MovieChat Forums > L'appartement (1996) Discussion > bizarre non-believeable ending *spoilers...

bizarre non-believeable ending spoilers

posted 19 years ago by withnail69
49 replies | jump to latest

I'd been waiting to see this for ages. It was beautifully shot. I loved the transitions from present to past and vica versa. As the film moved along I was totally hooked hoping that Max would get his Lisa. Me and my girlfriend shouted at the screen whenever they were moments from each other.
I was disappointed at the ending. Not because of how it ended but because of the unbelievable aspects of it. For starters Max is supposed to be totally in love with Lisa yet when he finally is told where she will be (furstenberg)betwee n 4 and 5 pm all he says in 'meard' and then he follows Alice to the airport? Why. I didn't find this believeable. He's known Alice for only three days. I just had a thought maybe he thinks that Lisa let him down by just taking off abroad without letting him know and therefore she may do it again. (Alice obviously doesn't give him Lisa's letter cause she wants him for herself). Then Alice (after claiming to have been in love with Max for years) says she's going to get her luggage and appears to head straight for the plane to Rome thus deserting Max as well as her luggage. Then surprise surprise by a huge co-incidence Max's fiance turns up to meet him off his flight (he's supposed to be in Tokyo remember) and Alice sees him and shrugs and smiles and leaves him to get on with his life with his fiance. By the way how is he going to explain to her that he is going to ACTUALLY have to go to Tokyo for this business meeting in a few days? I'd be interested to know your opinions on this please.

[–] wtmannuk 19 years ago

...who cares, he missed his business trip, this is a story about love not business and coincidences do happen in life. This is a beatiful film and a great poiniant ending.

[–] mac_alain 17 years ago

Agreed, wtmannuk. Stylish, fast paced movie, and it has got Romane Bohringer in it

[–] oddcinema 19 years ago

Here's how I see it;

Max buggers off to follow Alice because he's just read her diary, and probably now knows the full extent of her love for/obsession about him - which he could barely comprehend in the café. Why he reads it, and how he could forget Lisa, is a little beyond me too. But they're only human, people do stupid things all the time.

The parting of Alice & Max I once thought of as possibly a coincidence. Alice no longer has a mask to hide behind and she has a ticket to Rome, maybe she has fulfilled her need for him now that they have had some time together. And as for Max, god knows where he's going.

But then I wondered as I watched it a couple of nights ago - did they somehow plan this, as a warped way of saying goodbye? Is it possible that she wrote the whole catching-her-at-the-airport-kissing-etc. in her diary as a better way to end things with him? Is that why he swears after reading the diary? Because he somehow feels compelled to give her this last drop of her fantasy, but at the same time wanted to meet Lisa? (whom he is presumably rushing to meet after he ditches her bag in the airport)

I realise how far fetched that seems and maybe the whole airport scene exists because Max is that stupid to forget Lisa and run after Alice.

-----
If there were two of you, which one would win?

[–] withnail69 19 years ago

very very good points oddcinema. Thanks for you comments

[–] Gular-Scute 19 years ago

I was under the impression that Max thought Lucien was decieved by Alice and that the message from Lisa was one of her games.

[–] mac_alain 17 years ago

...because Max is that stupid to forget Lisa and run after Alice.

Just for the record, I would run after Alice (Romane Bohringer) rather then Lisa (Monica Belucci)

[–] szokia 15 years ago

"Just for the record, I would run after Alice (Romane Bohringer) rather then Lisa (Monica Belucci)"

Yes, we gathered that from your previous post, mac alain. That was quite clear. If only the ending to this movie were as easy to decipher... :)

[–] mac_alain 15 years ago

If only the ending to this movie were as easy to decipher... :)

[–] tony-915 19 years ago

The ending was a bit strange and caused my daughter to shout at the TV! The story is tragic. Alice was an excellent 'evil' character, thwarting the innocent love of Lisa and Max. But should she have succeeded? I don't think so. The beauty of the settings, of Lisa and the struggle should have led to a happy ending in this case.

I also thought Lucien's part - as the oft bringer of dramatic irony - was very good.

Favourite scene: Max, Lucien and Alice in the cafe, Max's eyes holding back the tears.

[–] Cinema_Love 19 years ago

WHO CARES!! The point of the whole fn' movie is not business over love it's love over business that matters and that's why he make a solid choice like this one!

But all of you don't really understand as I see, Alice is not as evil as you guys said, you know that to keep love for yourself you have to done certain things and well, she did that!! She's not evil at all, it's just that we see what she do on her side and that she wanted to have Max for herself because she loved him.

