Cliff

maybe it was a rebound. besides, im not saying it was the "right" thing to do by hooking up with the guy, but if someone practically raped me in front of someone for money and then died id do something like that too. i mean, what would you do

Yeah, I think the point of the ending is to show that Cliff is on his way to becoming just like Butch. He has lost his innocence (symbolized by his throwing away the skateboard). He goes from an earnest, heart-felt person to a gay cliche, with casual cruising and flippant, superficial conversation. And then he kisses his sister after sucking c**k!! Reminds me a little bit of the ending of the movie KIDS, where it is implied that the boy gives the girl AIDS.

yes i do agreew ith u buddy Cliff behaves as if he has lost all sympathy

hm, I'll have to rewatch the movie with that thought in mind, but I interpreted it as Cliff accepting himself and moving on. I think that Cliff started grieving for Butch long before he actually died, so by the time it happened Cliff was ready for it.

So I don't at all think the film was implying that Cliff would continue Butch's mistakes. At the beginning of the film, Cliff is uncomfortable with himself, nervous, shy and unrealistic. This attitude leads him down Butch's road, where he sort of hopelessly clings to him though he isn't shown any love, until ultimately these weaknesses of his are horribly taken advantage of (as we witness). So the end of the film with the man in the cafe, Cliff is confident, taking control of the seduction, ready to make himself happy based on his own terms and not somebody else's. So while I don't condone sex with strangers in public places, I saw the act as representing a positive growth in the character of Cliff. Just my opinion.

Look at it this way, though shagging a stranger in a public restroom may seem unhealthy, its potentially not nearly as unhealthy as his entire intimate engulfment with Butch.