First, fantastic movie. But, alot of people seem to not like the ending, I however really loved it. It would have been so easy to just kill Kilmers character, but I hate it when movies do this, I feel I'm being punished for liking them, I never want to see the character I like die. So I'm glad for once he got to live, as unrealistic as it is, not that realism has ever been a question.
just thoguht I'd say my peice.
Well...I seriously thought he was going to die. But then again, that would be too depressing, since the audience has spent the entire film trying to understand what's transpired to reach the opening scene of the film and to understand Tom.
For Tom to die, it's like watching a horrible horror movie where everybody simply dies. There has to be some redemption in the struggle, esp. if the characters have any modicum of redeeming qualities.
Whoever wrote the script, they knew they were making somewhat of a forced hopefully ending, but to counter this, I like how they made it a facetious. "...Linoleum, this must be hell....oh no, what a cliché...[with the white light]." It was forced, but lightly humorous, and ultimately hopeful, for a life that seemed lost to darkness.
the ending is genius. He does "die" in the figurative sense. He'll never be the same again. Yes he does "physically" live in the end, but his 3rd persona is the one that gets to start over, fresh clean slate. We should all get a second chance at life, this was his.
shareNot to mention it's the only convenient way to also make the gangsters following him think he was dead. heh. Although I wonder what the crime scene at poohs house would turn up.
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