What do you think are the movies that have the best endings? The following come to my mind:

The Shawshank Redemption (my favorite ending of all, it's hard to imagine anything more inspiring)

Unforgiven

Rob Roy

The Silence of the Lambs

Raiders of the Lost Ark (not just the opening of the Ark, but the very last scene of the movie)

Gone With The Wind (the swelling up of the music as the camera moves away from Scarlett's silhouette against the sunset is utterly enthralling)

The Fugitive

The Matrix (first one)

The Wrestler

Malena

The Good The Bad And The Ugly
Godfather 3
Casablanca
Godfather 2(flashback)
The Shawshank Redemption
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Green Mile

The above are the ones i can think of now many more that i love but cant think of at this moment.

Caché.

Chaplin's "City Lights"
(I always have tears in my eyes when I see this ending)

Another movie that has one of the best endings I've ever seen is "Das Boot." Not "best" in the sense of being happy (on the contrary, it's very sad) but in the sense of being powerful and memorable.

Without A Trace
Backdraft
The Usual Suspects

Unforgiven
Purple Noon
General Della Rovere
Pascualino Settebellizze

THE GODFATHER *double thumbs up*

The Man Who Wasn't There
The Little Girl who lives down the Lane

Fight Club

Se7en

Pulp Fiction

Back to the Future

Memento

The Graduate

"The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas" certainly has the most bizarre ending of any movie I've ever seen, that's for sure.

Don't even mention that ending!!! I must have gone through 10 or 12 boxes of tissues during that movie!! And the ending? Fuhgeddaboutit!

I'm really not sure how to rate that movie. On the one hand, I think it illuminates some important aspects of the Holocaust, on the other, the whole thing felt so contrived that I think the credibility it would otherwise have had in showing those things was largely destroyed. I guess I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.

I certainly don't think it holds a candle to "The Pianist." Although I admittedly have a bias (I'm a pianist myself), I think "The Pianist" is one of the greatest movies ever made on any subject.

"The Pianist" was an excellent film. I agree. And, yes, of course this was contrived. However, I think there were some excellent performances (especially the mother), and that can't be overlooked. As a mother, anything with children breaks my heart, and this film slayed me.

Then you should brace yourself before watching "Der Untergang", a brilliant 2004 film depicting the situation in Hitler's bunker during the last 10 days of his life (if you haven't already seen it, of course).

A.I. Artificial Intelligence? Anyone?

Well, I couldn't wait for that awful film to end, so in a sense, yeah, great ending .

Another movie with a great ending is the Dirty Harry installment "Magnum Force," with Harry's "Man's got to know his limitations..."

Life is Beautiful
American Beauty
Jaws
The Sixth Sense
Psycho

Boo I liked that one you slick geezer.

Oh for sure, gave me goosebumps!

My favorite endings include:

Primal Fear
Apollo 13
Seven
Rocky
Silence of the Lambs`

How could I have forgotten Rocky? I love that scene, the desperation in both their voices as she pushes her way through the crowd.

But did you know that was not the original ending? Stallone wanted to end the movie with the crowd rushing in to carry Rocky out on their shoulders. However, he didn't have the money for all the extras and had to rewrite it. The same is true of the ice skating rink, which is one of my favorite scenes.

SB,

It's been a long time, but now that you mention it, I think I do remember Sly talking about the ending. Great movie!!


TIS

Rocky was nothing if not inspirational. I made it an objective of mine to one day run up those steps like Rocky did. Finally, in the 90s I went on a business trip to Philly and went jogging and finally ran up those steps.

Oli,

Was the Rocky Theme "running" thru your head? What an inspiration all right.

I was in Philly but never ran up the steps. Was the Rocky statue there when you were there?


TIS

some of my fave endings. . .

Carlitos Way
Gladiator
American History X
Casino

The original Dirty Harry movie where after blasting Scorpio, Harry chucks his badge in the lake and walks away - a picture is worth 1000 words and that scene was saying "Job done - I dont give a fuck if I have broke the police departments rules"

Big Night.