MovieChat Forums > Tightrope (1984) Discussion > Disappointing ending

Disappointing ending

posted 16 years ago by iain_somerville
14 replies | jump to latest

I thought it was a good movie right up until the ending, when Clint's fighting the killer on train tracks. How did the killer die? I assumed he was run over by the train, but it's not made clear at all. You wouldn't get away with an ending as ambiguous as that today.

[–] Towerroad-1 16 years ago

Well,with an arm chopped away i don't think the killer has survived at all...And it is implied that he was splattered along the rails by the train ;)

[–] fitzjohnm 16 years ago

I thought it was made pretty clear that he was run over by the train.

[–] splendidSheSaid 15 years ago

Don't they have any other cops in these town.Serial Killer on loose ends in a One on One.Get real People!

[–] astro_5000 10 years ago

by splendidSheSaid

Don't they have any other cops in these town.Serial Killer on loose ends in a One on One.Get real People!

you must be child if you don't get old school films with deep meaning

I mean the dumbed down explanation is bad cop now a serial killer wants revenge and wants to kill everyone important to clint

yes theres heaps of stupid parts, I mean who can't fight off an ALREADY wounded assailant? what happened to the tough clint eastwood we all love?? he didn't even throw a few good punches to shut the guy up and for touching his girls, the ending was anti-climatic and stupid

but the end makes sense by movie rules, i mean its a fight between two people, good vs evil

clint is a good cop, serial killer is a bad cop

clint wanted to teach this mother F'er for laying a hand on his daughters, and serial killer took it personally for getting put away by clint, so it HAD to be one-on-one

personally i don't see why ONE bad cop is that smart, all these old school cliche donut eating A-holes with no REAL skills getting picked off one by one?? they are so stupid, at least the female counsellor type chick fought back...

[–] fanaticita 15 years ago

Oh no?? There are plenty of films that are purposely ambiguous these days. I just finished watching 3 Days of the Condor, and it was very, very ambiguous. Of course that was years ago too. In Tightrope I doubt that someone (the killer) who just lost his arm would get very far with all the police around.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jeffscsr 15 years ago

you say plenty of films nowadays and then reference a film from the mid 70's. good one

______________________
Eric C 4 Prez

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] RRPounder 13 years ago

The guy from 127 Hours got pretty far with one arm.

[–] Psychological_Gold 12 years ago

But the guy from 127 hours wasn't hit by a train.

[–] Zuider_Zee 11 years ago

It was cringe-worthy and quite comical at the same time. The arm is severed yet poor old Eastwood is still struggling with it and the arm appears to be fighting back! LOL!!!!

[–] PseudoFilmCritic 11 years ago

I wish there was a stronger finish overall, but I liked Eastwood's reaction when Genevieve Bujold shows up at the train tracks. Pure Hollywood ending yet Eastwood shows, as he does throughout Tightrope, that he is a good solid actor. It was a different cop than his Dirty harry.

Films are not reality. Reality is not film. Film is only an approximation of reality.

[–] michaelsmith30 10 years ago

It was great, but that fake looking arm still clinging to Clint's throat was hard to swallow. LOL

[–] Randy-144 9 years ago

Anyone would find it hard to swallow if a hand attached to a severed arm were squeezing one's throat. 