MovieChat Forums > Mystery Train (1989) Discussion > The Ending

The Ending

posted 20 years ago by Heinsbergen
7 replies | jump to latest

I really loved this little indie-gem, it shows once again how genius Jim Jarmusch really is with all those odd characters and his ability to make "boring" activies interesting.
I liked especially the third part with Joe Strummer, Rick Avias and Steve Buscemi, they're just perfect. During the scene when they're entering their hotel room I couldn't stop laughing!

Anyway, I really liked the ending with the truck driving away and the train passing. But it would be perfect if the plane where the Italian woman is in could fly above the scenery. What do you think? So you would have all important characters in one frame getting away.

On the run from Johnny Law. Ain't no trip to Cleveland.

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] goghgoner 20 years ago

yeah, that would have been a better ending.

I have seen three other films by this director: ghost dog, dead man, and coffee and cigarettes. I think this one is the best with CC being in the race. Dead man was too symbolic for me.

[–] jenkinscrowe 19 years ago

[shrug] I didn't find it necessary. We know Luisa and her dead hubby will get home just fine. And we do get to see Dee Dee on the train to Natchez ("matches?"), showing that Luisa's story has become Dee Dee's.

I'll be reading a paper that addresses this film at this year's Pop Culture/Amercian Culture in the South conference. It's academic, Y'all. (-:

[–] NoPlasticMan 18 years ago

I certainly agree with the poster!!
I had the exact same feeling at the end, I sort of expected the plain to fly over the scenario.
But yea, maybe it would be to unrealistic, and to made up.

Life Is A Pigsty

[–] jenkinscrowe 18 years ago

For me, the shot of her racing through the Memphis airport to make her plane was closure enough. But, now that I think of it, since the film offered complete symmetry between the 3 stories in every other respect, seeing her plane fly over would have been a nice touch.

To achieve harmony in bad taste is the height of elegance.--Jean Genet

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] mcabaj 16 years ago

Here's one thing about the ending I couldn't understand. Once I got the subtititles to work (thanks to the other thread) I went back and viewed the Japanese again, and at the end, she says something like "We saw Graceland this morning, now we'll see Fats Dominoes house in New Orleans tonight."

When did they have a chance to see Graceland??? They were at the hotel when the gunshot happened, and then they are in the train when the truck goes by with injured Steve B. in it. Unless the train going by the truck isn't the same one they're on? I assumed it was, but that just couldn't make sense.