MovieChat Forums > Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) Discussion > Bringing up the ending again.

Bringing up the ending again.

posted 18 years ago by joe-england
43 replies | jump to latest

This is a bit of a rant. I apologize, but I felt like ranting and this seemed like the best place to do it. Now, I don't like this movie much on the whole, so perhaps my being one of the people who doesn't "get it" is coloring my point of view. But that ending... I can't believe my distaste for that is merely a matter of opinion.
So. I know this has been mentioned before, but... seriously. Why isn't it mentioned more?? That was the most insanely dissatisfying ending ever. Flaws in logic aside... sure is lucky how the volcano somehow spit them out without burning them to death and they landed in the water and somehow weren't injured by the fall and the island didn't pull them under with it and the luggage (which fortunately wasn't tethered or obstructed or stored in a hut and somehow was the only thing to come up from the island even when all those airtight soda cans and boats and loose wood and corpses and light debris didn't) came up right next to them despite most likely having been stored a fair distance away from where they must have landed in order to have been far enough away to survive the catastrophe... well, what about the Waponis? What ABOUT the Waponis?? What about all those nice men, women and children who put their faith in Joe to deliver them from their final doom? Wasn't the whole point of everything to save the natives?? I mean sure, there's also Joe experiencing life for the first time in the face of death and so on, I'm very happy that he managed to overcome his issues and become a better man and live happily ever after. That's great for him. Patricia too. But hey, an entire island civilization died. Do we see them rowing to safety, like in the original screenplay? Do we see them waving goodbye? No, we see them running and screaming as horrible destruction claims them all. They don't live happily ever after.
I mean, I guess they weren't the bravest people in the world. And their devotion to soda symbolizes how they lost their souls, or something. But did they all deserve to die?? By those standards, 96% of the American population should be euthanized! And what about the children? This is a horrible, horrible tragedy! Couldn't Joe and Patricia at least... I don't know, have had a minute of silence? Sure they're happy to be alive, who wouldn't be, but I just can't feel happy for two people who ride off into the ocean smirking whimsically after HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE JUST DIED. Do they even mention them? They mention the island sinking. Boy, that's sad. But what kind of creeps must they be to just completely FORGET about the friendly race of people who were ON THE ISLAND who did their best to make them feel welcome and who were counting on them to make sure they DIDN'T DIE? What, was it all about Joe? Is that it? Is precious Joe and his personal development the only thing we should really be concerned with? Sure he's the main character, and yes, as such the world in the movie sort of does revolve around him. But GEEZ, protagonists tend to be likable because they care about people BESIDES THEMSELVES (and their love interests). I like Tom Hanks, don't get me wrong, but my God. Joe's kind of a jerk! And I never liked Meg Ryan, anyway. This movie has a cult following, but I ain't in it.
Or I don't know, maybe they had a bit of a cry after the "Happily Ever After" went up. I hope so, I really do.

[–] ncfrank23 15 years ago

You should read my theory about this movie before getting too worked up over the ending.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099892/usercomments-182

[–] garyvdh 11 years ago

The Volcano represents death, mediocrity, negativity. It eats up people whose lives have no meaning. It was ready to eat up Joe and it would have eaten him if he had stayed mediocre and pointless like he was in the beginning of the movie. His life was basically worthless, dull and gray. He had sold his soul to the company store. He had bought into the rut of life and was not really alive to life. Remember almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know. Everybody you see. Everybody you talk to. Only a few people are awake and they live in a state of constant total amazement.

if Joe had gone to the volcano in that state, it would have accepted his sacrifice. But at some point in the movie Joe had woken up and his life had taken on meaning. Since he had made the decision to be willing to throw his life away for a pointless cause, he had travelled and gone through some experiences which had actually awakened him. Now when he arrives at the edge of the volcano, he is a changed person. Existentially speaking, his life now has all the meaning it could ever have, he has a reason to live. So the volcano doesn't want him anymore. He is not mediocre. He is a somebody. He is one of the awake ones. It would have been better to have taken one of the islanders as they had become mediocre (they just live for the orange soda now - a symbol of consumerism).

The Waponis had become Mediocre. Their lives had lost meaning. They had become part of the world system. They had become consumers. The island took them for the needed sacrifice because they are the ones who get eaten up by the world system. They were not worth saving. It was not fitting that Joe Banks (one who is really alive and has learned what it means to really live) should die for those who are now asleep (who do not know the true meaning of life). So the Island swapped the sacrifices and took them instead of Joe Banks.

At the end of the movie the meaning is given away: Your whole life is ahead of you, go and live it.

[–] tua07824 10 years ago

Agree garyvdh,

The Waponis had lost their essence, couldn't find a noble person from their tribe to appease the volcano, and suffered the wrath of their deity. It spared Joe because of his honor and nobility.

[–] yusef-ghanima 10 years ago

what's the honor and nobility in a dead man throw himself in volcano after being paid fully in master cards, he even offered him two of his daughters!!

i mostly will not be able to answer your reply, since marissa mayer hacked my email, no notification

[–] tua07824 9 years ago

Because he survived disaster and learned what it truly meant to be alive but was still intent on doing what he agreed to do?