Film Endings & Cyclical Structures
The Importance of Endings
Most films have a beginning, middle and end. Beginnings set things up and hook the audience, so, justifiably, people stress the importance of them. Endings are often overlooked when talking about the importance of structure, however, a bad ending never fails to ruin an entire film for the viewer. Weak beginnings can be forgiven if the rest of the film is strong, however, a weak ending makes the film fall flat.
Endings are what the audience walk away from thinking about - it's the last note the film leaves for them. With this in mind, many directors and writers want to create an impactful ending that leaves the viewer thinking and/or feeling something. The intertextual 'x' at the end of 'Logan', the cruel, unsatisfactory yet bittersweet glance at the end of La La Land, the contrapuntal music paired with nuclear explosions in 'Dr Strangelove' or even just the smile in 'Birdman'. These are all impactful endings that do just this, but what makes them so great?
Endings in Short Films
Everything that you write must work towards an ending, and people often forget this - particularly students. This leads to films falling flat. Despite short films often subverting classic 3-part narrative structures, I would say that endings are arguably the most important aspect of a short film. This is particular as short films often have the intention of making the audience think. What is the best way of making the audience think? By providing them with a hard hitting ending. The audience will walk away with time left to ponder on the very last note the film left with them.
Examples of Short Film Endings
Here are a few examples of endings in professional short films.
Most films have a beginning, middle and end. Beginnings set things up and hook the audience, so, justifiably, people stress the importance of them. Endings are often overlooked when talking about the importance of structure, however, a bad ending never fails to ruin an entire film for the viewer. Weak beginnings can be forgiven if the rest of the film is strong, however, a weak ending makes the film fall flat.
Endings are what the audience walk away from thinking about - it's the last note the film leaves for them. With this in mind, many directors and writers want to create an impactful ending that leaves the viewer thinking and/or feeling something. The intertextual 'x' at the end of 'Logan', the cruel, unsatisfactory yet bittersweet glance at the end of La La Land, the contrapuntal music paired with nuclear explosions in 'Dr Strangelove' or even just the smile in 'Birdman'. These are all impactful endings that do just this, but what makes them so great?
Endings in Short Films
Everything that you write must work towards an ending, and people often forget this - particularly students. This leads to films falling flat. Despite short films often subverting classic 3-part narrative structures, I would say that endings are arguably the most important aspect of a short film. This is particular as short films often have the intention of making the audience think. What is the best way of making the audience think? By providing them with a hard hitting ending. The audience will walk away with time left to ponder on the very last note the film left with them.
Examples of Short Film Endings
Here are a few examples of endings in professional short films.
ReConception
This short film's narrative revolves around its ending, which essentially serves as a punchline to a very longwinded joke. The beginning and middle of this film follows a group of unruly children breaking in and stealing from an 'abandoned' storage trailer. It tries to create tension and a sense of impending danger for one of the children when he is driven away in the trailer by an unsuspecting adult, presenting itself as a relatively serious film. However, when it is revealed the trailer belongs to an old man (who is helped by his daughter to unpack), the man ventures into the trailer. When his daughter comes to check on him, the original boy hops out of the trailer, prompting the daughter to ask: 'Dad?'. This ending adds a comedic twist on the end that is relatively satisfying despite the long and essentially eventless beginning and middle. So, while the rest of the film is weak, the funny ending serves as a pillar for the weak film. The whole film revolves around its punchline ending.
Black Swell
This short's ending aims to shock. The film follows a teacher at a motel, ready to commit suicide. He then encounters one of his old students, who he rejects after they try to invite themselves into his life. The ending depicts the student killing himself, a sudden twist in events that leaves the audience shocked and distraught. This horrific ending provides a lesson for the audience, it makes them think about the way they behave towards other people and the effect people's actions can have on other people. While the first and second act of the film are dark and gripping, the ending cements this film as a thoughtful and emotional watch. The message of the film likely wouldn't have applied without the twisted ending. The closing short specifically works well, because they can only see the teacher. This allows them to reflect but also makes the death of the student more powerful because of the ambiguity. This is an example of an implicit ending.
