MovieChat Forums > Dead Man's Shoes (2004) Discussion > Confused by the ending

Confused by the ending

posted 16 years ago by kirkwuk
5 replies | jump to latest

I loved this film. Pretty much was going to rate it 9 or 10/10 if the second half was as good as the first. It wasn't.

Now one thing I don't understand at all which confused the hell out of me, wasn't it both Anthony and Richard who return to the small town at the beginning of the movie? And wasn't the whole point of the movie Richard taking revenge for Anthony's death? So why was Anthony with Richard when he returned to the town he wants to take revenge on? Why is he present when Sonny's gang stops the car and has a confrontation with Richard? Is this a way of telling us Anthony is dead and a ghost and still with Richard on a mental level?

Also at the end, why did Richard refer to Anthony as an "embarrassment" and "[ba]nana"? Didn't make any sense to me, can't understand why that line of dialogue was in there!

[–] allseeing 16 years ago

Yes Anthony is a ghost, or at least how the film portrays it. Richard describes Anthony as an embarassment, showing that he is not perfect.

Personally, I like to think that Richard is not real, but an embodiement of the bad guy's guilt made as flesh. The idea that they cannot live with what they have done. I doubt it's meant as that. I like to think it though.

[–] curemad_jelly_tot 16 years ago

I didn't see Anthony as a ghost, he was existing in Richard's mentality due to his guilt. Richard felt responsible for the death of his brother... he went off to the army (addressing your second question now) to run away from Anthony, who was an embarrassment to him. At the same time, Anthony was his brother! He was consumed by feelings of guilt for leaving him and vegence for what had happened at the hands of the gang.

[–] allseeing 16 years ago

yes, you're right curemad. I typed before thinking. I sort of meant that Anthony was dead at the start of the film, but of course, he is in Richard's guilt ridden imagination and not a spectre.

[–] mizzlefoshizzle 13 years ago

Also i think he says anthony was an embarrasment and a nana to him because he was retarded,which is fair enough,but he was his brother and whatever your brother was when he was alive you would do anything to avenge his death if you were in his shoes.

[–] tomisamos 12 years ago

You're meant to think Anthony is still alive to begin with because I reckon it makes Richard look like more of a monster. It makes his reaction seem unnecessary. But if you think about it, no one actually acknowledges Anthony at any stage or speaks to him. He's just in Richards head. Richard even says at the end that he 'still does', implying his brother has never left him and has watched his revenge. Then of course when you find Anthony is actually dead it makes you have less sympathy for the gang, but it also shows how Richard has become a monster, just like them, which becomes clear by the way that the final gang member has actually moved on and moved away but is still haunted by the memory, whilst Richard will never be able to let it go and feels he must be stopped. I think the whole thing is very clever.

This fits together with him saying nasty things about his brother. The reason he has been so extreme and is, if you like, haunted by his brother's ghost is because he never properly appreciated him until he was gone. He realised that he had loved his brother, but had neglected him. The killings are to make amends, but they can't completely, and he realises all he wants is to be back with his brother. He knows he must be stopped. It all ties in at the end.

If anything I was a bit unsure to begin with and completely convinced by the end. Thought the film was excellent, so go ahead, give it a 9 or 10 ;)