Did I totally miss the ending?

Of what I make of it he was swept out to sea. Considering in the last scene it was a very bad day weatherwise. In that case it could have been either suicide or just natural. Thats my take on it.

I didn't get the ending either. I think he died by accident, and then she took the board, took it to Chiba and commited suicide. It all happened so sudden, was it really necessary that they die? They died for no reason, that's what I hate about Kitano movies, we never know why the characters die.

No, don't feel dumb.

I'm a Japanese Canadian (who's lived for a few years in Japan) and I suppose its a cultural intuition thing, but he most certainly died at sea.

I will admit that I was a little confused at first. How he died is vague, but the weather was bad that morning (she was carrying an umbrella), so it was likely an accident.

There really wouldn't be any reason for her to take his surfboard out to sea if he were still alive. It was a memorial - she took his surfboard, taped a picture of the two of them on it. The surfboard was carried out by the tides so that his spirit could enjoy doing what he loved most in the place where he accomplished so much (the contest beach).

You are correct, the montage is a retrospective. (although it looks like a bunch of outtakes & deleted scenes from the rest of the movie)

The last two chapter titles on the North American DVD (before the End Credits) are called "The Last Wave" (when he dies) and "Memories" (the retrospective)

I understood that surfing was a metaphor for the relationship between the two main characters. I don't think he dies, he just leaves the board.

The main character at first is really excited about surfing. He gets obsesed. He then relaxes a bit, but still cares about the sport. Finally, he quits. These are all phases in a relationship, their relationship.

I think he became a snack of Jaws or Orca. No, he died at the stormy sea (remember the dark clouds and rain at that particular scene). I doubt that he comitted suicide as the other posters here implied; since he also love the girl like he loves surfing (remember the scene where he goes to the girl's house because she started not seeing him - Director Kitano is implying that he also has some passion for the girl. Now why would he kill himself if they have a good lasting relationship and having a good time surfing. Another thing: the girl didn't commit suicide as a couple of posters here implied. This is pure speculation. If this is the case one could even speculate that the girl shack-up with the driver of the pick-up truck (remember her smile at the driver). There was no indication in the film that she committed Sepuku! Kitano was just finishing his story arc with a poignant conclusion.

lolz He comes to the beach everyday no matter how bad the weather is. Remember there was always a group of people playing football near the beach. The day he came to the beach, there was no-one there. Dark clouds filled up the sky. Remember he has hearing impair and he live with no-one but his girlfriend. They always come to the beach together. But "that day" the girl follow him from the distant. She perhaps was trying to stop him going to the beach. Before the memorial scenes, there is a scene where his co-worker was working with another guy. lolz I don't know if u understand what I am trying to say.

In other words, the raining day in the last scenes probably indicated a storm. Since he was hearing impaired, he couldn't hear the weather forecast neither his girlfriend. And he went to the beach as usual. He was swept away by the sea. Another dustman came and worked with his ex co-worker.

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He died, in the stormy ocean.

To understand the film, you need to realize that one of its aesthetic pillars, like with many of Kitano's other films, is the concept of "mono no aware". While this is notoriously difficult to describe or translate, it is essentially an aesthetic concept that refers to the transient beauty of things, with an implication of sadness.

A common example would be the blooming of sakura (cherry blossoms). Their beauty does not lie merely in their visual qualities, but also in the fact that the blossoms only last for a short while. The sadness of their rapidly approaching "death" adds to their appeal, and has often been used as a symbol for human mortality.

In a sense, you could say that in "Scene at the Sea", you watched the blossoming of his life, as well as its end. This blossoming, however, is not the kind of "grandiosity" you often see in American film. Rather, it is a normal life filled with numerous small struggles and fleeting tragedies - but also true happiness.

Of course, the film could have had a different ending. But that would have detracted, in a way, from the transient beauty of the summer shown in the film.