MovieChat Forums > The Plague Dogs (1985) Discussion > which ending do you prefer? *spoilers*

which ending do you prefer? spoilers

posted 11 years ago by aileencorcoran
3 replies | jump to latest

The original ending in which Rowf and Snitter apparently drown, in which many people see the island as a metaphor for the afterlife?

Or the edited one, in which Richard Adams has the surprisingly alive owner of Snitter save the dogs from the ocean and (presumably) adopts them?

I prefer the original unedited version. Much more gritty and realistic and fits the tone of the film.

Of course I would have loved if the dogs had survived, and in the edited version of the book Rowf begins to trust Snitter's owner, which is lovely. I just don't think it fits. I wish Adams had told the publishers to get stuffed and keep the original ending! Ah well :)

[–] wears-alan 10 years ago

The original. Never seen the edited version, but it doesn't fit with things as you say.

Gentlemen, England will be playing 4-4-f---ing-2

[–] agentbach 10 years ago

I personally think they die in both. Being that's Snitters master just so happened to be alive at the end and both dogs get rescued by fisherman meant to be that both dogs died or while they were dying, their souls were whisked away by not literal fishermen but one in an angelic sense and that is how Snitters was reunited with his dead master.

[–] divisjoseph 8 years ago

Well I have only seen the film version where they drown. As for the book, I knew there were 2 versions when I started reading but I thought what I have is the original ending. And I do overall prefer the more somber of the two, sad and depressing as it is. However apparently the copy I own is the version where Snitter's master is still alive. I think the writing was fine and made it believable, and by the time I got to that part of the book I didn't care that it wasn't the original ending. I was rooting for them dogs to make it and was so happy for Snitter (Rowf too).