Vous êtes fatiguants avec vos complications! =PP

[–] de87 19 years ago

For what it's worth, here's my take on the it as a bloke who's just seen the film tonight: Alice is not mad or bad, just desperate for affection; she spies on Max and Lisa and is instrumental in breaking them up. When she feels she's "lost" Max she sleeps with the decent but unlucky Lucien, then drops him like a hot potato when the chance to get Max back arises. When max finds her at the airport, she's triumphant and her "mission" is complete (in her weird world view)and she can "let him go" and fly off to Rome. How many of us have screwed up our chance of happiness because we can't help doing the exact opposite of what would assure it? When she sees Max with his fiance, she's vindicated in the view that her happiness is impossible and she therefore did the "right thing" in fooling Max and going to catch the flight to Rome after all. Max sees her, knows she's lying to him (cos she's about to fly away)but is in the arms of another woman (his fiance) so it looks bad..but, well..Alice was en route to fly to rome...
And he's got to sleep with Lisa (RIP), Alice (fantastic figure even if a bit loopy) and still gets a girl (still pretty good even though not in the same league as the other two) at the end. Well that's my take on it..I know the last bit is very bloke-ish but I guess it's what 99.9% of heterosexual blokes would be thinking! Loved it.

[–] LeofricsBeloved 16 years ago

de87,

Well-summed up. Your post made me chuckle; love the frankness.

[–] mac_alain 17 years ago

The story is tragic.

Indeed it is so for Alice, loving Max so much, getting so close to "getting him" and then... Ah, love, tell me about it...

[–] jlowe-4 18 years ago

A strange yet beautiful ending in typical french style. They never give you what you expect, and if it ended as everyone had hoped, then we'd all come away from the movie fuzzy inside and forget about it the next day. But here we are talking about it.

Max's fiance doesn't just turn up by pure coincidence at the airport. She's awaiting the tokyo flight back to france, which Max should be on. Max only has sudden interest in Lisa not because they were torn apart accidently before, but because he has cold feet about getting married. He gulps his drink even on the word "marriage". Hence lisa is not a long lost love that he's trying to find but rather an excuse for his cold feet.

After not finding her, and believing that she's probably some place else in the world, Alice becomes his excuse and he's living his life like he probably wants to , eg. not get married and settle down. Once he finds out about Lisa's actual wanting to visit him, it matters little, Alice is his fall back now.

The very end scene is riviting. Max and his fiance walking a slight distance apart from each other (most likely Max telling her why he wasn't in Toyko? - perhaps even mentioning Lisa), and then a hug so that all is well (in her books). The look over to Alice, who smiles in happiness for Max and dissapointment for herself just teases the audience into what happens next.

You say withnail69, that you want to find out what happens when he has to go back to Japan? Who cares. That is trivial. He'll probably just make up some other excuse. But that's not what is important.

The crecendo that was built up, along with a magnificent score by Peter Chase, cascades into a most remarkable, original, totally unpredictable and seemingly purposely unfinished ending.

Pure class that only French Film could ever do.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] kooji_kabuto 18 years ago

While watching the film for the first time I actually thought the story was contrived so that a happy ending would fit. The punch comes when there's no such thing. One can watch Wicker Park to see how it would be screwed up if it were happy. The forgotten about fiancé appears and takes Max back to where the story started. Max decides it's the girl he's had all along that he really wants. He never gets to see (and won't get to see) Lisa whom he's been looking for the whole film and whom he came so close to see when they walked passed each other on the street. Alice went through all she went through to lose Max for the second time. No baby, there could be no better ending.

[–] JetJotter 18 years ago

Interesting points jlowe

Max's fiance doesn't just turn up by pure coincidence at the airport.

Very true. Rather it seems to me if anyone was at the airport by coincidence it was more like Max!! Sure he had chased Alice there, but he virtually walked passed Muriel as if he'd not seen her. He clearly had other things, that is, someone else on his mind at the time.

He gulps his drink even on the word "marriage". Hence lisa is not a long lost love that he's trying to find but rather an excuse for his cold feet.

That's not quite the way I saw it. He gulps to the word marriage I think because he has forgotten to call the jeweller about Muriel's wedding ring. Hence he races downstairs to use the phone. In the process and by complete chance he realises Lisa is there, (but just misses her) which quite literally changes everything!

