The ending ?
ATTENTION POSSIBLE SPOILER
Can someone tell me how Dersu died? I saw a version on TV where his death is deleted. Is this ellipsis in all versions?
Dersu left the Captain and his family because he wasn't able to live in a house.
The Captain gives Dersu his newest rifle as a farewell present.
Someone wanted to have this weapon and shot poor Dersu.
He is buried between two old trees, the place the Captain searches for in the very beginning.
Hope this helps!
That summary's right but for the original poster, they never actually show Dersu being robbed and murdered. The final scene shows the captain at the side of the grave they are digging for Dersu. It's a haunting scene in many ways for one of the most moving films i've ever seen.
shareThe cause of Derusu's death isn't shown on screen. I personally think that the Russian law-enforcement officer was bluffing when he tells Arseniev that Derusu was murdered by some criminals and robbed off his gun. There is a very high chance that he was killed by the law-enforcers themselves and the gun confiscated.
They must have thought that Derusu probably had stolen the gun (a latest one at that) from its original owner (they find Arseniev's card on him) because there is no way a poor hunter can afford such an expensive gun by himself. Due to his bad eye-sight, he couldn't defend himself.
The policeman's reaction at the end after Arseniev tells him that Derusu was his good friend, speaks volumes.
That said, I wonder why Arseniev did not get a nice pair of glasses made for Derusu? Was it a deliberate decision on his behalf to keep Derusu from going back to the forest?
Great film!
i am a living orga(ni)smshare
OMG a-z,
your post rules! I've just finished it for the first time,
and I'm glad (again) that I checked the message boards.
Great theory; and I think this will be my sight on the ending forever.
Life's a movie with a bad screenplay.