Ending
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vc2020 — 18 years ago(June 06, 2007 12:42 AM)
The exit sign says it all. It would've been an exit from everything she has now as she was only able to achieve it free from him and the same goes for him. They were both creative people who just couldn't help but hold each other back. But together they share their child and the song "New York, New York".
I really love how the movie bookended with us seeing Jimmy's feet and having the camera pan up to reveal Jimmy and then having the opposite of it as he walks away. A brilliant film. -
rtms1988 — 17 years ago(October 25, 2008 11:08 PM)
They're a couple of crank. They really can't keep a relationship together.
I don't know but I think they'll really kill each other, their minds aren't harmonious.
Roberta
"The camera lies all the time; lies 24 times/second." -
Brian de Palma -
Milevskiy — 17 years ago(February 07, 2009 07:30 PM)
George Lucas advised Marty to give it an happy ending. He told him the film would gross at least 10 million dollars more that way. Needless to say Marty didn't go for it. After all, he's not the happy ending kind of guy.
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joliet_jane — 16 years ago(September 06, 2009 06:39 PM)
I saw this movie for the first time today and was confused by the ending. Did Francine not realize Jimmy was on the street because she couldn't see him or did she just decide not to meet with him after all?
Even Roger Ebert was perplexed and frustrated by this. I reckon it was done this way to make us feel as disappointed and unfulfilled as the characters do.
As for the relationship, Jimmy is a bad, bad guy. Any women who would try to have a life with him is foolish. I've no sympathy for him, even if he is hot.
Imagine what would've happened if they'd gone to divorce court. Even that day in age, his actions would be hard to justify. A man who throws tables? GTFO.
I'll bet Scorsese's real life disappointments had something to do with it. He married in the 60s too young and had daughter. I have no idea what kind of a dad he was, but he evidently thought nothing of almost killing himself with drugs and partying in the late 70s, with 2 daughters, a tween and a baby (born during NY, NY). He also had an awful temper. Like Jimmy, I think he's a career-first, love-last kind of guy. (he's much better now, of course) -
MedioSiglo — 16 years ago(October 05, 2009 03:44 PM)
I just saw it all the way through yesterday and was glad that Francine decided not to return to the abuse. She was a bigger star than he was and he had to accept that and turn away too, alas, at the same moment. Bittersweet is the correct word for the ending.
Why ain't you at the garden party you heathen? -
franzkabuki — 16 years ago(November 07, 2009 07:19 AM)
I think its more a metaphoric thing - she saw the big sign "EXIT" above the door and sort of realized there is no way out of the world of high entertainment, the public life of stardom, the limelights anymore. Clear division between him and De Niro outside.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan -
jtaboada — 13 years ago(November 08, 2012 05:38 PM)
In my opinion, if you wanted a happy ending then you had the whole "happy endings" sequence, so the ending HAD to be bittersweet. Not so ambiguous I think, she decides that she is not gettin out the building when she pushes the elevator button
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brookwriter — 12 years ago(July 13, 2013 09:28 PM)
This ending is really one of my favorites of all time, because it can be interpreted several ways, and yet the outcome remains the same: She didn't really want to have Chinese food with him. Because she knows he is essentially an arrogant genius. And she can't live with him. Because deep down, she is an arrogant genius herself.
Does she not see him at the door? He's not AT the door. He's downstairs. But does she expect him to be right there at the door, waiting? Maybe.
It's a brilliant ending. Scorsese shot an alternative version, where they actually do get together after her performance, but thank God he stuck it out with this downbeat finale (which is the only ending for this terribly neglected masterpiece of a movie).
