MovieChat Forums > Hustle (1975) Discussion > The ending (spoilers)

The ending (spoilers)

posted 12 years ago by JarJarRocks
4 replies | jump to latest

I know that it was usual to have depressing endings in the 70's, at least pre-Star Wars. But what the hell was with that ending? It didn't anything to do with the rest of the movie, not ironic or anything, just depressing.

I thought the rest of the movie was pretty good, but that ending was just not needed. Realistic, sure. Cops get killed every day, but this was a movie, where usually the dots are connected in the story. It would have made just as much sense if they all had ended up eating bananas at the end. I don't get it.

[–] droach75 11 years ago

Guess he really needed that bottle of Bushmills.

http://adventures-in-cupcakes.blogspot.co.uk/

[–] josephturner1975 11 years ago

2 Reasons:

i think it was because Burt let Ben Johnson get away with murder. If he went off to Rome happily at the end it would have sent the message/moral that it's okay for cops to make their own rules. I know it wasn't a "cause and effect" punishment, but it was like he got bad karma or something.

"Every man chases a white whale and when he finds it, it kills him". Burt repeats that line while watching Moby Dick, his movie obsession. Somehow between saving Ben Johnson's character and telling Catherine D that he loved her and was going to marry her, he found his white whale and it killed him.

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what is the purpose of this really?

[–] Zando777 9 years ago

It was the screenwriter's / director's attempt to be "serious." The film is supposed to be a modern film noir. Film noir is by definition dark. The "Chinatown" ending is a good comparison.

I don't think the "morality" of letting the father get away with murder had anything to do with it. The 70's films didn't care much about morality in general.

[–] Jones70 (6195) 2 years ago

I agree he should’ve lived.