Ending?

If you recall when they were having breakfast on the balcony, Natasha asks Alba would she leave Eudurna and her daughter to be with her in Rome. To which Alba replies, yes with absolute clarity - this is real and not a fantasy or something along that line. Then continues by saying, "she can't wait to see Natasha run like a gazelle and watch her play tennis" (this is IF they end up together).

When Natasha calls out to Alba to "look" and we see her running towards her it is concluded that she did change her mind as she was heading back to her hotel. That her love for Alba surpasses any kind of love she thought she knew, therefore, chooses Alba and the life with her....in Rome. In every movie or story when either or both run to each other always signifies of "being together. to be together". That is what Natasha did. She was running to the life she most desire. Also, don't forget Natasha is the one who's experiencing something new, something foreign (being with a woman as opposed to being with a man)she has yet to understand, whereas, Alba knows all too well and is sure she's in love with Natasha and wants to be with her but accepts the fact it might just be that night of passion knowing a straight person can go back to their hetero life soon after.

In hindsight, what Natasha did at the end is much like the lies they were telling each other in the beginning but eventually ending up telling the truth to each other. Natasha thinks by staying with Vadim was the right thing to do(lying to herself and Alba), but eventually ending up being true to herself and thus, we see her calling out to Alba and running to her.

I think Julio Medem ended it beautifully. It was unexpected and so romantic.

betweenwonderanddarkness, Yes, you are absolutely right. Natasha promises Alba that she will show her how she can run with her long legs and that is exactly what she does in that final scene. I don't think it necessarily means that she has chosen to stay with Alba.

When she tells Alba to look, she is also noting that the wind has picked up and their 'consummation' sheet (on the flag pole) is waving in the breeze. And, she runs to her - for what reason, we are supposed to imagine (our own ending). Who knows? Maybe there will be a sequel to this where they are together.

Seeing it a second time, the final run of Natasha towards Alba was more of her fulfilling Alba's wish to see her running. Not much them making a decision to stay together. They both had a life that they had to go back to and I think what they share in Room would ultimately become what they can turn back and always remember. Like the Rick and Elsa in Casablanca would 'always have Paris", Alba and Natasha "will always have Rome".

you are correct. she promised that she will see her running and that was the last time they would see each other

if that is what it meant, then it would have been better served by a shot of her legs running. writers/directors/editors usually choose a scene/action to mean something. If we saw her saying look, and showed her running legs, moving away, that would have implied something else... she ran in the other's direction... beyond that, we'll never know, though presumably to continue something...

I agree - she wanted to grand her earlier wish of seeing how she runs.

I absolutely agree with "between's" interpretation of the last scene. Natasha is just "running" to show Alba something she had said she wanted to see. And Alba laughs when Natasha shouts "look at this," further supporting the point of view that it was a light moment, not to be taken seriously. If Natasha had really wanted to run to Alba and stay with her, she would have shouted something else, like, "Alba, WAIT for ME!"

I agree. Natasha had promised that Alba would see her run. At the end, she fulfills her promise, and in my opinion, she runs to her to stay. One of the most romantic movies I've seen.