MovieChat Forums > Shutter Island (2010) Discussion > I hate the ending to this movie with a p...

I hate the ending to this movie with a passion.

posted 10 years ago by BlazeTheMovieFan
52 replies | jump to latest

So the whole movie is about a marshal trying to solve a case, that's all good and all, and I was hoping the case would be solved by the end of the movie, but boy was I wrong.

Instead I get to see the protagonist realizing he's been on the island for two years and his partner was a delusion. What? That doesn't make sense.

You don't just visit an island and then realize you have been there for two years. And he didn't even sleep before realizing he's been a patient for two years, this all happened the same day.

Oh my god, the ending is so stupid.

[–] surgecess 10 years ago

SPOILER ALERT: Your a tool.

.. I am, in a word, terse.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] pentwaterzoo 10 years ago

Same ending in the book, and you loved that.

[–] MachineGunKennedy 10 years ago

His partner was real, everybody was real, they were playing roles.
They set the whole stage up for Teddy Daniels.

I Came, I Saw, I Conquered.

[–] texasbillyaustin 10 years ago

I kick myself for not seeing this movie sooner. Even though Scorcese and DiCaprio have done some brilliant work together, the previews and advertisements just made me a bit disinterested. I thought it would be a much different movie than what it was.

The ending of the movie was simply brilliant. There's a point in the movie where you start to think the "Marshall's" suspicions and paranoia are somewhat valid. That he might actually be getting sucked into some kind of conspiracy...that not everything is as is seems. And that moment when they pull away the curtain, so to speak...everything falls into place. And you start looking back from the very beginning, the way things slowly played out, and you just say "Well, I'll be damned!" His flashbacks, his memories, little things that didn't quite make sense, all just fall into place.

And that's what makes the movie so great. It's a movie you can only really watch one time. Because if you go back and watch it the second time, you see everything. You understand why Chuck is with him the whole time. I always found it a bit odd that Chuck always called him "Boss". Always asking, "What's the plan now, boss?" You're not watching if from a 3rd person point of view. You're now watching it somewhat in the 1st person and 2nd person because you're right there with "Marshall Daniels", in his head, but also tagging along for the ride. Much like Chuck did. But you also know a lot that Daniels isn't really aware of yet. And I watched it a second time for that very reason. So I could see it again from a different perspective.

To the OP...man, the way you phrased and stated your argument, really comes across as rather juvenile. Because simply didn't get it or understand it, or it didn't end the way you liked, well..."It was stupid". You sound like 14-yr old girl who's mad because "The Breakfast Club" didn't end the way you wanted it to. If you really didn't GET IT, or understand how everything built up to the ending...there's really no point in any of us trying to explain it to you. Do some deep thinking and really try to figure it out for yourself. Or, just post with a much stronger argument that can really be up for debate.

At any rate, it was a great movie with a brilliant ending!

[–] tph890 10 years ago

Well said.

"Buy the ticket, take the ride." --Raoul Duke, the great shark hunter

[–] BlazeTheMovieFan 10 years ago

You know what? I will gladly admit that I don't understand the movie, I'm not gonna deny that.

[–] texasbillyaustin 10 years ago

Blaze, you know what? I didn't really mean to rag on you the way I did. I apologize for that. I thought the movie did a great job of setting up the big twist for the ending. But, we don't all see movies the same way. It's just too bad you didn't get hooked by the ending like a lot of us did, and really appreciate it for the fine film that it is.

[–] BlazeTheMovieFan 10 years ago

No need to apologize, I can take criticism.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] cleberpassanante 9 years ago

LOL... This is too funny dude!

[–] nova1942 9 years ago

I thought the ending was heroic. He really was ok...but knew it wouldnt last and didnt want to cause a problem for the doctor and what he was trying to acheive...so pretended to have reverted back....knowing he was about ot be lobotomized....he knew his suffering would be finally over...it was a tearful ending..but this was the only ending possible. He could not live with the thoughts of his children and how he had ot kill his wife for her sanity...and so he chose to end his suffering for his sanity also. Now I am 72 years old so forgive me if I seem wrong.

[–] gleamy-jog 9 years ago

Actually, by submitting to the lobotomy he discredited the doctors and now they'll lose everything.

Are they slow? Yeah, they're dead.  They're all messed up. 

[–] OddsAreIAmRight 9 years ago

Actually, by submitting to the lobotomy he discredited the doctors and now they'll lose everything.

The problem with your inconsistent logic is that you claim the doctors lie about everything. So they must have been lying about being discredited then if Teddy doesn't get "cured."

Thus, the lobotomy in your silly plot is a complete dud in terms of impacting anything. It means absolutely nothing.

