MovieChat Forums > Le salaire de la peur (1955) Discussion > The Ending

The Ending

posted 18 years ago by kthelonius
51 replies | jump to latest

I've read many comments from people who don't find the ending to the film
believable. Most of them have trouble believing that Mario would behave so
recklessly or childishly. IMHO, this is exactly as he was bound to behave by
the very laws established in the film. Remember when they're recruiting
the drivers earlier in the film and they tell them what the job is, one man
backs out saying he's seen men who've done the same job turned old and white
from fear. Later in the film Jo chides Mario for his lack of caution saying
he (Jo) has imagination and brains and thus knows the consequences of recklessness.
Meanwhile, Mario laments that Jo doesn't have guts as well as
brains. In fact, ever since Jo's display of cowardice, Mario has treated him with scorn and contempt.
No trace of their former comeraderie remains. This scene finishes with Jo commenting that Mario's gut will be strewn
from the trees like dead leaves.
Thus, I read the ending of the film as Mario's final vanquishing of fear. He's come through his ordeal, the sole survivor,
and he's filled with euphoria. He feels indestructible, perhaps immortal. And it is precisely this absence of fear which
amounts to a disregard of his own mortality that brings about the fall
of the protagonist of the story.

[–] world03famous 18 years ago

GREAT film. Most French films end in tragedy, don't they?

[–] daryavaush 15 years ago

The ones I have seen, all have that ending of irony to them.

[–] politicon2003 12 years ago

I first watched this marvellous film as a school boy of 12 or 13 when it was first released in England around 1954 and I loved it. I still love it at 71 years plus. The ironic ending made everything else seem worthwhile. Many years latter a badly dubbed version for an American audience was shown quite late at night when I was in bed with my wife in Montreal. It was probably the ABC channel as I am sure the Canadian channels would have shown the original version with subtitles. In fact I kept my wife awake past 2:30 a.m. because I had expected that she would enjoy the irony of the ending. Alas, the American distributors back in the early 1970s decided to cut the last few minutes and the final shot was of the celebration dance back in the village.

Happily I now have a fully restored uncut DVD version, yet in cases of many other movies US distributors still persist in insulting the intelligence of the average American movie buff, either by making a softer remake of a hard original European film, as in the case of the Girl with the Dragon Tatoo or in other cases meddle with the title even if the movie is British; why , for example Tight Little Island in place of the comic Whisky Galore? I wince.

[–] Boldsoliloquy 18 years ago

That's a good analysis, it's just how I felt about the ending. Throughout the film Mario is the most fearless and, perhaps, the most absent minded. This lack of self-control is what got his truck off the falling bridge and most likely how he stayed alive so long, but again it was this recklessness that also brought about his death. Good input on the ending.

[–] nh3nh4 18 years ago

I'm sure you're not naive enough to believe that someone in their "right mind" would zig-zag a truck in a mountainous road. Secondly Mario makes the driver leave saying 'he'd rather be the driver' before leaving for the last 'drive'.

Mario has gone mad and commits suicide/or he has lost touch with reality and he kills himself... I will bet on suicide, because of guilt.

[–] kthelonius 18 years ago

I'm not saying someone in their right mind would zig-zag a truck on a
mountain road; but someone absolutely without fear might.
IMHO, Mario at the end of this film is like a mythic hero who has just
completed an epic quest.
He feels elated. He feels invincible. He feels indestructable.
As in the downfall of many tragic heroes, it is this hubris
produced by achieving the pinnacle of success which leads the
hero to his downfall.

[–] Zanchief 16 years ago

He feels elated. He feels invincible. He feels indestructable.

There's actually a line of dialog in french that isn't translated properly into English in the sub where Jo mentions that Mario is acting like he's indestructible.

[–] PyroBurns 16 years ago

I agree with the main poster. Even if people can't accept that he died so stupidly, it can still stand as symbolism regarding that his brainless recklessness would lead to his demise soon enough.

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[–] SonicAndy 16 years ago

Suicide ? Didn't you see the look on his face when he lost control of the truck ? Very strange suicide, in that case.

The irony is that he has been scared of being too careless, and then he's needlessly killed because he's careless.

He survived that which killed his friends, and he's got 4000 dollars in his pocket. Of course he feels as if he can take on the world.
I think the suicide theory is as void as his ticket.

'Who is the guy with the backpack shaped like my wife ?'

