Ranking Quentin Tarantino's endings!
I know he isn't for everyone, but I'm actually a pretty big Tarantino fan. Thanks to my mother, who was a huge fan of his films himself, I was one of the only girls in the 6th grade who had dozens of Reservoir Dogs posters since I was hopelessly in love with Michael Madse (Mr. Blond) I grew up watching his ultra violent "hip" films, and can still remember when my mother rented Pulp Fiction for me, as well as showing me films he had written and even starred in (True Romance, and From Dusk Till Dawn.) I think why I loved Tarantino's films is the memories I have associated with my late mother. I remember she even bought me one of those Kangaroo hats that Samuel L Jackson and Pam Grier wear in Jackie Brown. (Clearly I was a cool kid way back in 1997) and how excited I was to see both installments of Kill Bill in high school as well as the epic otherwise known Grindhouse where I got to see Tarantino's take on a slasher film, but instead of the killer using a knife, he used a car. One thing that always bums me out is how amazing his films have gotten over the years. I lost my mother in early 2009, and I remember watching Inglorious Bastards and thinking how much my mother would have loved this film. Since Bastards, Tarantino has made period pieces with big sweeping epics taking place at different times in history. Some films I've enjoyed more than others, some I'm downright loved. It took me two viewings to fully appreciate Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (his latest film) but it reminded me how Tarantino always knows how to make on HELL of an ending to his stories. So today paying tribute not only to Quentin, but my late mother as well, I'm making bloody Mary's, cranking the A.C and having a Tarantino marathon, as I rank the endings to his films from least favorite to top favorite. Please tell me yours and why you picked that certain order.
10) Death Proof
- Two weeks ago I visited Chicago, where I stayed with my very good friend Melissa and her fiancé' Brandon. The three of us geeked out, watching and talking movies. The biggest subject of course was Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. We stared ranking Tarantino's films, and we all basically agreed that sadly Quentin's half of the 2007 epic Grindhouse, was the weakest of the two films. Still, I grew up watching 70's car movies thanks to my father. I got the references that were constant in this film (Smokey And The Bandit, White Line Fever, Grand Theft Auto, Eat My Dust, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, ect.) There's a special kind of excitement when you watch these films, and see how fast these reckless stuntmen were really driving n the days long before CGI. Sadly being the follow up to the action packed Planet Terror, Death Proof seemed to drag in spots, and featured some of the most unlikeable female characters I've ever seen. Don't get me wrong (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Zoe Bell rocked, but everyone else...mostly Tracie Thoms were the worst. I actually couldn't wait until these women were killed off and found myself rooting for Kurt Russell. Don't even get me started on Rosario Dawson *eye roll* I cringe every time the women walk up to Stuntman Mike's turned over car. The fact she rolls up her pant legs to look "badass" makes me just shake my head. I'm sorry but if Kim said "Boo-Yeah!" or "Tap that ass!" one more time I was gonna flip out. I'm glad the girls got the upper hand on Mike, but when you have such an unlikeable group of women, you just can't root for them. I will give this movie props, the whole ship mast part had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't believe how great the car chase scenes were shot, but this is Tarantino's weakest film, and has the weakest ending. You know it's pretty bad when Quentin himself has one on record agreeing, this film just simply dropped the ball.
Kill Bill Vol. 2
- I was a huge fan of both Kill Bill movies in high school. Sadly I feel both films haven't aged very well in my eyes, but both are two very fun films. One paying tribute to kung fu movies, the other spaghetti westerns. Both are great revenge movies, and if somebody asked me I actually prefer Vol. 2 than Vol 1. But, I'm sure I'm not alone to say the film sorta fell flat in the last ten minutes. Still, I really gotta hand it to Tarantino for not doing the huge epic fight scene that we got in the last installment. Instead it was more about the bride and Bill's complicated relationship, The ending is sweet, we actually get a happy ending, and finally Uma Thurman's character can find peace after murdering hundreds of people to get her revenge. She has her daughter, and the last we see of her she's laughing and smiling in a car with her adorable daughter BeBe smiling beside her. The credits with that beauitfuil Spanish song playing really sets the mood, but I feel after all that build up when you compare it to the huge cliffhanger that the pervious installment left us with, Vol. 2 wraps things up nicely since it's the end of the story, but just doesn't seem to truly pack a punch. Still, three cheers to a happy ending as the bride drives into a very unknown but happy future.