If I had a case of "cold feet" as acute as Max, to the point I put my job, career, my employer's trust and reputation, an important business deal, and current relationship all on the line, to go chasing a girl I haven't seen in two years, (to say nothing of illicitly entering other people's hotel rooms and apartments, and sleeping with yet another girl) I'd be wondering if it were more than cold feet. I'd seriously be asking myself if I was really doing the right thing by marrying Muriel!!

The look over to Alice, who smiles in happiness for Max and dissapointment for herself just teases the audience into what happens next.

Trying to work out what Alice is really up to is the hard part. She tells Max she will go and collect her bags. She then goes through passport control and heads to her flight! Was she trying to get away from Max? Or did she want to see if Max would really follow her to Rome? Then she sees Max with Muriel and realises that's not going to happen.

As to the fall out when it is discovered Max did not go to Japan, well who knows. But you could imagine Max would have to answer a few questions from his boss as to what happened while he was "away". As you say though, by that point it's not really relevant to the outcome of the story.

[–] mzzz_tish 18 years ago

If people go back and listen carefully during the opening scene in the jeweller's, they may find some clues about the 3 women and the ending.
It all fits together perfectly in my opinion.

It's only a model..

[–] Ortus 18 years ago

If people go back and listen carefully during the opening scene in the jeweller's, they may find some clues about the 3 women and the ending.
It all fits together perfectly in my opinion.

Yes indeedy.

I wondered how many other people caught that.

Kinda reminds me of one of David Lynch's clues to unlocking Mulholland Dr:

"Pay particular attention to the beginning of the film. At least two clues are revealed before the credits."

[–] zizaro2001 18 years ago

You guys might be right, but not entirely. Maybe I have to watch the movie again (just saw it), but as I see it the first scene describes three different kinds of rings, which could match the 3 different women of the movie. Max says, -"I like the three of them", so we could understand that as a premonition or a final answer for the ending of the film.

Still, I don´t think it explains why max goes to the airport, why Alice leaves, etc etc

From my point, I think Alice leaves cause she sees herself as a "real bad person", (as every single normal human being should think too), she betrayed and lied her best friend, she took Lisa´s life, her professional and sentimental life, and although she achieves getting the man she loves, she knows she did it the wrong way. Max also thinks like that, which, to me, is what the final look at Alice reflects; hatred. He knows he lost Lisa beacause of Alice, but at the same time pities her coz Alice loved him since the first time she saw him.

As for Max... I´m not sure what he goes to the airport, maybe he reads the diary and goes there beacause it was alice last wish... I dunno.

I do NOT think he sees Lisa as an excuse to go back to the past and avoid marriage and to settle down, Muriel looks A LOT alike to Monica Bellucci (of course Monica is the most sensual woman ever), so I really think max still loves Lisa (true love can last forever), but finally he understands that the past belongs to the past, and finally stays with Muriel.

Those are my interpretations...

The only clear point at the end is that Lisa dies

[–] samsg 18 years ago

from a non analytical stand point (I just saw the movie yesterday) my take is that max fell in love with alice when he read the book. He realizes that he actually has the SAME personality as ALICE so he chooses alice over lisa. He realizes that the reason LISA happened was because of ALICE. So he feels that everything is poosible because of ALICE. HE reads this in the book, and decides that ALICE is the one for him. When he finds his fiance at the airport, he realizes that he cannot follow life on a dream, and that he has a better opportunity. Alice sees this, cries, and leaves.

The ending, of course, is quite subjective. I'm quite sure that the director intended it to be that way. However, the way I see it, Alice realizes that she does need to do harm anymore, and if it is meant to be, it's meant to be.

One incident i found funny is some of the transitional scenes. Such as towards the end, Alice goes back to Lisa's apartment, has sex with Max one more time, and MAX sleeps with alice openly, and becomes totally affectionate to alice.. The transition of ALICE crying in her car to being totally happy in Lisa's apartment made it seem like she "thought/dreamt" it up.

In fact, it could be...

[–] joostdev 18 years ago

Very frustrating movie.
Why does Max suddenly run to Alice as if he loves her so much while he could meet Lisa?
Why does he embrace his fiancée while he must realize it's not her he wants?

I think all your interpretations are very interesting. But it's a bad sign if a movie needs so much speculative interpretation.

A movie without closure or even any sense. Not worth the high rating imo.

[–] Critter-20 18 years ago

I personally like Wicker Park better, judging by the endings.

[–] MartinK75 18 years ago

Wicker Park certainly has a less puzzling, more audience-friendly ending, hardly surprising given that it's a Hollywood re-make.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] mac_alain 17 years ago

Why does he embrace his fiancée while he must realize it's not her he wants?

