No Happy Endings

[Rose Pink]

I've noticed that most American movies seem to have happy endings. American movies re-write history to make satisfactory endings. Disney films are prime examples--consider "The Little Mermaid" for example. We even conquer invading space aliens.

However, I've been watching foreign films lately and they do not have the happily ever after endings. The protagonists struggle and sacrifice and then the movie just ends with no satisfaction. Some examples are Baran, Children of God, Border Cafe (Cafe Transit), Kandahar--all Iranian films. Raise the Red Lantern is a Chinese film. These are beautiful cinema but leave me somewhat sad in the end. They are probably more true to real life than American movies but, still, why so pessimistic? Don't people go to movies to get away from the daily grind?

Help me understand, please.

 

[WalnutBaron]

Interesting question! Of course, there is no right or wrong answer, but here's my shot at it: First,I would challenge your premise by saying that--while we certainly have many movies and genres that beg for the happy ending (I mean, who wants to see a romantic comedy with a bad ending?), there are also many film genres that will predictably have bad endings (anti-war movies, for example).

Americans are, at our core, an eminently optimistic people. We believe that things will eventually get better, even when things look pretty bleak. That also may explain why many of our films have good endings.

Finally, I think you're right about your speculation in your last sentence: we go to movies to escape and be entertained. Less and less do we go to become enlightened or educated. In this respect, we're much different from the European friends of mine who often go to the movies to learn something or have their conventional wisdom challenged.

 

[HatTrick]

I've noticed that most American movies seem to have happy endings. American movies re-write history to make satisfactory endings.

Oh. From the thread title, I was expecting a different topic. :rofl:

 

[DG001]

I think its more likely that the foreign movies you - as an American - are more likely to see are the "great" movies from other countries, which often have a message or are appreciated in America for how "real" they are.

The daily-get-away-from-reality movies are likely big hits in those countries, but are not "good enough" to be appreciated by the "international media".

As a "foreigner" who loves films from other countries, I can guarantee you there are tons of "happy-ever-after" movies that just don't make it to the international film festivals here.

 

[esk444]

One huge difference in the U.S. is that the film industry was created by commercial entertainment businessmen, often from vaudeville. Movies were created to entertain and be crowd pleasing in an effort to maximize revenue. The general populace back than and still today prefer movies with happy, Hollywood-style endings. If you saw the movie The Player, a running joke is how movies with sad endings in the U.S. get rewritten with a happy ending after a poor test screening.

In Europe, the film industry was created by serious artists and authors (esp. France and Italy). They didn't care about making money, as their ventures were often subsidized by patrons and later the government. So they created more serious pieces of artistic films and less fluff. Good for critics, not so much for the general populace looking for entertainment.

 

[Rose Pink]

I think its more likely that the foreign movies you - as an American - are more likely to see are the "great" movies from other countries, which often have a message or are appreciated in America for how "real" they are.

The daily-get-away-from-reality movies are likely big hits in those countries, but are not "good enough" to be appreciated by the "international media".

As a "foreigner" who loves films from other countries, I can guarantee you there are tons of "happy-ever-after" movies that just don't make it to the international film festivals here.

That does make sense. I realize I see only a small sampling of foreign film and only those that have been brought to my attention and only those that are made available through US outlets such as Netflix and the public library.

 

[pgnewarkboy]

Disney is commercial, for profit, movie making at its finest. It has its place in the industry. You have to watch the indies to find adult movies with serious themes. They don't make much money. The real answer is what the consumer will pay for. The average american movie goer simply will not pay to see an adult (I am not referring to porn) movie. If they can't make a buck they can't make the movie. Blame the american audience.

 

[Rose Pink]

In Europe, the film industry was created by serious artists and authors (esp. France and Italy). They didn't care about making money, as their ventures were often subsidized by patrons and later the government. So they created more serious pieces of artistic films and less fluff. Good for critics, not so much for the general populace looking for entertainment.

