Meaning of the final scene?

The severed head in a tree is from popol vuh.

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I assumed it was Arturo's head; that Enrique was remembering what happened, and although he was still only a poor manual laborer, at least he was alive.

it shows that all he is again is jjust a pair of "brazos fuertes" (strong arms). it shows that he will always be oppressed no matter where he is.

When the army killed Arturo, they cut his head off and hung it in the tree. Enrique saw and was trying to climb the tree to take it down when the army guy pulled him down and fought with him.

I ask my students why anyone would go to the trouble of cutting off the leader of the rebellion's head and hanging it up for all to see. That meaning is pretty obvious if you're the powers that be and want to send a message to other would-be revolutionaries.

But in this movie everything exists on multiple levels. Taking what Arturo said about the poor being just a pear of arms for the rich, this is what happens when you try to have a head and a brain. The rich power enforces their need for strong arms. It's depressing to think that there is no hope of rising above your place as a poor man. Enrique had the nerve to try, to even think that things were getting better in el norte, but in the end, as he is standing there, working in the ditch, wearing his father's old hat no less, watching the wheels turn and turn under the watchful eyes of the foreman -boom- there it is, the head hanging there.

jamrosmichael and khomer have probably done the best job of explaining the meaning. The flash of the severed head in the final scene was one of several flashes of scenes from the past, and it was the exact image from the first section of the film when Enrique finds his father's severed head and tries to climb the tree to bring it down.

Outside of that image, the circle (or cycle) motif runs throughout the film, and those flashes also accompany the flash of the image of the severed head at the end: You've got the drum beating, the severed head of Arturo, the cement mixer, and so on.

Plus the scenes that are evidence of the cyclical element: When Rosa does the laundry by hand in the home where she works as a maid, she ends up outside in exactly the same pose as when she was in Guatemala. This time instead of natural water, she is kneeling by a pool, and instead of wearing costumbre, she is wearing western-style clothing, but otherwise the image is the same. Likewise, Enrique has the same experience. He puts on his father's hat, stands outside waiting for work, and ultimately has to sell himself, yelling to the foreman on the truck that he has strong arms. Then, ultimately, there he is, working with his arms, and when he looks up (just like in the very first scene with his father working), he sees the jefe looking at him, watching over the workers.

Great film. I'd also like to add, for any who are interested, that the Maya have a very cyclical view of time, so it is more than simply that one story that is presented as having come full circle--this idea of full circle, or constant rebirth, or however you wish to characterize it, it is inherently Maya and so it is totally appropriate for this film.

A very interesting discussion. This film is very close to me and I have seen it a few times. There are many interpretations of the ending. I think Nava has left it for audience interpretation. Almost like a "choose enrique's fate" type of deal. I won't discuss what the head symbolizes since the other posters here have done a great job at explaining the severed head

Your choices for Enrique:
1) You can choose the never ending cycle for his attempted climb at success. He works from the bottom up on more than one occasion: something always manages to knock him down again. Maybe he gets caught by la migra but his determination, gets him back into the states where he resumes in being a hard-worker. This is the happy ending choice. The support for this argument is the "cycle" theme that Mayans believe and Nava embedded into this film.

2) one day he'll want to go back to his country. All immigrants that I know, have that idea embedded deeply, to one day go back to their country. Going back could ultimately lead enrique to happiness or death. This idea is supported if you consider that his death is foreshadowed.

Remember his dream while he is on the bus? he gets his neck cut by the guatamalan soldier? the severed head at the end of movie could also be foreshadowing his death. This ending is as close as you are going to get to Nava's interpretation.

3) My interpretation and it's probably the saddest. I say it's my interpretation because I haven't seen this discussed anywhere as a possibility.

I think Enrique is going to die a similar death that Rosa did. He obviously got bitten by the rats and now as he is working, his mind is racing about moments in the past. Remember when this happened to Rosa in the house? she collapsed and was taken to the hospital. Enrique is there reminiscing about his past and the events that lead him there. Enrique will collapse at work and dies shortly after at the hospital.

Both escaped deaths in Guatemala, Mexico but in the US, they weren't so lucky. They were on "borrowed" time. Rosa even says this, "We came only to sleep, to dream. All things are lent to us. We are only on earth in passing."

Maybe death is the only place they would be accepted? Rosa comments on this idea at the hospital: "When are we going to find a home, maybe only in death?"