Different Types of Endings
According to many writers, there are six common types of endings in fiction. Obviously, this talks about novels, however, literature theory can be transferred fluidly over to film. These six types of endings may intersect, they are not used mutually exclusively.
These are the six types of ending:
The ending my film uses is an explicit ending. The reason for this is, although a lot is left to the interpretation of the viewers, the questions are answered and it has a very cemented message that is clear. There is a clear chain of events, presenting a cause and effect scenario that makes the audience understand what exactly happens when people behave in the way the characters do.
An explicit ending is important in making the message of my film clear. If I were to opt for an implicit ending, than the audience would be distracted by the ambiguity to work out the moral message of the film. My film also contains elements of the tie-back ending (the film ends in the same way it starts), the cliffhanger ending (because it's cut off in the middle of a sentence) and the twist ending (because Egon becomes the Preacher, subverting traditional narrative structures in which the main characters find happiness).
The Ending and The Cyclical Structure
The most important part of my film is the ending. This is because the ending cements the message, without the ending of the film, the rest of the film is pointless. I use my ending to create a cyclical structure to allude to how hatred and tyranny works in an endless cycle.
What is a Cyclical Structure?
A cyclical structure refers to how there is a sense of repetition within a film narrative: that events are either set to or actually do repeat themselves, often indefinitely.
Cyclical structures can be used for many reasons. For example, it may create a sense of nostalgia or familiarity by repeating something seen earlier in a film. An example of this is in 'Marley and Me', although this is a very loose form of a cyclical structure, it works well as an example for nostalgia. At the beginning of the film, the female character refers to the puppy as 'clearance puppy', later on in the film after the dog has passed away, she utters 'goodbye clearance puppy'. This heightens the sadness and cathartic impact because it makes the audience think back to that original moment in the film, triggering a happy memory during a moment of sadness: it makes them feel like they miss the dog too.
Another use for a cyclical structure is is to create a meaning. For example, if something keeps repeating itself, then it suggests that there is a need for change without making the need for change explicit. This change may centre around universal ideas such as society, or it may centre around individualist ideas such as a change a character needs to make. An example of this is in 'Looper'.
Retrograde Ending
What is a retrograde ending?
With this in mind, a retrograde ending is essentially when a film's narrative/plot ends in a similar way/position to how the plot started. This refers to the chronology of the film, not the placement of sequences. For example, placing the climax at the beginning is not an example of a retrograde ending, this is in fact called 'in media res' (in the middle of the action'). It's about the plot not the narrative structure.
To explain a retrograde ending more specifically, it basically is when a plot goes from point a, to point b, to point c and then to point a again.
A retrograde ending is an effective way of creating a cyclical narrative as it shows the plot moving backwards in position. It shows that change is likely needed. An example of a retrograde ending would be if a film begins with the birth of a character and then finishes with the birth of said character's own child: it imitates the action at the beginning of the story.
Retrograde Ending in my Film
I employ a retrograde ending in my film. This is because it ends in the exact same way it begins (negating the prologue, which is an example of 'in media res'). For example, at the beginning, Egon walks past the Preacher and the Preacher asks him 'where are you going boy?', to which Egon replies 'I don't know, yet, sir.'. In the end scene, a young man (of a similar age to Egon) walks past a new Preacher, who is revealed to be Egon. Egon asks him 'Where are you going, boy?'. As the young man replies, it cuts off to the credits.
This is an example of a retrograde ending because it shows how there has been a progression through the story eg. the characters fighting against prejudice, only to be regressed back to a similar position. This denotes the need for change, cementing it as a circular narrative.
Different Types of Endings
According to many writers, there are six common types of endings in fiction. Obviously, this talks about novels, however, literature theory can be transferred fluidly over to film. These six types of endings may intersect, they are not used mutually exclusively.
These are the six types of ending:
- Explicit Ending - This is the ending that wraps everything up and answers all the questions. This ending will frequently tell what happens to each of the major characters, and is usually very satisfying in its completeness.
