Why didn't Marian just tell the truth to begin with. Who was she protecting and why? The reveal of the actual shooting shooting was pretty anti-climatic to me. The whole movie did not make a lot of sense.
Reality is Nothing - Perception is Everything!
It WAS a weak ending - and the climax 'does' matter as the whodunit angle was played up strongly throughout the movie... and then we get a solution as plain and obvious as this. Plus, of course, no word as to why did O'Hara tell the story the way she did - I guess we might speculate she experienced some neurotic feelings of guilt or whatever, but that's mighty thin. Fortunately though, that's where the negative aspects end (if you don't count the goofy sleuthings by the cop's wife) and otherwise it's an engaging, witty movie with some really amusing, understated dialogue, a strong, droll central performance by Douglas that holds everything together and a flashback structure that maintains interest throughout. Ray's direction looks mostly pretty impressive as well. A good film - at least for the folks who value the chase over the catch.
"facts are stupid things" Ronald Reagan
Yes, except for the improbable false confession by Marian, the rest of the film was quite good. Unfortunately, as you say, the climax does matter. And the fact that Marian never does explain her behavior is most disappointing. I guess the only remotely plausible explanation is that Marian didn't want to sully Susan's reputation by admitting that Susan shot herself. It might make Susan look suicidal and, in the future, unmarketable due to her emotionality if she survived. And if she died, it would be a blot on her character to have killed herself.
But the shooting really seemed accidental. So it's puzzling that Marian didn't just say that. But maybe, just as Susan didn't want to say anything until she had a chance to talk to Marion, perhaps Marian didn't want to say anything that could ruin Susan's reputation until she had a chance to talk with Susan (assuming Susan would survive). That would sort of make sense, I guess. But it still seems like a poorly thought out plot device.
The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -- A. Einstein
Yes, the middle of the movie was interesting and fun. But the whole point of the movie is the big secret that turns out to be not so big. The shooting sure looks to be accidental. The ending of the movie devalues the beginning and makes all the commotion in the middle seem pointless.
shareThanks to everyone who commented above. I just watched the movie on a DVD I borrowed from the public library, and the disc was so beat up it kept skipping. I don't think I missed more than about 30 seconds at a time, but the end of the movie confused me so much, I was sure the parts I missed must have contained a plot point that would have made the whole thing make sense.
Then I read this thread, and realized there was no such plot point, and that the movie wouldn't have made any sense even if I had seen the whole thing straight through on a spotless disc. I feel better now.
Hard to comment without knowing what the source book, Verpfändetes Leben (Mortgage on Life), is like.
share