MovieChat Forums > Ida (2013) Discussion > Ending and soundtrack.....

Ending and soundtrack.....

posted 10 years ago by imagesbypauls
17 replies | jump to latest

This may or may not be high on most peoples' list, but I thought the ending scene was awesome, and has stayed with me every single day since I saw it.

On a minor note maybe, is a question--why did this incredible piano music at the end, play while she walks the long lonely road back, but at the same time there's the competing sound of passing car or motorbike? I'm not sure if that added, or took anything away but seems like there's a reason....any guesses?

And-- why in the world does the soundtrack on IMDB not list this last song and performer? I'd like to find out what that is.

[–] josephpalis 10 years ago

I too like the ending of the film.

While there have been a lot of cases where characters walk as the final shot (i.e. The Help, The Fabulous Baker Boys, among the first that come to mind), it is rather unusual for one to walk towards the camera (and by extension towards the film audience). It is apparent that what she decided to pursue in life (no spoilers) has a mix of diegetic (musical score, or the Bach piano music) and extra-diegetic music (the sounds heard by the character in the context of the movie, in her case, the sound of vehicles).

The music was so well chosen in the movie too. Quite a delight to see Joanna Kulig make a cameo and actually sing in the movie. Then there's also the Mozart symphony that Wanda listens to. She would crank the volume up as though willing the film audience to listen to the piece the way her character listens to it. That Mozart symphony used for her final appearance in the film is the Jupiter Symphony (Symphony No. 41). Quite a touching choice considering it is the last of Mozart's symphony (and the longest too).

As for the last piano piece heard in the last scene, that was a Bach Chorale Prelude transposed for piano by Busoni. There are a lot of wonderful versions of it you can get. The one we heard was Alfred Brendel. It is quite fitting in light of what Ida finally decided to pursue (or at least what the film intimated Ida eventually chose for herself).

[–] imagesbypauls 10 years ago

You're awesome, thanks for that info.......

[–] wpw-2 9 years ago

The most famous walk to camera ending is surely that of The Third Man

[–] redwriteandblue 9 years ago

What excellent information, and an outstanding summation, without giving away a single spoiler. Kudos to you! GREAT film!

[–] pauldada 10 years ago

The piece is beautiful, and the intrusion of the engine sounds has a point: Anna is striding back to her convent, and all the motor traffic is headed the other way. It's 'modern life' in all its banality, and she's rejected it. A great ending.

Thanks for the details on the music!

[–] imagesbypauls 10 years ago

Thank you..I knew there had to be something there.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] jmlundin 10 years ago

It's a Busoni transcription of Bach played by Alfred Brendel but the credits flashed by too fast for me to catch the name of the piece -- HELP! I want to get the music...

[–] imagesbypauls 10 years ago

It's bach 639, ich ruf zu dir jesus. Plenty other versions out there too--Horowitz, Kempff, Perahia, and others.

[–] jmlundin 10 years ago

It's a Busoni transcription of Bach played by Alfred Brendel but the credits flashed by too fast for me to catch the name of the piece -- HELP! I want to get the music...

[–] poesiaenobras-1 10 years ago

To me, the music ending is a homage to Tarkovski, who used this composition in Solaris. Haneke also uses it in Amour.

To me it is also important to notice that it is the only scene in the film in which the camera moves with the character. All the rest of scenes are static except for a POV. It underlines the determination of Ida to her new life.

[–] imagesbypauls 10 years ago

I appreciate your thought on that, and I hadn't realized that distinction. Thanks for taking notice of that and passing it along.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] imcd2 9 years ago

This film is probably not for most movie goers, but if you like old monochrome 4/3 and stunning composition you will appreciate every single frame of Ida. This is a slow Kurosawa, and each scene will carefully lure you in.

[–] bethhuntington-407-649992 9 years ago

Dear Nightcaller,

You may be interested in a new thread posted to examine Ida/Anna's sexuality.

I posted it it just today, after much thought.

If you do read it, and I so hope that you do so, I'd be most obliged if you'd offer comment.

For me, I felt quite pleased that Ida/ Anna made the choice that she did.

With the newfound awareness of her family, if it was me, I'd have made the same decision, and I'm heterosexual.

I may be way off on the sexuality thread, but I watched this film a few times, at least, and kept this in mind as I watched last night.

Perhaps if you consider my point and view once again, you'll make similar observations.

Do let me know.

Thank you for your intelligent and thought- provoking narratives.

I also think that Ida didn't find the "real world" as joyous and wonderful.

Wanda had no options left; Ida did, and she chose, in her limited perception (my sexuality theory notwithstanding) life.

Perhaps not the life that you or I would want, but life nonetheless.

Brilliant film!

It was filled with pain.

Beth

[–] umar-nadeem1 9 years ago

The ending is reminiscent of Fracois Truffaut's The 400 blows, and is equally moving. Exceptional movies both.

[–] nicolaigogol 7 years ago

I second dat !!