[–] oaterx 18 years ago

"Throughout the film Mario is the most fearless and, perhaps, the most absent minded."
You are probably right in that, boldsoliloquy, but I believe Mario's bravery was more out of arrogance than anything else. Bimba showed bravery in pouring the nitro into the rock. And it was TRUE bravery, which entails understanding the risks involved and doing it anyway with care and respect. Mario was more like a reckless kid driving his car at breakneck speed because ain't no way anything bad could happen to him. We sadly see the crosses on the side of the road.

[–] irishkev_1999 18 years ago

Great reading, Kthelonius. This is definitely one of my favorite films of all time.

[–] Boldsoliloquy 18 years ago

Ehh, I'm not too sure about that whole "suicide" theory. Maybe you're right, who knows, but I personally disagree with you.

I think he was just so damn happy to have survived it all. He looked pretty cocky driving down the road, so I think that the truck going over the side of the road was more of an accident that intentional.

[–] copdigger63 18 years ago

That rocked me - I just finished watching it - I thought, "oh, nice, a happy ending - he'll be back home in two hours."

I loved it when in the montage, his girlfriend faints, or passes out, perhaps dies, just as he's going over the edge in the truck. A really good twist on a really great film.

I'm glad I saw it - it looked interesting when I saw the package in the store. AND, of course, it's a Criterion film - I gotta have Criterion. I think they're the very best DVD distributor, everything they release looks and sounds phenomenal.

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[–] fanaticita 18 years ago

I agree entirely with your analysis kthelonius! Mario not only was reckless, and feeling very indestructible, but he also was feeling invincible, and yes, possibly immortal. I saw this film along with Diabolique when I was about 10 and had nightmares for months!! Now, seeing it as an adult I can analyse why I felt the way I did -the tension is perhaps the greatest in any film ever produced.

[–] therealman 16 years ago

I think the tension in the remake is better. Of course, that could only be because I saw it first.

[–] eyodir 16 years ago

First time I saw this movie I thought the film was going to end on that shot with Mario passed out in front of the oil fire. I still think it should have ended there. This is a GREAT movie, but the way they have the Mario character acting the next morning felt completely forced and at odds with the "naturalism" the movie was selling the whole time beforehand. I fully understand that it's an exclamation point for the message/moral from the film, but I really can't wrap my head around the Mario guy being a believable human character after that. It took me out of the movie- he ceased to be Mario and became a plot device.

[–] MoreSnakesPlease 16 years ago

So do you think the ending of the movie doesn't go with the rest, it's just there to make a point?

"Have you ever danced with a refrigerator?"

[–] PyroBurns 16 years ago

In a way.

I think it's better than throwing in a scene that says "3 years later" then showing him getting killed doing something else dangerous to prove himself.

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[–] Kawada_Kira 9 years ago

First time I saw this movie I thought the film was going to end on that shot with Mario passed out in front of the oil fire. I still think it should have ended there. This is a GREAT movie, but the way they have the Mario character acting the next morning felt completely forced and at odds with the "naturalism" the movie was selling the whole time beforehand. I fully understand that it's an exclamation point for the message/moral from the film, but I really can't wrap my head around the Mario guy being a believable human character after that. It took me out of the movie- he ceased to be Mario and became a plot device.

Well said, I completely agree. It just felt so unnatural and forced to me. The ending of the movie knocked a star off the rating I was going to give it; I was sure i'd give it 10 stars, but after that ending I gave it a 9. It just didn't fit with the feel of the rest of the film, it felt tacked on and unnecessary. I agree with you that it should have ended with him passed out in front of the fire.

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[–] CarlCarlson 8 years ago

Well said, I completely agree. It just felt so unnatural and forced to me. The ending of the movie knocked a star off the rating I was going to give it; I was sure i'd give it 10 stars, but after that ending I gave it a 9. It just didn't fit with the feel of the rest of the film, it felt tacked on and unnecessary. I agree with you that it should have ended with him passed out in front of the fire.

Right? I think a better, maybe, more natural, ending would have been him driving, not paying attention (eg looking at the check or lighting a cigarette, etc...) and forced off the road (eg to avoid hitting someone, ledge gives way, etc...).

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[–] autopro50 16 years ago

I agree it wasn't suicide, at the end when he realizes he is losing control and is going off the cliff, his expression changes from giddiness to sheer terror as he realizes he isn't going to make the turn.

[–] wyeja 16 years ago

No one mentions the fact that Mario's listening on his radio to the same Viennese waltz they're dancing to in the cafe in that godforsaken, uncivilized town. He's making the truck--now empty of the burden of the horrible nitro--dance. Jo, the cautious one, hated music, which is intoxicating. Mario's celebrating freedom: the waltz, the metro ticket, they're all symbols of Paris, which to him meant freedom. The terrible irony is that the celebration kills him. I'm not sure we're supposed to think he "got it" because he was cocky, that he deserved this death. Bimba's act was incredibly courageous, but he and Bimba may have different types of courage.

