Is it the greatest switch-ending ever?
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trpdean — 17 years ago(June 07, 2008 10:03 PM)
It's not hard to create a switch ending - if there's nothing whatever in the film earlier to suggest it. E.g., they could easily have made him a woman, or a black man steppoing out of a Kevin Costner skin, or anything - this is absurd.
The reason you were surprised is because there was absolutely NOTHING in the script that would lead anyone to think this - nothing. It's the most idiotic ending I've ever seen. So, we're meant to believe that all he did led to spying on the Russians? That's why he saved a drowning kid, so tha the might be asked to the Pentagon, where he could absurd. That's total rubbish. -
jgroub — 16 years ago(September 17, 2009 08:19 AM)
"a black man steppoing out of a Kevin Costner skin"
I think it was the great William "Bojangles" Robinson who invented that steppoing move. LOL.
But semi-seriously, there is a hint - the scene where he's at the pay phones and tells his handlers that he wants to come in but can't get out of the Pentagon. While not setting off alarm bells, at least it's something. I sure didn't notice it the first time I saw the movie.
And anyway, as others have pointed out, this is just like The Usual Suspects: the whole movie is contrived to get us to the shocking big reveal. That's the point of the movie. If you don't like that, then you must not like movies of this type - which I can understand. I don't like movies that involve dream sequences, because I feel ripped off. Atonement and Vanilla Sky stand out as shining examples of that genre. I despised those movies.
Do you mind if I ask if you liked The Usual Suspects?
I asked the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well. -
Binkconn — 16 years ago(October 06, 2009 11:53 PM)
Another clue is his relationship with his Russian apartment manager, who seems overly friendly and inquisitive until you learn at the end he's Tom's/Yuri's handler. No real coincidences in the plot, it's all planned out
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charlesjones001 — 10 years ago(April 09, 2015 11:07 AM)
I really didn't recognize the actor who played the Russian handler was also the apartment manager / until I watched the movie again. Wouldn't they have talked Russian when they were alone earlier on? I know that would have given the game away for the audience but it is not convincing that two Russians alone would only speak English.
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DarrenDirt — 16 years ago(September 18, 2009 02:08 PM)
No, it's not idiotic, and it's not too coincidental.
I think "nitejrny282"** explains it all very well that the original "coincidence" appears to be one only until the END, then you realize that it was a planned situation, although the cover-story choice was the real coincidence.
** http://www.imdb.com/board/10093640/board/nest/90129804?d=147755790#138538542
Chipping away at a mountain of pop culture trivia,
Darren Dirt. -
vosges1945 — 16 years ago(November 09, 2009 06:08 AM)
The reason you were surprised is because there was absolutely NOTHING in the script that would lead anyone to think this - nothing.
Stoli, the phone call to the handlers, the hand-off in P.I (also used to show Yuri's growing problem) all come out when looked back at after the ending is seen. If anything they're too subtle, but they are there when you look at them knowingly after seeing the ending.
So, we're meant to believe that all he did led to spying on the Russians? That's why he saved a drowning kid, so tha the might be asked to the Pentagon, where he could absurd. That's total rubbish.
No, he was gathering whatever intelligence he could as a naval officer - which allowed him access in the command staff to alot of useful information like ship deployments, training schedules, and/or communications information at the very least. They were probably happy with the position he'd made it to and would probably consider something like him attaining command of a carrier something beyond their wildest dreams. Remember, the Walkers did serious damage spying for the Russians while holding lower positions in the Navy. The incident at sea and subsequent transfer to the pentagon was a fluke, a windfall for the Russians.
No one ever sat in the Kremlin and said "Ivan, what if we plant a mole, get him in the US Navy and after a few years arrange a cyclone to make our man a hero so he can go to work in the pentagon?" Besides, courageous as the act was, it's not normal to reward someone with an assignment to the pentagon afterwards it was his working Pritchard earlier to get a shot into the pentagon that made the SECDEF remember him. -
markok56 — 10 years ago(October 26, 2015 06:08 AM)
It's not true.
There was at least 3 hints that Tom is actually spy.
1.His first word is nomo,something in russian language
2.When 2 assassins chase Tom, he basically screaming at russian
3.In bar scene, he says I'm American on the phone..
When you watch movie 2nd time, it's pretty clear that Tpm Farrell is Yuri. -
jfmlin — 18 years ago(January 10, 2008 11:06 PM)
This ending would have been great if it had any backing or uncertainty from the in depth "reality" that the movie viewer was seeing. But it did not! I felt it was a total ripoff. Like a movie ending with.."it was all a dream."
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