Well, what would you have done at that moment? He must have been somewhat in shock, no?

[–] mac_alain 17 years ago

But it's a bad sign if a movie needs so much speculative interpretation.

Why? Life is not (always) black & white, so why should a movie be? Often enough there are many loose ends in life. Well, in mine anyway

[–] taaffa 18 years ago

I just bought the dvd, and re-watched the film after many years: it was still wonderful. I think it has one of the greatest scripts ever written, the casting is stellar, cinematography and music excellent... How could Gilles Mimouni write and direct such a perfect first film and why on earth hasn't he made any other movies?

Anyway, this is a good thread. It made think about the characters and re-watch the final scenes, which further enhanced my appreciation for Mimouni's script.

My interpretation of the ending is that after reading Alice's diary Max realises that no one is ever going to love him as much as her. That's why he rushes to the airport, even though Lisa is waiting for him in that park.

However, Alice has at this point understood that she has lied and cheated for too long, and that it's about time for her to take responsibility and stop ruining other people's lives. She's leaving for Rome, perhaps never to return. When she meets Max at the airport, she gives him her bag and asks him to wait while she goes and gets her another bag (which doesn't actually exist). When Alice starts walking away from Max, she suddenly turns around and runs to kiss him. This is a goodbye kiss, even though only Alice knows it. Then she proceeds to the passport control, and away from Max.

Meanwhile Max is trying to decide if he's making the right choice, and realises that he's not. He tosses aside Alice's bag (thus symbolically rejecting Alice), and rushes to meet Lisa... but then he bumps into his fiancée Muriel, whom he is in all probability going to marry in the end. Not only does he like Muriel, but there are certain practical considerations as well: Muriel is his boss's sister, and perhaps he would not get a high-paying job by himself if he left her.

[–] annapnikova 18 years ago

Why can't anyone see it?!Alice was in love with Lisa. Lisa was in bed with someone (not Max) and Alice was watching. The next morning Lisa came into Alice's appartement through the window. Alice was amazed. The got friends. Alice has never met Max before they slept, two years after Lisa and Max had separated. How could she be so amazingly in love with him?!
Somebody from the above list, wrote that there are hints in movie. Remember the painting in the Appartment. It was two women, one of them giving the other a flower (like the one in the film).

[–] rachael_a88 18 years ago

i was thinking that at first cos it was freaky that she was just watching them - but i think its more that she just wanted to be like her, have her life - which is what she ended up doing... :S

but as to the ppl who think Alice's actions were right to do - ur crazy cos just as Lucien said "she's a nutcase" and so is Max for running after her - stupid stupid stupid man...but it's good that he doesn't do that in real life eh? :)

[–] vlarosa 18 years ago

Alice had a crush on Max before he had even seen Lisa. Remember, she was bringing the tape into his work and Lisa had teased her about having a boyfriend there..

[–] sparklingcosmic 18 years ago

Annapnikova said:

Alice has never met Max before they slept, two years after Lisa and Max had separated.

Dont you remember that it was Alice who sets her eyes on Max even before Max sets his on Lisa?
Alice loves Max just like love at first sight.

Great ending, and it just have to be like that. I definitely love this better than silly ending of Wicker Park. Too easy, and trashy.

[–] szokia 15 years ago

annapnikova said:

"Why can't anyone see it?! Alice was in love with Lisa."

You are so right. I just watched the whole movie again and realized, clear as day, that Alice is in love with Lisa and, once she finds out that Lisa has real feelings for Max, she concentrates all her energy and resources (past and present) on keeping them apart. Everything she does is aimed at drawing Max away from Lisa. It was Lisa she was watching through her window and Lisa who amazed her with her daring, her fun, and her beauty. Max was the only force that could threaten their friendship. If Lisa and Max were allowed to get together, Alice may never see Lisa again.

Max doesn't meet Lisa at the Luxembourg because he thinks it's just another trick that Alice set up for him. After all, Lucien is the one who talked to Lisa on the phone and he turns out to be not so reliable in his judgment when it comes to being duped by Alice. So Max ends up just sitting and reading Alice's diary instead of meeting Lisa.

Alice is devious enough to have written that diary to suit her needs of shielding Lisa from Max over the years, just in case he ever resurfaced. Or, it could just have been written according to her fantasies, rather than according to real events anyway. Either way, when she handed it over to Max, Alice knew it would at first distract him, then send him to the airport looking for her. Again drawing him away from possibly meeting Lisa.