Great ending you got there. 

[–] l_imdb-859-473955 8 years ago

Hi OddsAreIAmRight,

I read all the posts from the threads before, agree on all of them, interpret the movie the same way you do.

Like that you mentioned "emotional wholeness". I think this is an important aspect to consider, so that it all makes sense and goes along with novel.

This point though:

Actually, by submitting to the lobotomy he discredited the doctors and now they'll lose everything.

Makes sense though in my eyes. He wanted to "die" as a good man, but discredited all the work of the only men, who kept belief in him and who tried to help for two years. (Which he of course knows, because he remembers and just fakes his Teddy-role.)
If he wants to be a good man, he would rather help them, by showing their treatment worked on him, so other people will be helped instead of lobotomized.

Would you agree?

[–] OddsAreIAmRight 8 years ago

Actually, by submitting to the lobotomy he discredited the doctors and now they'll lose everything.

Makes sense though in my eyes. He wanted to "die" as a good man, but discredited all the work of the only men, who kept belief in him and who tried to help for two years. (Which he of course knows, because he remembers and just fakes his Teddy-role.)
If he wants to be a good man, he would rather help them, by showing their treatment worked on him, so other people will be helped instead of lobotomized.

Would you agree?

Yes, I agree in terms of the actual movie plot where Teddy is a delusion. My reply above had to do with the silly idea that Teddy is real and that the doctors lie about everything.

Your point is valid. There is that small disappointment as a viewer that Teddy's choice to fake relapse is not fair to the doctors who did so much for him. I understand in the premise why he needs to focus on his own situation, but there is hint of maybe selfishness to disregard the doctors' reputations.

OTOH, at least they know for sure that the role-play had some positive effect where every other attempt except one had failed. And as we see, Dr Sheehan suspects something unusual at the end so perhaps they come to understand what really happened over time. In the book, the story is told by Dr Sheehan -- but then again the relapse is real in the book also. 

[–] pentwaterzoo 10 years ago

I recommend watching it a couple more times. Everything really does make sense. There isn't a lot in it that's subjective. I've seen it at least 10 times and it becomes more clear each time.

[–] timothy_fairchild 9 years ago

I don't like movies that get too cute & clever with plot twists and set you up for one thing and deliver another. I was ready for him to get off the island and expose the fraud. Imagine if Rocky never fought Apollo Creed after the training build up; it was just a dream... Disappointing. I didn't like the ending either, as if it was unresolved, but [spoiler alert] I guess he was faking his relapse in order to die a good man... I lack the interest to see this a second time. I'd rather see DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street a second time...

LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!

[–] amackeh 10 years ago

That's not even the ending. The fact that he has been there for two years is obvious throughout the film. The ending is that Leo's character is probably getting lobotomized.

[–] daedalus73 10 years ago

More than that - he's intentionally pretending to have reverted into his delusions so they will lobotomize him.

[–] amackeh 10 years ago

Exactly. It can easily be seen as a form of suicide.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] IcingOnTheCake 10 years ago

The lobotomy wouldn't have killed him but I understand what you meant. it would take him permanently out of reality.

If it was real life then he probably would have shot himself right after killing his wife. There wouldn't have then been a movie because he wouldn't have been institutionalized.
It's just what I believe after getting to know the character throughout the film. They should have mentioned religion or something as to why he didn't do that. I know, lol, it was just a story.

[–] PterryFan 9 years ago

Nice one Daedelus , I understood the film , but must admit i wasn't sure if he was faking his regression at the end , but you've convinced me !

[–] Harvestmoonman13 10 years ago

I hate the ending because I thought it would have been a really awesome twist to have made it actually a trick and end it like Chinatown or something where the bad guys win. Having him being a patient and the whole thing being a setup was pretty obvious considering it's a psych ward... I kept watching hoping that they'd end it with a cool twist.

[–] TheBSharps-22-336460 10 years ago

I love the ambigous ending, as Leo utters that last awesome line.. seeing mark ruffalo's WTF reaction/ realization as he walks away. very underrated movie in my opinion.

[–] MrBlondee 10 years ago

Underrated movie!? How many movies have you seen?
It has an 8.2 with 550000(!) votes at the moment and that's very high and in my opinion too high even tho it's a good film.

There are soooo many good films or even masterpieces with only 1% of the votes and lower scores.

[–] bpollen 10 years ago

You said "Oh my god, the ending is so stupid."

Or...is it? Do you really think you know the ending? Is it possible you've misinterpreted it? Not everything is as it seems. That's what the movie is about. And yet, you take the ending you saw at face value. Interesting.