About the Ending, a logical approach
just finished watching it, love it.
I saw lots of posts about this movie's ending, and now i am coming up with a new theory, by logic
1st, at the b egining of the moive, we heard the narration of young Julien: saying never play a game in which your friend asks you to bury yourself in the cement. So, this is a "game"/"dare"
Then, back to the whole movie, the reason why the two can't fall in love is that they are both burdened by the game. We can see it during their teen year, when Sophine accuses Julient all alone treats her as a lover merely because of the game. And this, is spread out throughout the movie.
So, back to the ending,
Close to the end, they finally recognize that they cannot live without each other and decided that they should let go of the stupid game, which indeed impinged on their love.
SO, if the whole cemment thing is a "game", why would they still do it after they have vowed to love each other? I mean, if the game is the culprit of separating them all these years, why would they still indulge in it at the end when they can finally get togefther after going such a long way?
To me, I think the cement scene is a manifesto that declares their banishment of their old selves and the game. And that's why the tin box seems so new at the end of the movie. It symbolizes the end of the game.
Regarding the old sceNE, I THINK IT IS ALSO MERELY SYMBOLIC. I dont mean that they really died in the cement though. The old scene is just a possibility, like every other era when they meet again after the long parting. When the old Julient kisses Sophine , many past images flesh by, and those are the possiblity if at the moment julient said I love you. And the old julient does. I think the scene wants to suggest that if Sophine did not return that time after the car crash, and they did not have the chance to make up, fate will still bring them together; when they get older and there is no more distracion, e.g. other people, money, etc, they will eventually come to the realisation that they, all along, are in love, and life is too short for them to deny their love.