MovieChat Forums > Deep End (1971) Discussion > She didn't die!

She didn't die!

posted 4 years ago by Falconet (49)
2 replies | jump to latest

I came here to read what people thought of that beautiful ending and I was quite surprised to learn that everyone seem to be convinced that Susan dies in the end.
if you watch the scene again you can easily see that right before she loses herself in the water, she looks back and playfully smiles. she does that twice in fact. I'm pretty sure the director wanted to make sure it's not missed as the wrong interpretation would turn this scene into a very morbid ending as it has been for many apparently.
yes she is injured but that lamp didn't even hit her head hard enough. for a death causing injury it would have been very ridiculous scene. Susan fakes her death playfully to tease mike. she enjoys the innocent attention/ obsession she gets from him.
I thought it was one of the most beautiful endings I had seen.

[–] DarkOneX (74) 3 years ago

Got the blu ray today and watched it the film for the 2nd time just now, she did die. Yes it's hard to believe that bump from the lights would do it, but she was definitely bleeding a crapton from it, and yes she did look at him playfully a couple times but that was before going under. After that she never moved or looked at him and she was bleeding profusely. Still, fantastic film and great ending but you are definitely wrong.

*edit - just finished watching the long documentary that's on the disk and it's also discussed in there that she died at the end.

[–] TheArgentinian (7072) a year ago

The moment she started floating in the water, it's over for her. I don't think it's an open ending.
I took her smile as accepting her fate. She was not a happy woman.