Unit 22- Open and Closed Endings

Open and closed endings play a major role in making some films extraordinary. Many cinema films end with an open ending and there are those of which that end in a concluding closed ending.
Some directors choose to end their films with a beginning and others choose to end it with an end. Let's begin at the end - because it's so often the ending that makes the movie, all roads leading to the tear-dampened farewell, or unpleasant sting in the tail. But the one ending most film-makers won't go near is the one that isn't an ending at all, the one in which a character or plot point is left forever hanging, the narrative brought to a close not with a full stop, but a question mark. And that's a pity - because when you can find them, they're often the best endings of all.

This criterion will cover two films which contain open-ending narratives, and two which contain closed-ending narratives then later discuss and the appeal to the audience and finally evaluate the benefits of having either in a film. I will cover each narrative ending from a different angle, and try to explain them in a different light.

 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) -- With one of the most inquisitive endings of any movie, this film is greatness throughout, with breathtaking visuals. Of all the  iconic sci-fi movies this is one of the few that I can honestly recognize as a true sci-fi movie. From way back in 1968 its probably one of the most talked about movies of all time.

 Understanding the ending is key to understanding the entire movie. For those who have been perplexed by Kubrick's vision I offer my take on the films ending and why it is beneficial to audience members.

Here Dave runs through his life in fast forward, until he dies and is reborn in the form of a 'space child'.

After we see Dave being transported to   an unknown destination.  Here the audience have reached the last ten minutes of the movie and are beginning to try and understand this rather ambiguous ending to a film-where most would be allowing for time to figure out the exact meaning, others would be using this as social interaction to discuss what may happen.

The next part of my blog will forward  further towards the ending of  'A Space Odyssey'  where the audience are at the edge of their seats, rearing to know what's going to happen next. Here we see once again the changeover is ordered as we move into the next stage of human life. By the end of the film the audience are bamboozled by the so tangled ending, the end of this movie, just started. Personally I enjoyed watching 'A Space Odyssey' as it left me questioning the initial reasons for leaving it an open ending , and the decisions behind that. Also, was there any reason for the director to write the plot in this way?

This ultimately allows the audience to encompass what they believe the ending should be, this therefore is a benefit to open-end films as the viewers are free to almost imagine how they want to end the film. It gives audience members a sense of choice and covers the frustration of a cliffhanger. By the end the audience are left to their own devices. My personal take on this idea is that it is defiantly a pro to using open-ends in films and the audience use it as social interaction as they're questioning whether the end may be as they interpreted it. Consequently, open-end films are better than closed-ended films.

Life of Pi (2012)-- As a story-telling technique, Open Endings are unsatisfying for most audiences- for instance 'life of Pie'. Most of you

This film would probably be aimed at an audience who were aged 16-25 , possibly males more than females because of the general taste the film brings, where there are wild animals one may imagine that men or boys would enjoy the masculinity aspect to it. Like Pi and his three-tiered faith routine, the viewer/audience can always pick and choose the parts that benefit their preferred version of the tale's ending. After having to make the decision of selling their zoo in India and moving to Canada, Santosh and Gita Patel board a freighter with their sons and a few remaining animals. Tragedy strikes when a terrible storm sinks the ship, leaving Pi the teenager, as the only hum survivor. However, Pi is not alone; a fearsome Bengal tiger has also found refuge aboard the lifeboat. As days turn into weeks and weeks drag into months, Pi and the tiger must trust each other if both are to survive, and its a test against fear.  So on the contrary, Open-endings are not as effective to an audience as most people believe, by the end of the film we see this trust that has grown between these two completely different characters waist away into nothing. As we second guess that something spectacular is about to happen the film ends in suspense that ashamed the targeted audience.  A disappointing ending is never a good ending.

  This short clip which I have trimmed, gives you an insight into the ending of 'Life of Pi' where we can see the young teen watch his animal partner stroll away into a forest, the film reaches its peak and the viewer is left uncertain of what to say. As a viewer I would personally feel  disoriented as I have paid money and time into watching what I thought would be a great film which will leave me mesmerized with amazement, but unfortunately left me sickened with remorse. To conclude I have learnt that open end narratives could in fact not be beneficial to an audience and therefore lets down the whole film. 

 الطريق الدائري(Ring Road)

Closed ending films are films which end their narrative with a conclusion- the end is literally the end.

There are some contemplative issues addressed in this film.  It has one of those "okay" endings, and by that I mean you stroke your chin and say "Ooo-kaaay.

The film begins with the character living in a humble family of a wife and a pretty daughter named 'Yasmin'. We see the characters engage in a healthy family life and this allows for the storyline to be more expected by the end. However, this is not the case as the character changes rapidly throughout the span of the film- by the core of the film we're are swayed away from believing that this is in fact a closed ending films because of the diverse events that withhold this films narrative.

Next I will address the ending of the film in more detail, explaining what the target audience could be and why this film is a closed ending film. Towards the ending the audience is led into thinking that this so-called 'busy man of business' is going to find a way of helping his daughter over come her liver failure, but this is yet again not the case as we see him build on an incestuous relationship with another woman. This ambiguity is continued further on until the film ends.

This scene shows us the two characters  conversing- in the midst of an intensive conversation where the female actor is sassing out her dirty work, and the male actor is recording this in an audio recorder as evidence to use against her in court. Now by this point the audience are already astonished by what they've just heard and would probably want to hear more of it. Thus scene leads the audience into believing or predicting how the film will end however we are wronged into thinking this.  Because curiously the film ends with the male subject not going to court and presenting his evidence against her, but unite with her to benefit himself. The ending is very much one that  is a mystery in itself, but I consider to be more of a closed ending. It's conclusive and leaves the audience feeling complete, they've received the sufficient amount of information they paid for.