- Implicit Ending - An implicit ending is an ending where everything is based on interpretation, it isn't wrapped up and complete and is left up to the viewer
- Twist Ending - A twist ending is when the plot hints towards an inevitable ending, however, takes an unexpected turn in direction or outcome.
- Tie-Back Ending - This ending ties the end of the film back to clues planted in the beginning.
- Cliffhanger/Unresolved Ending - This ending is where everything is left unanswered and the audience are left guessing. While often used in franchises, this refers to standalone films with no follow ups.
- Long View Ending - This ending tells the audience what happens far up into the future, after the events of a film. For example, how the characters are getting on after a significant time frame.
The ending my film uses is an explicit ending. The reason for this is, although a lot is left to the interpretation of the viewers, the questions are answered and it has a very cemented message that is clear. There is a clear chain of events, presenting a cause and effect scenario that makes the audience understand what exactly happens when people behave in the way the characters do.
An explicit ending is important in making the message of my film clear. If I were to opt for an implicit ending, than the audience would be distracted by the ambiguity to work out the moral message of the film. My film also contains elements of the tie-back ending (the film ends in the same way it starts), the cliffhanger ending (because it's cut off in the middle of a sentence) and the twist ending (because Egon becomes the Preacher, subverting traditional narrative structures in which the main characters find happiness).
The Ending and The Cyclical Structure
The most important part of my film is the ending. This is because the ending cements the message, without the ending of the film, the rest of the film is pointless. I use my ending to create a cyclical structure to allude to how hatred and tyranny works in an endless cycle.
What is a Cyclical Structure?
A cyclical structure refers to how there is a sense of repetition within a film narrative: that events are either set to or actually do repeat themselves, often indefinitely.
Cyclical structures can be used for many reasons. For example, it may create a sense of nostalgia or familiarity by repeating something seen earlier in a film. An example of this is in 'Marley and Me', although this is a very loose form of a cyclical structure, it works well as an example for nostalgia. At the beginning of the film, the female character refers to the puppy as 'clearance puppy', later on in the film after the dog has passed away, she utters 'goodbye clearance puppy'. This heightens the sadness and cathartic impact because it makes the audience think back to that original moment in the film, triggering a happy memory during a moment of sadness: it makes them feel like they miss the dog too.
Another use for a cyclical structure is is to create a meaning. For example, if something keeps repeating itself, then it suggests that there is a need for change without making the need for change explicit. This change may centre around universal ideas such as society, or it may centre around individualist ideas such as a change a character needs to make. An example of this is in 'Looper'.
Retrograde Ending
What is a retrograde ending?
With this in mind, a retrograde ending is essentially when a film's narrative/plot ends in a similar way/position to how the plot started. This refers to the chronology of the film, not the placement of sequences. For example, placing the climax at the beginning is not an example of a retrograde ending, this is in fact called 'in media res' (in the middle of the action'). It's about the plot not the narrative structure.
To explain a retrograde ending more specifically, it basically is when a plot goes from point a, to point b, to point c and then to point a again.
A retrograde ending is an effective way of creating a cyclical narrative as it shows the plot moving backwards in position. It shows that change is likely needed. An example of a retrograde ending would be if a film begins with the birth of a character and then finishes with the birth of said character's own child: it imitates the action at the beginning of the story.
Retrograde Ending in my Film
I employ a retrograde ending in my film. This is because it ends in the exact same way it begins (negating the prologue, which is an example of 'in media res'). For example, at the beginning, Egon walks past the Preacher and the Preacher asks him 'where are you going boy?', to which Egon replies 'I don't know, yet, sir.'. In the end scene, a young man (of a similar age to Egon) walks past a new Preacher, who is revealed to be Egon. Egon asks him 'Where are you going, boy?'. As the young man replies, it cuts off to the credits.
This is an example of a retrograde ending because it shows how there has been a progression through the story eg. the characters fighting against prejudice, only to be regressed back to a similar position. This denotes the need for change, cementing it as a circular narrative.
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