TFoEC as morality play *SPOILERS*
Forgive me if this has been discussed, I am new to the board and didn't see a topic like this. At first I hated the ending. But it grew on me. I accepted it. Now, I don't see it ending any other way.
These past few years, I have revisited a number of these '70s 'anti-hero' movies where the 'bad guy(s)' are the focus of the story. Bonnie & Clyde, Thunderbolt & Lightfoot, Anderson Tapes, Death Wish, The Getaway, Thomas Crown Affair, etc. It was a big swerve in perspective for America, and the disappointments of Viet Nam, Watergate, race riots, Kent State, Patty Hearst, Weather Underground, etc. really rattled the way "we" (I was an adolescent, but had always thought of the U.S. as 'the good guys' and our leaders as righteous and honest) saw the country.
But the bottom line is, Eddie Coyle is not a nice guy. He is a parasite, middleman to gun sellers dealing to punks who are going to rob banks and maybe commit terrorism. He is a criminal, leaving his family to fend for themselves on welfare ("like n*****s" in Coyle's words) and costing society for his imprisonment. He contributes nothing good to the world. And this story is a morality play; Coyle's situation is entirely of his own making. He chose his path. He's not even very good at what he does, certainly not financially successful. At least he died with a drunk on, thinking he was on his way "to meet some girls" (and cheat on his wonderful wife who clearly loves him more than he deserves), and not screaming for his life through tears and snot on his knees in some sandpit.
So, like 'The Sopranos' and 'The Shield' recently, we got to see a scumbag (charming though he may be) get his comeuppance. A more recent crime-thriller, 'The Town', ended in an ambiguous way where a murdering lowlife corrupted a simple bank teller with an implied promise they will be together sometime in the future, and leaving her unearned stolen money. I hated that ending. For The Friends of Eddie Coyle, I loved the ending. Just had to put it all down, hope somebody find it of interest and better yet, wants to add or improve or disagree. Cheers!