MovieChat Forums > Tonî Takitani (2005) Discussion > Final Scene? [possible spoiler]

Final Scene? [possible spoiler]

posted 18 years ago by dlclaytor-1
7 replies | jump to latest

I watched Toni Takitani last night and enjoyed the film -- relaxed, spare, and introspective. I completely failed to understand the final scene, however, and I'm hoping that someone can kindly elucidate. The scene to which I refer took place on
a platform or stairway landing with a doorway leading into a school or a library or a business or some such. Anyway, we see an older woman from the back. She appears to be a peddler or a street person. As a young woman (Toni's assistant?) arrives on the landing to enter the building, the older woman tries to entice the reluctant younger woman into buying a pair of gloves. They discuss the available colors, but without buying anything, the girl hesitently turns away and enters the building. The older woman seems taken aback by this and shouts "Hey!" after the girl. Then there's a shot of Toni on the phone while gazing at a photo ID. (The assistant's? His wife's?) He hangs up. Fade out. Credits roll.

I read the short story on which the film is based, but I found no reference to this scene.

[–] woodpusha 18 years ago

It is said that Tony has forgotten everything about his wife but he can't forget Hisako (the assistant). So he tries to call her in the end but she comes to late to pick up the phone because of the old woman who wants to give away a pair of gloves. Hisako seems to live next door to the old woman and we can already hear her phone ring. Maybe there's also a deeper meaning assigned to the colours but I'm not sure about that.

[–] dlclaytor-1 18 years ago

Yes, I rented the DVD again and I understand your comment. Hisako's telephone is indeed ringing, which accounts for her impolite haste. Tony hangs up before she can answer. I don't think the color of the gloves is significant. Nevertheless, this ending for the film deviates from the short story and I would be interested in knowing why the filmmaker thought it was necessary to add it.

[–] spiritualboxer 18 years ago

The impression I got is that Tony hired Hisako so that he could slowly forget about his wife, and soon come to realize that his wife has died and that there is another person wearing her clothes. He hires Hisako thinking that she could help him forget. Instead, by hiring Hisako, he is left with an image of her that he could not get rid of, and since she is a complete mirror image of his wife, the memory of Hisako crying in the closet serves as a constant reminder of his dead wife. That one memory is the one thing he couldn't get rid of, even though he tried to get his dead wife out of his mind by removing everything that reminded him of her(eg. her clothes). In the end, by trying to forget his wife, he ends up creating a memory that reminded him of her in his head. Remember the scene of his father in the prison cell, which later is a direct parallel with tony in his wife's empty closet. I think the image of Hisako symbolizes those two scenes - a single lonely image trapped in his mind like a prisoner in a prison cell. In the end, when he picks up the phone to call Hisako, I get the impression that he isn't trying to move on, but instead, he just couldn't forget about his dead wife.

[–] namnhan2003 16 years ago

i dont know if i am right about what the writer wants to tell us but the image of the crazy old lady, probably, talking about the glove missing thumb, is a pictural comparison between fashion and madness, addiction. Plus, the husband called Hisako at the end showed an image of unfinished love with his late wife or with Hisako, or even portrays another mental disorders: depression, addiction or loneliness. Can he forget Hisako or he will starts to recommence the vicious cycle of falling in love and affords all the cloths for the women he loves once again?

[–] perorewen 16 years ago

I also find it interesting that Hisako chooses NOT to buy the gloves, and instead runs for the telephone (runs to him). She makes a choice not to have the gloves to get something else. But he hangs up. She is too late. It is too late for him.

**********
They blew up Congress!!! HAHAHA!

[–] ScentOfAWomanLover 15 years ago

It saw it more like this:

She doesn't buy the gloves. Why: it is probably to show that she isn't that possessed by fashion as Tony's wife Eiko was. She may look like Eiko, she is different.

The woman on the photo is Hisako. You can see that the side of the photo is burned. This is because in an earlier scene Tony is burning all his stuff, but you see him save on document from the fire at the last moment. This is the application form (which includes the picture) from Hisako for the job. So he can't forget her and calls her, but Hisako reaches the phone to late.

[–] vasudevan-arthi 14 years ago

Yup....she isnt fashion crazy as his late wife,hence that episode with that old lady...i never did think that it was the end of all...just bcz she cudnt ans the phone...there cud be another time, another call...when she turns she implicitly knows its a cal from him.....may be there is a cal some time again...may be him..may be her getting back....there is hope bcz she doesnt have that fetish for clothes...this and two episodes before work on this aspect....that swhat i feel...or may be thats what i want to???

amazing film....

n both the women - the temp n the late wife - played by the same actress rite...