MovieChat Forums > Possession (2009) Discussion > Alternate ending better

Alternate ending better

posted 12 years ago by bobby_allen
6 replies | jump to latest

The alternate ending was better, where Ryan was cremated and Jess continue her relationship with a 'reformed' Roman. A happy ending which primarily benefited the principal characters.

[–] teamilkhoney 11 years ago

Agreed, much better. The original ending is predictable, cliched, and cheap.

I'm also pretty sure most audiences found Roman a more compelling character than Ryan, and whether they'd like to admit it or not (due to his violent character flaws), were routing for him to win out in some form in the end. I know I was.

I truly wish the alternate cut was the official one. It gives the whole movie a better, more insightful, tone in the end.

[–] mference123 11 years ago

Neither ending is really satisfying, but what's fun is to watch both, then watch both again.

The problem with the nice ending is that you never get to see what it's costing Roman to continue as Ryan. Without that, the nice ending is a little sappy. Plus you don't get the mirror scene. One of the best scenes in the movie.

The problem with the released ending is that it just seems to come out of nowhere and is not true to either of the characters. But once you see the other ending, and realize what could have been, it elevates it somewhat to be more tragic. Especially SMG not leaving the room right away, but lingering, perhaps realizing she wished things had gone another way.

Too bad there wasn't some way to combine the best parts of both endings. This would have been a pretty great movie then.

[–] JohnBonDon 11 years ago

Your reply doesn't make any sense.

There is nothing "sappy" about the alternate ending. It's actually far more complicated and thought provoking than you are allowing. It's also closer to the ending of the original South Korean film "Addicted".

The "official" ending for this movie is nothing but a joke that flushes the little integrity that this remake had left down the toilet.

[–] mference123 11 years ago

How sweet. Someone still exists who thinks that love can conquer all. Even a guy pretending to have a mental disorder to sleep with his brother's widow. And the widow feeling extreme guilt over wanting bad boy bro from the beginning while all three are living together.

Yeah, these crazy kids just need to hug it out and live happily ever after. That's not sappy.

I understand. Thank you for telling me. -The masked bandit

[–] JohnBonDon 11 years ago

Someone still exists who thinks that love can conquer all.

You really didn't get that ending, did you?

[–] teamilkhoney 10 years ago

They didn't, no.

The appeal of the alternate ending is not that all is well/lovey-dovey/romantic/perfect/fixed.

What draws me to it is the idea that even knowing he really is Roman, and that Roman is (depending on how you see it) indeed pretending to be her husband/has mentally convinced himself he's BECOME her husband due to psychological breakage or whatever…is that she would accept it. That she would choose to go along with it. That she would decide that despite playing a part and deceiving her, through doing that he has actually become a better man in a sense - perhaps one potentially worthy of her loving or at least TOLERATING some day.

I'm not trying to redeem Roman. I'm not saying he was a good person or that he made good choices - but that's what is so damn interesting about this alternate perspective, especially when you take her original feelings about Roman into account. And when you consider that how, even though he went about expressing it and dealing with it in all the wrong ways - he does actually truly love her.

At least that's how I see it.

Also, by the time you finish reading this, you'll realize it's my signature.