Reservoir Dogs
- Reservoir Dogs is the perfect example you don't need a huge budget to tell a very compelling story. I've always been a fan of Tarantino's first film, and for the first half of the move you try to piece together what the characters say on what exactly happened during the robbery gone wrong? Also there's the evidence that leads us to believe there's a rat in the group. After we learn who it is, and how they became a member of the group, flashbacks are shown leading up to the present time where our undercover police officer Mr. Orange lays bleeding on the floor (To this day this injury still bothers me since I have heard getting shot in the stomach is one of the most painful injuries a person can suffer from.) After the crazed Mr. Blond is taken down, there's finally a Mexican stand-off with several of the characters all of who don't trust each other. The head boss is ready to kill Mr. Orange, convinced he's the rat, where Mr. White, a professional who has bonded with Mr. Orange over the course of the last few weeks pleads for the young man's life. He tells his boss/friends that they have it all wrong, that Mr. Orange is innocent, and he took a bullet earlier and very well might die if not brought to medical attention. It's a tense scene, and in the end everyone gets up shooting. Mr. White is the only survivor of this shootout, and is left badly wounded. He crawls over to Mr. Orange who's laying in a puddle of his own blood and can hear the police closing in around the hideout. It's officaly over. He holds his friend, and Mr. Orange makes the very stupid mistake, riddled with guilt and admits that he is in fact a cop. The devastated moans that come from Mr. White are downright heartbreaking. He was wrong about everything, and he friends died because of it. Just as the police break down the door, their voices screaming off camera for Mr. White who holds Mr. Orange in his arms, a gun pointed at his head to put the weapon down, it's now all over. He fires killing Mr. Orange, resulting in the police blowing Mr. White away. It's tragic, and a very unhappy ending but realistic. I always feel so uncomfortable watching Mr. Orange. He begs to be taken to the hospital, even if Mr. White throws him out on the sidewalk, he promise not to say anything. You actually can feel this man's pain. Help is just a phone call away, but he's completely helpless trapped. The ending to this movie is far from happy, and pretty depressing but very well shot. You can't help but wish that Mr. Orange hadn't said anything, yet you can see the bond between him and Mr. White and perhaps knowing he was in fact dying, wanted to confess to him before it all came to its explosive ending.
Django Unchained
- It took me awhile to warm up to Django Unchained. I'm not the biggest Jamie Foxx fan. Still, I really liked when somebody said instead of this being a Western, this was a Southern. I found the entire last act a lot of fun, and really did like the "Fall of Candyland." This film had it's high and low points, but this truly was a satisfying ending. From the moment Calvin Candie is killed, all the way to Django showing up after his funeral to take down everyone and free his wife. I really loved how truly
"explosive" it is, seeing the bad guys finally get what's coming to them Billy Cash, Ms. Laura, ect. Here we get to see a happy fairytale ending as Django gets to ride off into the moonlight with his wife Broomhilda. It's a happy ending. but this film is far from being my favorite. At least it's satisfying over the top ending!
Pulp Fiction
"I think we should be leaving now." "Yeah, that's probably a good idea." Pulp Fiction is a very fun movie, I associate it with memories of watching it with my mother. The very last chapter shows the characters of Vincent and Jules trying to relax a little after the morning from Hell. Not only did a miracle happen, Vincent accidentally shot Marvin in the face, resulting in a very stressful next hour by calling "The Wolf" up who helps them clean the mess up, and leave the two hitmen in casual clothing, exhausted, and deciding to go grab breakfast before delivering a very important suitcase to their boss. While at the restaurant, the two talk bacon, charming animals, and Jules' unknown future, when the two robbers Pumpkin and Honey Bunny pick this very inconvenient time to rob the restaurant. After a very tense stand-off, Jules allows the two lovers to leave with the loot, but spare the suitcase for them. Here we see the restaurant left in stunned silence, before Vincent leans in and tells Jules they should be leaving. Both get up, with the iconic soundtrack playing as they tuck their guns away, and leave. Totally iconic.
Kill Bill Vol. 1
- "This woman deserves her revenge...and we deserve to die." Both Kill Bill movies are far from perfect movies, but nevertheless showcases a very strong female character who goes on an epic journey to get revenge on her ex-colleagues who were hired by her boss and ex-lover Bill to murder her, her fiancé', and friends on her wedding day after taking off, and leaving her life as a hired as an assassin. Here she's left for dead, and when she awakes after a five year coma, she discovers that her unborn child dead, and a steel plate in her head where Bill shot her. Here the audience witness as she tracks down everyone responsible on her hit-list. At the very end, after taking out hundreds of people, and leaving a witness mutilated with a message for Bill, and the last people on her kill list. In the final moments we see the last people on the list (Ellie and Budd who both have two VERY different thought knowing the bride is after them.) Then we're left with a HUGE reveal. Her daughter is actually still alive. Great use of editing and music! I still remember hating having to wait a whole year to see the next installment. Tarantino was very ahead of his time.
