MovieChat Forums > Neds (2011) Discussion > The Ending ... WARNING SPOILER ALERT

The Ending ... WARNING SPOILER ALERT

posted 13 years ago by itsbrettney
13 replies | jump to latest

I think this was a very good film, well written, brilliantly acted by Conor McCarron and co. but the ending bugged me. Here's Why

Canta (the now mentally handicapped / slow teen) in the lion nature park scene inside the van was left with John, in my opinion this would've been an excellent time for reflection, a heart to heart with Canta, or a chance to get stuff off his chest, yes It wouldn't have made any difference as canta wouldn't understand, it would however bring a real realization of your actions and the consequences of them and would have been quite a moving scene, the end of such conversation could have Canta saying something like OK (still in his own world but it be a chance for John to clear his conscious), this would then lead to him to guide Canta to safety thus kind of semi mending broken bridges and a way to show that John maybe isn't all bad.

I still feel the movie ended too abruptly, surely there should be something after this part showing the teachers getting a rollicking for leaving two teens in a bus in the middle of a lion park, John McGill is a baddin but shouldn't be left to be eaten alive, and what about Canta the slow teen, surely he didn't deserve that even if John did?

Overall a bloody good film, thanks Peter Mullen.

[–] Moneybag 13 years ago

Well, if you think about it,he kind of was doing that, just in his own way. For a ned to take a guys hand, and walk him out of the park that way, he'd need to be trying VERY hard, because you just know how much he'll take for it when his buddies see him.

But yes, it was an amazing movie, can't think of any movies that got the scots accent more right, or the portrayal of Glasgow life any better ;)

[–] lukedriver-912-688447 13 years ago

The ending was a bit naff, but the rest is brillaint.

[–] tohu 13 years ago

I agree with you that the ending achieved exactly what the poster of the original message wanted, just in a more subtle way.

Also I agree about the Scottish accents. The film was very authentic in that way - clearly the young actors were all genuine Glaswegians. Thats the only way to be truly authentic in films like this. Well done Peter M. It's also great to discover new talent and give new young actors a chance. I'm sure we will see a lot more of the lead actor, and one or two of the others.

_____________

"Maybe I should go alone"
- Quint, Jaws.

[–] williampeel-54-213608 13 years ago

But was John a "ned" in the true sense of the word? I don't think he really was, I think like a lot of youths surrounded by the wrong influences he took the wrong path. He certainly wasn't "un-educated" that is the point of the story; he was a lad with an education who chose to behave in this manner. Also he wasn't a "delinquent", so I have to agree that the only disappointing part of this film was the lack of what the original poster said. This would have allowed a nice closure to the story.

[–] nephihaha 13 years ago

Ned doesn't mean "Non-educated Delinquent". It just means a thug, which he was.

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It's not "sci-fi", it's SF!

[–] Howlin Wolf 7 years ago

... but surely the whole idea was that they were stranded, so his 'buddies' WOULDN'T see him? He could let go of his hand if they ever got away from the lions, and there were people in sight...

I don't buy that they would end up in that situation in the first place - especially not when the teachers had previously warned them... Most useless chaperones ever, if they warn them against something, but then leave them to do it again, moments later!



"Your mother puts license plates in your underwear? How do you sit?!"

[–] richie_patrese 13 years ago

Ach, what you've done is taken the ending and spelled it out ad nauseum. That is basically what has happened. Give the audience more credit, we can all come to the same conclusion or even others if we choose to.

Also the teacher hasn't left them to die. He would have been coming back for them - he'd have lost his job otherwise. It's used as a device to show for once and for all that their lives are worthless - almost to the point that not even lions will put them out of their misery. John feels everyone is against him and Canta is in no position to argue.

The best films say what they need to and allow you to think about what it means to you. Ditto the best novels, the best poetry, the best everything...

[–] thespread 13 years ago

It sounds like you wanted it to descend into melodramatic, emotion porn. I think the slightly obvious visual metaphor at the ending of the film accomplished everything you could ask for in terms of summarising the character's journey and reaching some form of closure.

I have to get more pudding for this trip to Hawaii.

[–] haymish28 13 years ago

I thought the ending was brilliant (I don't know why so many reviewers here disliked it). They said everything they needed to with visuals. Walking past those lions was a great (and very scottish) metaphor, and of course on the literal side it really illustrated John's simultaneous boldness and carelessness toward life.

I also love the sequence preceding this, when he duct tapes those blades to his fists, goes on a rampage, and suicides his father. Those last 15 min or so make for a f*ing powerful ending if ya ask me. Great cinema, this was.

[–] lr505 13 years ago

The problem with the ending was that it was open-ended...some people like this about films however I can't help but think its a cop-out. "People can make up their own minds" argument doesnt flow...because we have been following the directors opinion all the way through so its already subjective to his standpoint - why change? Fantastic film in everyway, but I did think that after Mcgill had gone over the edge (concrete slab on the head of that lad who then suffers incredibly) it was going to be hard for the director to bring him back to make him accepted to the audience after such a horrific attack. Taking him out of the car so that they could potentially get killed is selfish, so I ended up feeling frustrated and angry...which is a shame as up to that point it was brilliant.. Great discussion thread to who posted it..

[–] OneGettingOlderAndBetter 13 years ago

Well, I think that the ending up into a lion's den image fits the other scene where Mc Gill sleeps under the holy cross. Daniel also got thrown to the lions... Bible references.No need for speech. The custom of letting go of offences and make up with one's ennemy is of the same cultural tradition.

And that's funny, because the story of that movie is the same as the story of "La guerre des boutons". A boy with a bad dad, turns into a group leader in a small village. The boys are as much silly and violents as their fathers are, and they do go into "war" against the other village's boys. At one point, the "hero" is taken by the opponent's group. He is threatened, and doesn't get his balls cut but all pieces of his garment are. When back, his father beats him because he messed his things.
Here comes the "funny" element of the movie : as that boy is clever, he gets the idea from greek history to go to battle in the nude. He organises with the other boys and they manage to beat the other village boys band.
In the process, because of a traitor, a very big mistake is done, property is destroyed and the two leaders are punished and sent away to college, where they meet each other as equals.
Once the funny lines are taken out, the canvas is stricktly the same.
The scene where McGill finds shelter into his ennemy's house also exist in the french book and movie.(It happens to petit gibus).
But the french movie and book references are to the republic, not religious.

We used that movie, "la guerre des boutons" in the Ligue des droits de l'homme to oppose the current right wing speech about fictituous teenage delinquants. The facts - from the books of the protection judiciaire de la jeunesses services - actually show that there is not such a thing as rising crime figures related to young people, but this false notion was anyway used to justify policies that have the quality of being spectacular, and so sensational that they moved people and, in the bottom line, took the actual economical and real defects of the government out of the media scope and out of the democratic debating space. Untill...

emm
"to tax and to please, no more to love and to be wise, is not given to men"

[–] itsbrettney 12 years ago

I know its a year or so too late but your welcome ;)
rarely on here as a poster now but was looing through and seen replies i hadnt answered.

Mac

Holy hell, are my boxers mader of wool coz' my weasels getting heat stroke - Dr Bob Kelso (Scrubs)

[–] Howlin Wolf 7 years ago

Yes; I wish the ending had been written more along your lines, instead of relying too much on overdone symbolism...

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"Your mother puts license plates in your underwear? How do you sit?!"