[–] JonathanWellington 18 years ago

A lot of people, it seems, dislike the ending because of its suddenness and because they think it's anti-climatic. This makes no sense to me. Really, the whole film was building up to it. Him getting away unscathed would've betrayed the tone of the rest of the film. And it adds a nice bit of irony, too, that after all of the incredibly dangerous situations he narrowly escaped, his downfall comes from some simple reckless driving. Really, I can't think of any way this film could've ended on a happy note successfully.

Also, let's be honest here: how many life-affirming, cheerful films did Clouzot make?

[–] MoreSnakesPlease 16 years ago

I know this thread is really old but I clicked on it because it said "the ending" and that's what I wanted to read up on. I think the sudden fall is graphic and sudden how "Fin" pops up right on that image. The twist is shocking but left me with a bad taste like it went to quickly.

Really, I can't think of any way this film could've ended on a happy note successfully.

I agree with this except maybe if he said one last line to sum everything up (not that there is much left to say) as he dies. It was a great build up with his girl dancing all happy and relieved but I believe the closure is the downfall.

... Oh I just surprised myself typing that line.

"Have you ever danced with a refrigerator?"

[–] bruins2111 16 years ago

You got me thinking, I was looking forward to him celebrating at the bar and seeing how he would further disrespect the girl. Friggin french, there was plenty of tragedy, almost everyone bought the farm, can't one guy be happy?

[–] pressdarlings 16 years ago

For better irony I would have had him ecstatic, forgetting the part of the bridge that broke off, and then him flying off there. That would have been a great ironic twist.

[–] Jahbulon 16 years ago

When I first saw this movie, I knew he was going to bite the bullet somehow, but I thought it would be by him swerving into the remaining canister of explosives, which, I guess, was just left by the side of the road. I wonder if some other poor sucker went up in a cloud of smoke because of that stuff.

[–] shutdafunkup 15 years ago

I was hoping that he would hit that nitrogen tank/cistern (dunno the right English word) that he left behind before...but this was alright ending too!

[–] VulcanDeathGrip 16 years ago

I felt that the end was tacked on and cheap. If only it had cut to black right after Jo's last words with the truck pulling up to the fire, that would have been the perfect ending for me.

The cheeriness the next morning seemed completely out of character, and the entire sequence with him driving back and the people at the bar back home was so campy and staged. It felt like it was not adding anything to the film but dragging it out.

Having him swerve off the edge was the most cheesy predictable "message" ending you could expect, and it added 5 unnecessary minutes to the film, with an abrupt, cheesy ending with zooming titles.

If Clouszot really wanted him to die at the end, he could have done it without all the crap. After arriving at the oil rig with the fire, next shot is him driving back, looks down at wad of cash or something and dies. No terrible bar dancing. No more of the weak Vera character. No terrible cheese dialog with the company manager or cheering as he drives by.

It's sad because otherwise it's a great film that shockingly jumps the shark in the last few minutes.

[–] JaneDough42 15 years ago

I agree with everything you said, what a cheesy let-down ending, with $4,000 in his pocket as if he'd chance it by zig zagging on the cliff and this was after he'd just driven through a huge pool of oil so the tyres would have been extra slippery, he just came off looking like a complete idiot to me.

If he had to die then it should have been at the oil well the night before, not in a lame road accident.

[–] Pythe 15 years ago

I'm with you guys. He saw his three friends get killed in spite of their extreme caution, and his reaction is to ecstatically swerve around on a treacherous mountain road like a moron? Didn't buy it one bit. As someone else said, it should have ended with him passing out at the oil field. That ending would have been perfect--neither happy nor sad, just the end of a long journey.

[–] goldenagefilmstv (178) a year ago

When I saw him driving like that, I assumed he had been celebrating by drinking too much.

[–] TheGOLDENWALRUS 15 years ago

very well said. I was a little weird on the ending but that makes perfect sense.

2007
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[–] ill_behavior 15 years ago

Great reading, and totally agree with you, am frankly astonished to read so many comments slating the ending when this is exactly how so many French films end.

The guy went crazy, had no-one to rein him in, thought he'd made it, and lost the plot.

Wonderful piece of cinema. You think youve seen all the classics then something like this comes out of nowhere, I was practically shaking when it finished.

I remember when all this used to be fields