Jackie Brown
- Jackie Brown is one of my favorite Tarantino movies, and highly underrated. I found the entire heist storyline very compelling. This is LA through Quentin's eyes in the late 90's, and somehow it still felt as if it was straight from the 70's. At the very end after everything is said and done, Ordell is dead, Jackie is cleared by the police, and secretly now set money wise after robbing Ordell right under his nose. Here she has plans to go to Europe, and live out her years peacefully and for once happy. Here she says a very tearful goodbye to Max Cherry, the man who helped her from the beginning. Here you SO badly wants them to run away together. Instead Tarantino keeps it realistic, where they say their goodbyes, and with a beautiful usage of the soundtrack, we watch as Jackie Brown drives away, the camera staying on her face as she drives into an unknown, but hopefully happy future and it fades out on Max who's near tears knowing the love of his life just walked out. This film needs more credit, it's genius.
The Hateful Eight
- This in my eyes is one of Tarantino's best endings. Here we get to see his gritty look of a group of very unlikeable characters, all held up during a blizzard as the audience is forced to guess who's trying to free Daisy. For nearly three hours, we watch as tensions build, and at the very end we witness the last men "standing" or so to speak. Major Warren and Sheriff Mannix finally pay tribute to John Ruth by hanging Daisy. Bleeding to death, knowing that they are in fact going to die, the two lay back exhausted, covered in blood before Mannix asks to read Warren's fake letter he told people;e for years was written by President Lincoln. Here Walton Goggins reads the letter, and there's just something soothing about his voice, but I find it extremely peaceful. "Ole' Mary Todd...that's a nice touch." I love that these two men who have hated each other throughout the entire film, finally put their differences aside and work together. Here we witness them die together, and the credit songs play, basically explaining...nobody is coming home. Perfection.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
- This took two viewings, but it's safe to say this was a truly wonderful film. I always like to think my mother, who I've mentioned earlier, would have truly loved Tarantino's films in the later half of his career. Once Upon A Time is a perfect example. Here we get to see the dying golden age of Hollywood, following these two underdogs, and in typical Inglorious Bastard fashion, we watch as he alter history. The last twenty minutes of this film is truly everything. We get to witness the Manson crew decide to kill Rick Dalton the TV star instead, and hit his house just as his stuntman and best friend Cliff has just taken his dog Brandi out for a walk, and smoked an acid dipped cigarette which has just decided to take effect as soon as they kick the front door open. With a perfect use of music playing in the background, Quentin plays off comic relief, balancing the very serious subject matter off perfectly as we witness these three psychos get exactly what they deserve. The best has to be when one of the girls comes crashing through the glass door screaming bloody murder and falls into the pool surprising Rick who's wasted jamming out with his headphones on floating in his pool (mood) Surprised by this, he scrambles out of the pool and grabs his flame thrower and kills the last girl. We end up witnessing the ending we all wish had happened. Sharon Tate and the others survive the events of that horrible night and invite Rick over for drinks. That lingering shot of them all standing in the driveway is sad since you know what really happened. This is simply a fairytale, that should have happened.
Inglorious Bastards
- "You know something Utivich? This may be my masterpiece?" This hands down is Tarantino's strongest ending. I love how he rewrote history, and yet again this is how we wished WWII ended. This entire movie is cinema perfection, but yet again the action really kicks up in the last twenty minutes. We get to see the amazing theater massacre, and in the end Hans Landa being the snake he is, surrendering and selling out his side. Well, Aldo can see right through his bullshit and asks the million dollar question. "Once the war is over, what do you plan on doing with your uniform?" Not wanting Hans to forget that he was in fact a murdering SS officer, he pins him down with Utivich "The little man" and carves a Nazi symbol right into his forehead. Here we see the same exact spot we watched earlier, as Aldo and Utivich smile staring down at the screaming crying Landa, as Aldo claims "You know something Utivich? This may be my masterpiece." Both smile down at the audience, as if they know how over the top and crazy this would be ending is. Complete perfection.
