - a woman's voice calls out McClain's name, the guy turns around, freeze frame. A nice bit of ambiguity which, I'm sure, is also there in order to deny the crook a clean, clear-cut getaway - if not in practical terms then at least morally; after all, it was only the first year after The Code, prohibiting the "bad guys" ending up victorious, went under.

"facts are stupid things" Ronald Reagan

[–] davidwile 9 years ago

Hey folks,

Apparently I watched this film in January 2013 (just three years ago) when I posted this thread looking for information to better understand this thread. About six months later, Youtoober responded to my questions with excellent information. The sad part of this correspondence was that I no longer had much, if any, recollection of the film for which I initiated this thread.

It is now only three years since I began this thread, and I absolutely have no recollection of this film at all. I have been enjoying films for about 70 years now, and it is most annoying to realize how easily so many recent events can seem to fall right out of the memory chips in my head.

This whole "golden years" thing is not exactly a picnic. Thanks to all of you for your responses.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

[–] glentom66 (1) a year ago

I just saw the movie and was confused as well why the "voice" occurred at the end, then I think I figured it out. Remember back when the landlord came into Ellie's apartment? They showed the landlord finding the guns and the money. Then we heard many gunshots, but they didn't show who was firing the gun. Then they showed someone covering the bed and then blood seeping through the covering, but they never showed the landlord or Ellie in the movie again.

It is my opinion that Ellie was able to kill the landlord and escape. Then we heard her voice in the end of the movie whispering McClain's name. I think the telltale is that they showed the blood again seeping through the covering, in McClain's mind when Brill told McClain that the money was under the seat of the car.

Make sense?