I have to wonder if Alice didn't knowingly sacrifice Lisa to Daniel, so she wouldn't ever have to lose her to Max. How would Daniel have known to stake out Lisa's apartment exactly then? He had ample opportunities to do it before, since he still had a copy of the key, but he never tried before. Why then?

[–] mac_alain 17 years ago

...after reading Alice's diary Max realises that no one is ever going to love him as much as her. That's why he rushes to the airport, even though Lisa is waiting for him in that park.

However, Alice has at this point understood that she has lied and cheated for too long, and that it's about time for her to take responsibility and stop ruining other people's lives. She's leaving for Rome, perhaps never to return. When she meets Max at the airport, she gives him her bag and asks him to wait while she goes and gets her another bag (which doesn't actually exist). When Alice starts walking away from Max, she suddenly turns around and runs to kiss him. This is a goodbye kiss, even though only Alice knows it. Then she proceeds to the passport control, and away from Max.

Meanwhile Max is trying to decide if he's making the right choice, and realises that he's not. He tosses aside Alice's bag (thus symbolically rejecting Alice), and rushes to meet Lisa... but then he bumps into his fiancée Muriel, whom he is in all probability going to marry in the end. Not only does he like Muriel, but there are certain practical considerations as well: Muriel is his boss's sister, and perhaps he would not get a high-paying job by himself if he left her.

I go along with all of that. I think Alice running back to kiss Max (one final time) was very telling. And you are spot on regarding the "practical considerations".

Stylish (9/10) movie with a very good score, reminding me of Bernhard Herrmann.

[–] rholford 17 years ago

I have to say I do love this film up but it just not believable that anyone would leave monica belluci sitting on a bench in the snow... if you watch the american remake the director obviously agreed with this since it is identical in every respect except this...

Oh and Vincent Cassel married Monica belluci in real life - proving my point (sort of). For me the dramatic illusion was just not sustainable on this point.

[–] Ortus 17 years ago

... she gives him her bag and asks him to wait while she goes and gets her another bag (which doesn't actually exist).[/snip]

Think you might need to take another look at that airport scene again, friend.

There certainly is another bag.

[–] chrisx2000ie 17 years ago

Spot on Ortus and I dont think Max was rushing off to find Lisa either- he was dead set on being with Alice before bumping into Muriel and getting the reality check he needed.

For me the film is all about the crazy things people do when they are in love. Alice certainly isnt a bad person at all- in the 'past' events we see her as a rather lonely person and let's face it, love and loneliness are two very powerful emotions...

chris

[–] Kalamata 16 years ago

rholford, I had to mollify my own perplexed anger by remembering that Belluci and Cassel are actually together and have a daughter together. I thought that Lisa (Belluci) and Max (Cassel) were meant for each other. Lisa says to Alice at one point that she has begun to rethink her usual behavior of running away after a certain point, that Max has caused a stirring in her that is new. I believe that Lisa is the most honest person (and Lucien) in the script. And the whole love angle - in my interpretation - pointed towards Lisa and Max being together in the end. So it was shocking to me that Alice managed to keep them apart (don't even get me started on all the absurd and farcical "just misses" in this film! It defies belief that there would be so many opportunities missed for the two - Lisa and Max. It became just annoying as far as I am concerned). It really is too much to swallow all those times these people passed one another without seeing each other. That is what angered me, the obvious manipulation in the script.

It is not that I don't appreciate or "get" French films: about 40% of my DVD collection is foreign films and French films make up about 25% of that. I get it. I just don't like it, and it doesn't fit with what I see is the heart of the emotional throughline: Lisa and Max were meant for each other. Seen this way the film is a tragedy.The lover is murdered by another jealous lover. That makes it a real tragedy. We can believe if we like that eventually Max and Lisa will meet face to face again and figure out what they want from each other. But with her dead there will be no meeting.

For me I guess what bugged me big-time was too much obvious manipulation from script and direction. That makes this film no better than a 5 for me even though the physical and artistic aspects of the movie were very good. It is a well-made movie, but I think it plays too much cat and mouse with its audience. That's my opinion. Like another commenter here said about her daughter yelling at the TV, I also yelled at the TV. And I'm like...old.

I also saw Wicker Park, twice, and I can't remember one thing about it. Another film that plays with our heads and is far superior to these two is "Reconstruction" directed by Christoffer Boe. That is far more interesting and tests our memories and our abilities to notice things. It is also heartbreaking but was much more honest than l'appartement. I felt something for the two people and was sad, but I was not angry. I'd love to know what people who have seen both l'appartement and Reconstruction think.

bizarre non-believeable ending *spoilers*

bizarre non-believeable ending spoilers