HOW´S IT GONNA END?

"If you want a happy ending, 

that depends, of course, on where you stop your story." 

-Orson Welles

A movie cannot be enjoyed if it is watched in fast forward.

It is not the same. it hasn´t the same effect. Every movie is made to be seen from start to finish. It is called the build up.Why the triumph is so glorious, why the tragedy is so sad, why the confusion of the twists. Its an emotional relationship between the audience and the film.

None of this movies would be what they are ... Star Wars, The Godfather, The Wizard of Oz, Citizen Kane, Casablanca,Gone With The Wind, Psycho, The Birds... without its music.

I found myself fascinated with a particular event that happens in all movies.  Their endings. I believe, The perfect ending is  when you let the audience and soundtrack play their part. To become one. As if you were wrapping a christmas present, before giving it away. The emotional strain with the audience at the end of a film is very important, because it is the only thing that you leave the theatre with. I think it´s the hardest decision to make for a storyteller, a screen writer or a director. How to end a story?? Basically because there will be nothing after. I think The End of a film  provides a close, not always complete resolution. It is why we just spent two hours watching. It´s worth our time.

I find it harder to end a movie than to begin it, haven´t you ever felt the movie mysteriously ends too quickly?? or that the ending didn´t resolve anything? Or that it was just not coherent to the previous 2 hours of movie? The meaning of an ending is a crucial part of the story. Either nothing more can happen or we are left with ambigous thoughts of..what happened? This are some of my favorite scores and endings that i think, deeply connect with the audience.

Burkhard von Dallwitz and Philip Glass(composers The Truman Show)

Matching the story and the score is something of talent. To me what Dallwitz and Glass did is a landmark in movies, just  spectacular. Music is broken by the boat hitting a wall that resembled the sky. Truman believed all his life that was his limit. His dream was to go places to be an explorer. As he feels that wall and realizes he is no longer under that ilussion. We all know he is a free man. He is right where he wanted to be climbing those steps to a door. To the UNKNOWN. Not a Truman Show anymore ... "In case I don´t see ya, good afternoon, good evening and good night!"

ANDREA GUERRA(composer The Pursuit of Happyness)

Mixing both piano and violin with the trouble and sacrifices of earning a job and taking care of a little kid. Guerra masterfully executes an audiovisual poem. At the end its the soundtrack the emotional glue between us and Chris Gardner. When we hear " tomorrow is gonna be your first day if you´d like to work here as a broker? ...would you like that Chris?" ...and his eyes become full of tears. We are with him at that moment feeling what he feels. Speechless. As he races down those steps and he startrs to clap, we want to clap with him at his moment of Joy. In that moment we know everything will be ok in his pursuit of Happyness. I love how at the ending of the film we see Chris walking with his son. And the real Chris Gardner dressed in a suit walks right pass him.

"Being with the characters and the way the camera moves suggested certain musical things,the weightless feel of it, the lack of cuts completely influence how you write musically" -Steven Price (composer GRAVITY)

Scoring a movie in space must be quite the task. Most of all how do you come up with an ending that seems fit. British composer Steven Price found out what was inside Alfonso Cuaron´s vision of the safe return to earth. As if it was a metaphor of life coming out of the water and beggining to stand on two feet. Prices masterpiece of score celebrates human victory over adversity with violins and cellos and adding a slight chorus. Bringing all together as Dr. Ryan Stone says "Thank you " stepping away and the movie ends.

"I am very emotional how i react and film has a quality in it which appeals to me. I  immediately respond emotionally that is the most important moment."-Jan Andrzej Paweł Kaczmarek (composer Hachi: A Dog's Tale)

Some people consider animal movies cliches or even boaring. It is Lassie or Benji or some friendly animal. The depth of this movie and its soundtrack can match any drama. Made me respect in so many ways Jan A.P. Kaczmarek. He gives us the key notes to what is happening on screen with a mix of violin and piano.  Giving the same piece variations of rythm. As the movie comes to a close, we see a little summary of the whole movie and of Hachi´s bond with the proffesor. In a kind of progressive sadness in which we all know death is inevitable. That piano marks the reencounter with his old master.But the music comforts in a different way. As the proffesor exits the train station and says "Hachi!" We  know now they are together.

"I have a cool record collection, what i do is go thru it and i find different songs and different pieces of music. I SELECT as i am looking for this is the music, the rythm of Kill Bill." -Quentin Tarantino

We all knew Kill Bill VOL 1. would be a huge film not just because of Quentin Tarantino but because  it was divided in two parts. The one thing i didn´t expect was the ending of Volume 1 is much, much better than Volume 2. Yes, volume 2 gives closure to everything and resolves our doubts. But as The Empire Strikes Back did in 1980....Tarantino wisely chose the final song and decided to give us one more final surprise with the final line. After such a violent movie, full of blood and dead bodies it seems appropriate to use a Gheorghe Zamfir song, called The Lonely Sheperd. That Pan flute is PERFECT. It is such a delicate instrument that it BUILDS UP all this Tension, agression and revenge. Just to leave us with the last line said by BILL "Is she aware her daughter is still alive"

In many ways, an ending is synonym of freedom to the characters. An assurance of  permanent rest or a time of peace. After all of this ...life will never be the same.

" And I want to know the same thing

Everyone wants to know

How's it going to end?"

-Tom Waits