SPoiler!---------Why did Tom blow off Leo at the end?

I personally think that my interpretation of the end is what make's this film so brilliant. Tom had all of his rivals killed, then when Leo offered his job back, Tom refused, saying he didn't ask for it and didn't want it. When he says goodbye Leo, you (and Leo) at first expect Tom to walk off. Instead he stares him down letting him know that Tom wasn't working for anyone anymore he had taken over and that Leo's time was over, as he was the one to walk off in the end.I love the ending of this.

One cannot be sleeping with their best friend's girl (behind his back) and then hope everything will be "ok" going forward in the future. Trust me. That would have always been between Leo & Tom and eventually someone would end up dead...

Tom was somewhat emotionally unbalanced. He wanted, and needed, all or nothing from Leo, like a jealous child craving a parent's attention. He refused to share him.

If anything it sounded like he wanted to get out of the game. He sure as hell didn't want to go against Leo nor did he want Verna back (specially since she didn't want to have anything with him at that point).

I think the main reason is because of the depths that Tom had to go to save Leo. He went to a place that he had never really been before and didn't really like himself in the end. He felt he needed to be free of Leo at this point.

Well, I'm duplicating what some of the folks above me have said, so I apologize.

I don't believe Tom is going to "take over" or make any kind of move against Leo. This would, in my view, be an incredible betrayal of Tom's character. He'd no sooner point a gun at Leo than chop off his own head. I'm frankly amazed that anyone would think that. It's certainly a novel interpretation.

Besides, Tom is clearly labour, not management. He would not be at home behind a desk.

I also don't believe that Tom has any serious feelings for Verna. Or, if he does, they are completely overshadowed by his love of Leo. I'm not talking about romantic love -- although one could argue this, I think -- just strong friendship and even stronger loyalty.

The look Tom gives as Leo walks away is one of despair. Tom's done everything he can for his best friend -- who wins the war and gets the girl, all thanks to Tom -- in effect, given up his happiness for Leo's.

Yet he can't work with him anymore. Their relationship is finished. Period.

It's just not the way a guy like Tom would play it. He has too much pride. It's almost unthinkable that he would go back to Leo after the break -- just like he wouldn't accept Leo paying off his debts. He would sooner die in a gutter than break with a friend/mentor under those circumstances, only to be welcomed back. Leo has lost face, and the depth of Tom's love has been laid bare.

Also, there's the whole Verna thing. But I don't think Leo would let something like that sour him on Tom. Especially given all that's happened.

Hey there, I think Tom had "ascended" by the end of the movie: gone through insane life and death experiences, played everyone in the city against each other, learned the limits of his own humanity in terms of a murder that he simply could not do, but also learned that there are other types of murder he is very very comfortable with.

Meanwhile Leo is the exact same guy he is at the start of the movie. Basically unrepentant, can't see that he caused all this, and can't see that he'll cause it all to happen all over again given half a chance. In comparison to Tom he's dumb, short-sighted, and dangerous to be friends with or in business with.

Tom morally outgrew Leo and there's no room for friendship between them any more. What I think's amazing about this film is that he achieves this moral growth by becoming more dangerous, more devious, and more inhuman than he was before.

My interpretation was that from the opening scene Tom wanted out, he planned on leaving and getting out. Likely he had wanted this since Leo stopped listening to Tom like in the opening scene, or possibly once things started to fall apart in the war. Another possible reason could be that Tom wanted to go start up his own gang, as he knew he was capable of more than being just the thinker behind the big boss.

When things started to fall apart as the war began that was Tom's chance to leave, infact running away would've been the sensible thing that many would've done and it wouldnt have been disloyal. I think it was probably only then that Tom really decided to leave. However, despite their quarrels Leo had done much for Tom and he was still the best freind he had. Tom's loyalty meant he couldnt just leave Leo in a big mess, he had to finish the job.

By killing off all the rivals and clearing things up, putting Leo back safely at the top Tom could leave without guilt or doubt over whether his freind is even still alive. Tom's killing bernie at the end, essentially shows him tying up all the loose ends.

The only thing I'm not sure about is where does Verna fit into this. Tom may have just been using Verna as a way to seperate himself from Leo, so that he could gain trust with the others and get to Bernie. However, I think it's more likely Tom actually did have some feelings for Verna, maybe he had hoped she would come with him. This fit's my theory as it explains why Tom went so far to sort things out for Leo, it was because he felt guilty taking Verna away from Leo. He wanted to make it up to him.

In answer to your initial question, my main point is that Tom doesnt just decide to brush off Leo at the end. I beleive it was a decision he made very early on, and was determined to see through despite the few things that might make him want to stay.