MovieChat Forums > Frantic (1988) Discussion > Michelle at the end

Michelle at the end

posted 19 years ago by OBwonton
37 replies | jump to latest

This is a SPOILER for anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet!!!!

All right, this has been one of my favorite movies ever since I was little. Even though I've seen it hundreds of times, I still get so sad and angry when Michelle dies at the end. She is my favorite character in the movie and her death always seems really unfair and tragic to me. Does anyone else feel the same way? Also, in this rumored alternate ending, does anyone know if she still dies? Even though I do feel this way, I don't think the movie and its ending would be quite as good if she didn't. It's sort of one of those tragedies you need to bring a film like this to an end...

[–] apasserby 19 years ago

I agree 100%.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] minalex 19 years ago

Every film by Polanski has an ironic and pessimistic ending. Wach out how he loses Michelle, as soon as he has probably started to fall in love with her, and gets back his wife (with a similar red dress as Michelle's).

[–] scotmistro 18 years ago

Yes, ironic mirroring by the director there, having them both in a red dress. Betty Buckley looks even more matronly when she is in the same shot as Emmanuelle Seigner. When the film started I thought 'This is the woman they've cast to be Harrison Ford's wife?' but of course he spends the meaty part of the film with the hottie, Seigner.

[–] Mannequin 16 years ago

Every film by Polanski has an ironic and pessimistic ending.

The Pianist?

[–] cenga666 12 years ago

Of course that The Pianist's ending is pesimistic, in certain kind of way. Yes, Wladek survived, but he lost his whole family, and most of his friends probably, his hometown is completely destroyed. And to top it all, only German who helped him died in a harsh prison camp conditions, while many of real Nazy criminals remained unpunished.

[–] uscmd 11 years ago

Look at the major events in Polanskis life, rape/child molestation, his wife and baby dying at Mansons hands in the helter skelter insanity, being barred from entering or working in the U.S., which for a director is like a death sentence.

I'd say he has a right to be dark, pessimistic or ironic.

[–] carl-gadde 19 years ago

What would movies like Braveheart and Gladiator be if the hero rode off into the sunset whith his girl?

Its the tradegy that grips you. How many times would you have watched it if Ford kissed Michel/his wife goodbye and rode of with the other into the sunset to live happily ever after.

Great movie, im lookin around to find the soundtrack. ....yeah....we´ll see if I get to ride off into the sunset with it or not.... ;o)

[–] ElectricEye 19 years ago

I Agree with you 100%

Protective, Detective, Electric Eye

[–] delt_ 18 years ago

.... while i ride off into the sunset with KK Downing's red Hamer V =)

[–] ElectricEye 18 years ago

:)

Protective, Detective, Electric Eye

[–] KillerMovieMan 18 years ago

I must say I was happy she got shot. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Walker pay her the $1000.00 U.S. for her fee plus a little extra for expenses? Then in the parking garage she brings up money owed to her which blows the exchange, and again brings up her fee under the bridge only to get that all screwed up and getting herself killed. Trying to do coke while driving, dancing and acting like a hooker and drawing unwanted attention to them, saying she should have charged more to bring a nuclear detonator into her country, sorry but she needed to die.
There were not very many likable characters in this movie but it wasn't too bad.

[–] ElectricEye 18 years ago

Hahaha!
Good points!

Protective, Detective, Electric Eye

[–] Mannequin 19 years ago

I don't think the movie would be as memorable if Michelle lived. Part of the reason I remember it so well is because my favorite character dies.

[–] gnolti 19 years ago

minalex is correct. One of Polanski's hallmarks is a harsh and/or unexpected ending: in Rosemary's Baby, mother love wins out over the fact that she's just given birth to Satan's child; at the end of Chinatown, Faye Dunaway dies horribly; and there's the completely baffling end to The Tenant.

Polanski always seems to run counter to our childlike hopes and expectations that things will turn out "right" in the end.

"L'audace, l'audace. Toujours l'audace."

[–] fabulousrice 18 years ago

in Rosemary's Baby, mother love wins out over the fact that she's just given birth to Satan's child; at the end of Chinatown, Faye Dunaway dies horribly; and there's the completely baffling end to The Tenant.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE SPOILERS!!!!! doosh

[–] paulhalliday 19 years ago

Michelle doesn't die at the end. The context of the ending of this movie suggests she was alive. Would the Doctor really go to the lenghts of lifting her body from its last place of rest if she was dead? He would have simply close her eyes to signify she had died at the scene. However there is the context of what is said at thei time to suggest she was unconscience and needed better medical attention then the doctor could provide. Unfortunately we do not see where the Doctor is intending to take her to, so we cannot conclude if Michelle survived her wounds. Nor is it clear where she was shot, but it looks as if it was the lower abdomen area where immediate medical attention would be required to save her life. Yet again within the time frame suggested, the Doctor takes her body and places it elsewhere. Perhaps only the deleted scenes can shread light on her impending future.

[–] gnolti 19 years ago

From their expressions and the wife's reaction, and Ford's trying her pulse and (obviously becuase he couldn't find any) finally listening to her chest, you have to assume that the situation is pretty hopeless. And besides, if he thought she could still be saved, why would he waste precious time standing up to confront the two guys and making a show about the little detonator?

Nobody gets off easy in Polanski's films. People die at the end, like they do in real life (not Hollywood).

"L'audace, l'audace. Toujours l'audace."

[–] Mitch-51 19 years ago

It's pretty obvious to me that she dies in the end. Very typical/appropriate ending for Polanski.

[–] Something2die4 19 years ago

The reason he didn't leave her on the ground at the end was because of her last words "Don't leave me".

[–] gnolti 19 years ago

Don't think so. Have you ever seen a movie where the hero leaves the dead heroine lying dead on the ground for somebody else to deal with? Think about it.

"Follow those who seek the truth. Beware of those who find it."

[–] Something2die4 19 years ago

Yes, of course he cared for her and didn't want to leave her. My point is..the reason he takes her body isn't because she's still alive. As someone wrote earlier.

[–] are_you_in 19 years ago

Yeah she died, obviously. I thought it was a little unfair but I guess it was the only way to bring things to an end.

[–] dgates64 18 years ago

Might've been interesting if Betty Buckley took the bullet at the end. Then Ford ends up with Michelle.

[–] futuremoviewriter 18 years ago

he got his wife back, but lost a close friend.

[–] Rufus-T 18 years ago

The whole point of the story is to look for his wife. In order to get his wife back, some major sacrifice took place. That sacrifice is Michelle. The whole story would have been a tease if his wife got shot.

To answer the OP, yes it was sad that Michelle got shot. The sacrifice was necessary to make the story better.

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I don't want life to imitate art, I want life to be art

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] princeofnewyork 17 years ago

Wow, just wow. Anyways it was sad that Michelle die. When I first saw the movie I had hope she would lived and maybe go to America with Walker, but then I figure who the hell wants to come here! Good movie with a sad ending.

December 2007, Alvin and The Chipmunks just became relevant...again!