MovieChat Forums > Hakuchi (1963) Discussion > The ending

The ending

posted 16 years ago by Gusnark
7 replies | jump to latest

Hi guys.
I absolutely loved this movie.
Actually Kurosawa and Cronenberg are my favorite directors.

... possible spoilers ahead ...

I didn't read the book, so what happened at the end?
Kameda went insane or did he killed himself realizing what he did or what?
It's obvious that Akama went insane. So, since Kameda was pretty on edge I assume he went also insane.
But, didn't quite understand little boy's message at the end.
Any help?

p.s.: Akama (Mifune) was really scary and wild in this movie. Loved him.

Regards

[–] NoelCT 15 years ago

The names are different in the original Russian novel, but I'll keep the Japanese versions here for simplicity's sake.

Akama didn't entirely go insane, but Kameda did. When they were discovered the next day and authorities were contacted, Akama calmly turned himself in and gave a full confession, clearing Kameda of all charges.

In the book, Kameda wasn't a soldier. He lived in Switzerland since he was a young boy, receiving treatment for the psychological breaks caused by his frequent seizures. With his mind once again broken by the murder, he returned there in a near catatonic state.

The book ends with Ayako's family visiting him in the clinic. Ayako is absent, we learn, because she responded to Kameda's rejection by rushing into a marriage with a count who later turned out to be a fraud.

The end.

http://noelct.blogspot.com

[–] matrix5904 15 years ago

i think akama went crazy in reference to the cloud approaching him with his mother and taeku astride. Kameda reconised his dispair and being the truly good natured person he is, he consoled Akama until the frosty weather perhaps killed them both. The camara afixes onto the candle, flame dwindles and then it cuts to frosty weather as the new day (possibly spring) arises.

we then transport into Ayako's home as the messager she had watch Kameda reports a mournful deed leading Ayako to claim that .."what a fool i have been... i was the idiot" (sic). i feel that it is important to emphasise the terminology of the word 'was', as if Kameda was still alive i feel that she would have said "i am the idiot" rather than reference him within the past tense.

additionally, Ayako's mother talks about Kameda in the past tense and then continues to mention: "that worthless Karube came bringing flowers... the man had tears in his eyes"...

for theatrical reasons i feel that the death of both akama and kameda would serve the message of the film perhaps more perfectly in contrast to them having been arrested.

[–] ibbi 10 years ago

^Well said.

___
http://tinyurl.com/m746w8t

[–] Kawada_Kira 10 years ago

for theatrical reasons i feel that the death of both akama and kameda would serve the message of the film perhaps more perfectly in contrast to them having been arrested.

I agree with you on this.

"To punish the oppressors of humanity is clemency. To forgive them is cruelty."
-Robespierre

[–] raventhom 9 years ago

Read the flipping BOOK! I strongly believe Dostoyefsky version is the one you should follow

[–] Grethiwha 11 years ago

I agree with your opinion of the film; I loved it, it's as well-directed and beautiful as all Kurosawa's films pretty much are - Kurosawa's in my top 2 favourite directors (Cronenberg's up there somewhere)... Mifune was excellent...

But yeah, I have no idea how Kameda died either. I think it might have to do with the film being cut down by 100 minutes from Kurosawa's original cut. Which is probably lost forever now, I'm super-sad to say. :(

--- grethiwha -------- My Favourite Films:
http://www.imdb.com/list/Bw65XZIpkH8/

[–] Kawada_Kira 10 years ago

But yeah, I have no idea how Kameda died either.

It seemed to me that he and Akama both froze to death.

"To punish the oppressors of humanity is clemency. To forgive them is cruelty."
-Robespierre