My favorite French film is "Ponette." The child star is superb! Be sure to have a huge box of tissues close by. It does, however, have a satisfactory ending, at least to me.

As for serious artists, I often find (whether foreign or domestic) a certain sense of conceit in their work, not necessarily greatness.

 

[Rose Pink]

Disney is commercial, for profit, movie making at its finest. It has its place in the industry. You have to watch the indies to find adult movies with serious themes. They don't make much money. The real answer is what the consumer will pay for. The average american movie goer simply will not pay to see an adult (I am not referring to porn) movie. If they can't make a buck they can't make the movie. Blame the american audience.

I'm not blaming anyone. I was just wondering at the difference. I do watch American indies but they usually have resolved endings as well. The foreign films sometimes just seem to stop and not finish a story. I'm left with a "that's it?" feeling.

 

[pgnewarkboy]

I guess life is always unresolved. Story telling of all kinds usually has a beginning, middle, and end. Life has an ending as well but I don't think anything is actually resolved. I don't have a clue about the differences between the french and american psyche - but it is an interesting question. Maybe its the wine.

 

[Rose Pink]

House of D

American film. Happy ending. Just watched it tonight and thought it was good enough to post a recommendation on Tug. Great cast.

 

[ScoopKona]

I think that when you get down to it, we all have the same ending in store for us. Last time I checked, the world's mortality rate was holding at 100 percent. (I'm hoping to get shot by a jealous husband when I'm a centenarian.)

Fellini, Attenborough, Bergman, et al, seemed to tap into that better than current mainstream Hollywood directors.

There was a time in the 60s and 70s when Hollywood had a more "we're all destined for a pine box" attitude -- releasing classics like Easy Rider, Play Misty for Me, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

The audience got sick of it. So we went to the Summer Blockbuster format, starting with Star Wars.

There are still really good movies that deal with pain and death in a serious manner -- Gran Torino comes to mind. But they're becoming rarer in the age of Transformers and X-men.

 

[pgnewarkboy]

I will take a shot at why the difference between French and American movie psyche. France is a much more secular culture than U.S. U.S being extremely religious follows a linear story line provided by the dominant Abrahamic religions. It is a story of life that in one way or another that has meaning, and forward progress, that at some point has a resolution to life. The concepts of redemption, salvation,heaven, etc. basically provide a story line to everybodys life that ends at some point in some kind of individual and greater resolution.

If you take that kind of story line out of the culture you may have a circular story line that does not resolve itself. In other words, each individual life and greater life "just is" and is not "heading" in any particular meaningful direction in the big or small picture. So what you get with the French movie in many cases is a "slice of life" that must stand on its own for the relationships and situations presented in the movie.

 

[Rose Pink]

That's an interesting intellectual reply and I think has merit.

In my more simplistic mind I would just say, hey!, I like feeling good.

 

[teachingmyown]

I can think of a few American made movies with decidedly unhappy endings. (Thelma and Louise, Perfect Storm to name a couple) I would never pay to watch them a second time and after all...isn't it about money anyway?

 

[John Cummings]

Personally, I want to see films that make me feel good. If I wanted to be educated or feel bad, I will just watch the news.

 

[Htoo0]

Hummm, educational news. Guess we don't watch the same channels!

 

[Hoc]

I think that some of the best American movies ever made do not have happy endings. Cassablanca, Citizen Kane, Angel Heart, The Godfather, Gone With the Wind, Sunset Blvd., Bridge on the River Kwai, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Taxi Driver, to name a few.

 

[ecwinch]

Angel Heart? Did I read that right?

 

[Rose Pink]

I think that some of the best American movies ever made do not have happy endings. Cassablanca, Citizen Kane, Angel Heart, The Godfather, Gone With the Wind, Sunset Blvd., Bridge on the River Kwai, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Taxi Driver, to name a few.

But at least there was a conclusion. It may not have been a happy conclusion but they had an ending that felt like an ending.