MovieChat Forums > The International (2009) Discussion > I actually like the ending, here's why.....

I actually like the ending, here's why...

posted 15 years ago by luks-11
24 replies | jump to latest

The vast backlog of Hollywood conspiracy thrillers contains a multitude of films which follow the simple formula of small guy vs Big corporation in which the humble hero always wins, unveiling the truth and saving masses of people.

In this film, the ending was far more downbeat. From the moment a character comments that all major agencies (such as the CIA0 are funded by banks like the IBBC, it becomes a possibility hat Salinger really won't succeed.

What I really liked about the final scenes is the way that he failed to get a recording of the one piece of information that could have helped him take the bank to court. Then, realising this he follows Svarson, who points out accurately that even if he is killed, several more bankers will spring up to take his place. In the final scene, unlike so many Hollywood thrillers, the good guy is not triumphant, he's powerless, impotent. He shoots only because he has nothing else to do, knowing it will achieve nothing in the long run. everything he's been trying to do for the whole film (and in the years prior to it) has come to nothing.

So, while the film may not be perfect, I quite admired the pessimistic ending, along with many other parts of the film.

[–] gasherthegrey 15 years ago

I just got done watching this, and I don't think the information he failed to overhear would have led to the IBBC standing trial, but instead it would allow him to derail the deal when the buyer of the arms realizes that they're useless.

[–] JankaJaakari 15 years ago

Well what I got from the last scene it was in MPOV that the italian coming from behind of Salinger that actually shot Skarssen same one that had all ready killed the old german guy.

[–] mxlflx 15 years ago

Correct; Salinger did not kill Skarrsen, the Italian hitman did.

Fundamentals are the crutch of the talentless--Kenny Powers

[–] torrijos-1 15 years ago

It is also correct that the plan wasn't to bring them to court but to divulge information to the Iranians about the missiles being useless ensuing the bankruptcy of the bank (and maybe some bloodshed)

[–] RParmly-3 15 years ago

Why couldn't he have done that anyway?

He had Skarssen. Why didn't he kidnap him and make him spill his guts to the Iranians and the Syrians? They'd have canceled the order, the bank would have gone bankrupt, end of story.

The only downside is that helping Iran would have gotten him in trouble with his own government, but so what? That's exactly the kind of thing he went "outside the system" to do in the first place.

Denny Crane.

[–] tstraton 15 years ago

I actually didn't like the ending, here's why... It should have been in the middle of the movie and that would have been much more unexpected and surprising!!!

But I might be wrong.

[–] nnq2603 15 years ago

@RParmly-3: Can't done that way you mentioned. Didn't you get the problem here it was the way world banking industry act for years... Even Lou successfully reveal story about rocket and related stuffs to buyer, and I.B.B.C 'd have gone bankrupt. It doesn't really stop the way the world act, as that guy said, over 100 other banks will glad to replace & continue IBBC job. And story won't never end~

[–] gunnar.oeie 13 years ago

He couldn't kidnap Skarssen all on his own, and doing so would get in the way of the Calvinis' revenge. Even if they may have appreciated Sallinger's help, they wouldn't let him do that.

It wasn't all bad for the good guys either, if you look at the newspaper articles in the credits.

[–] thornsthorns 15 years ago

the IBBC would probably have been bailed out by the governments even if the deal had fallen through. These type of poeple are two well connected and use tax payers money like an overdraft for their businesses.

[–] sportster_16301 15 years ago

Also, doesn't this now set up Salinger to be the killer since the hitman takes his gun and thanks him!

Take the sinners away from the saints and you'd be lucky to end up with Abraham Lincoln.- Hud

[–] mike_n_ike_322 15 years ago

No, I believe that the Italian Hitman thanks Salinger for making his job easier:

Cornering Skarssen.

Salinger is considered a friend of Enzo and Mario; he told the brothers that their father was assassinated by the IBBC. The Hitman doesn't take the gun to frame him, but for the hitman's own protection.

This is just in case, Salinger got angry or retaliated, or tried to hold the hitman up as he was leaving. Without any weapon, Salinger is harmless.

[–] browni 15 years ago

it wasn't salinger's gun. he took it from wexler's body before he started following skarssen. i think the hitman thanked salinger for keeping skarssen from getting away.

[–] Kiers77 15 years ago

yes i agree! in the end, the entire "inner sanctorum" of bankers clive owen was after were mostly DEAD. end of his interpol case! he was back at square one after all those years of obsessive compulsive hounding of this case. However, the movie shows some aspects of it did come out in the media. Only ALLUDING to "strange" things going on. BUT NOT the "crack this case wide open" that salinger wanted! He did NOT meet his destiny by taking the path to avoid it...touche.

[–] Bneidl 15 years ago

I don't mind that the ending wasn't a completely tidy, happy ending. But I did think the ending was too abrupt. It didn't feel like the end of the story. The movie was cranking along and then it just . . . . stopped. That was unsatisfying to me.

Even if we just had a few more beats with Clive Owen to sort of get a read on what he might do next -- a hint as to whether he might continue the crusade or not. Instead, he's just standing their, stupified, and we cut to credits. It just didn't feel "right" to me, sort of like a song playing the final note out of key.

Also, as others have pointed out, it wasn't Clive Owen who shot the banker, it was the Italian assassin who worked for the Calvinis.

[–] nnq2603 15 years ago

Yes, I've got similar feeling about this movie ending.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] FangsFirst 14 years ago

....the vast backlog of Hollywood conspiracy thrillers has a HISTORY of watching the conspiracies crush the heroes. I mean, I could list them, but that would be spoilers for a lot of movies. A LOT of movies.

Honestly, it's just not that much of a change for conspiracy movies, and hardly something to suggest it elevates it above others (and yes, the backlog goes back decades. Maybe only forty years at this point, but it certainly goes that far).

[–] hayes-29 13 years ago

The real problem with the ending is: How did the Italian hit man get up so close on those exposed rooftops without at least the banker noticing? He was facing back along the route taken.

[–] gunnar.oeie 13 years ago

Skarssen was distracted by Salinger chasing him and holding a gun at him. The hitman could even follow them on the ground, they stuck out so much.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] dark_frances 11 years ago

I liked many things about this movie, and I pretty much read the ending in the same way. This was quite an impressive story, all the way down to the bitter end.

Just one little thing - at that point Salinger wasn't trying to take the story to court anymore. He was trying to offer it to the opposite faction, which would have made the transaction impossible, ruining the bank.

there's a highway that is curling up like smoke above her shoulder

[–] Korios 11 years ago

He shoots only because he has nothing else to do

Which film did you watch? Go back and re-watch the ending, it is shown perfectly clearly who shot who.

Fanboy : a person who does not think while watching.

[–] aftermik 11 years ago

no in hollywood conspiracy thrillers, the system is hardly ever questioned and it ends up always being about a hero against, not an organisation, but a few bad apples in a corporation/gvt alphabet agency.

the international offers a different perspective : the tree is rotten but there are still some good apple, but not enough to fix it.

great movie.

[–] Gottagrin 9 years ago

Indeed, for Americans once the scapegoat was found the entire problem solved.

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