"We're not going to sit around and explain the ending. Can the game be left in an invalid state if all state-based actions are replaced? All that being said, I think my explanation of the film's ending, if accurate, makes the film a bit self-defeating. Why is Birdman subtitled The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance? Infused with this heroic powers. While Mel sees it in the sappy romantic. Seeing Birdman reveals that Riggan's ego is still around and he isn't truly free yet. R: I was a sh*tty father, wasnt I?S: No, you were [hesitates]You were fineR: [Sad] Yeah, thats right. R: Lilacs.S: Are you laughing? Either way, whenever Riggan does something that physically changes his environment (e.g. The last paragraph is: I could hear my heart beating. In the last stage of the play he actually kills himself with the gun (instead of merely wounding himself). Sam lays her head on Riggans chest. No one gives a sh*t but you. They were in a bad way, believe me. And, of course, their age was two strikes against them. You know what Im talking about.S: Oh yeah. Then, according to Dinelaris: "the camera prowled like it did the whole film, went back stage through the halls weve seen the whole time and wed get to the dressing room where literally Johnny Depp would be sitting looking in the mirror and putting on his Riggan Thomson wig and then the poster of Pirates of the Caribbean 5 would be in the back. The actor just looks the part and clearly had a blast. Why? Thus, I posit that the very last shot of the film is Innaritu's way of joining the metaphorical/imagined with the real. Youre not important! You look hideous.R: Oh wow, thank you. Riggan was always a lousy guy, but shortly before he walked out onto stage for opening night, he seemed to have come to peace with who he was. The first time is when he shoots himself in the head onstage. Not about the accident, though. Why? I felt it and the film began to breathe by itself, and the characters began to grow. He wants to join the other birds he sees in the sky. Riggan wasnot a Hollywood hack, he was adedicated performer - so dedicatedthat he was literally willing to die for his craft (creating "super-realism" in the process). Just like Inception orLife of Pi (read our ending explanations forInception and Life of Pi), the takeawayisn't a matter of what happens - it's a matter of what it all means. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Can you imagine? Looking down at his adoring fans and the physical world, Riggan lifts his eyes to the sky, and leaves his life behind. Riggan is only thinking about himself, and Sam is sick of him only thinking about himself. With several falling into symbols for the acting world and several falling into symbols for the real world. Now I feel very good about the ending. Shes looking for some reaction that shows he cares about her. This symbolizes the reality that he can never be free from the shadow of this role, no matter what he does. possible? willing to die for his craft (creating "super-realism" in the Yeah, this is what I wanted. And probably the main answer. You confuse love for admiration. He jumps, but instead of a cheesy montage of him soaring over times square we get a shot of his daughter accepting and celebrating his "liberation" (suicide), which is every bit as ridiculous. Its not a happy coincidence that Michael Keaton, the original Batman from the 1989 movie, plays an aged actor (Riggan Thomson) who was known as the superhero Birdman but hasnt done anything relevant in 20-some years. Well, there's a whole world out there where people fight to be relevant every day. Except, he didnt think of it that way. I dropped in to see each of them every day, sometimes twice a day if I was up doing other calls anyway. The sight of Birdman in the bathroom made him realize that no amount of fame or acceptance can cure his demented mind and ego, and in that frustration, he jumps out of the window to commit suicide. Which would be worse? Youre doing this because youre scared to death, like the rest of us, that you dont matter. _______________________________________________________________. I went in and wrote it with Alexander [Dinelaris] and Nico [Giacobone], and I am so happy that I changed it. I did get some new ways of looking at this film from reading these. It has nothing to do with the technique, its just a mediocre film. 7 days ago. Everything seemed small.". Between Career Riggan and Human Riggan. She then looks up and sees his Birdman character, a superhuman being adored by everyone. Oh, shoot. Ask yourself, what would it look like if Riggan were beloved? Taken the steering wheel through the sternum. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? And you act like it doesnt exist. He survives the suicide, jumps out the hospital window, flies, and his daughter sees that he is a real superhero (Birdman ending) or he shoots himself on stage and the last scene is just his dying thoughts. Its a fever dream that goes from crowd applause to a comet streaking through the sky to a marching band on the theater stage to the motel room set where Riggan shot himself to Spider-Man appearing on stage to the comet to more superheroes on stage, a Transformer fights a superhero, to a beach full of jellyfish (recalling Riggans story of trying to drown himself in the ocean but getting stung by jellyfish) to the hospital ceiling and Riggan waking up. The meta stuff is important to Birdman, as the story operates on a symbolic level as much as it does a purely narrative level. A must-see. And it would chain Riggan to another franchise-type role, where people stop seeing him as a person and only see him for the character and the moment. This movie doesn't just want to make you feel something, it wants to say something about humanity and stardom and the inner lives of celebrities and the "cultural genocide" that superhero films have wrought upon us. The first happens early on, when Riggan is at his most stressed about putting together a Broadway play and he and Sam are the most at odds. They do exist. You are doing this because you want to feel relevant again. Hes proven he exists. With scarface himself looking hilariously perfect. In an epilogue that is enigmatic and affecting, we learn that Riggan survived because he fired the gun incorrectly and only ended up destroying his nose. Its a kind of tragic happy ending. When I first watched the film, I spent the last few minutes scrambling to process all that had come before. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignornance) is an inherently metaphorical and rather surreal film. To me there seem to be two interpretations: one optimistic; one somewhat depressing or, at least, downbeat. He is happy. Theres an obvious divide between where Sylvias thoughts are compared to Jakes. to silence Birdman's abusive voice. You're doing a play based on a book that was written sixtyyears ago, for a thousand rich old white people whose only real concern is gonna be where they go to have their cake and coffee when it's over - and let's face it, Dad, it's not for the sake of art. But there are a few moments with Sylvia and Sam where the career stuff falls away. I could hear the human noise we sat there making, not one of us moving, not even when the room went dark. Whether he really died or if it was a symbolic delusion in his head doesn't really matter. Then again by the continuous takes from the stage to the back-stage with no breaks in dialogue. The third takes place in the hospital, after opening night and Riggan shooting off his nose. Here's what screenwriters of the movie says about the ending. And you act like it doesnt exist. There is absolutely no need to be rude. (E.g. Its not important, okay?! It is hard to say exactly when this scene starts because of the fact that the whole movie is shot in the illusion of being one continuous take. For a lot of Birdman we may think of Riggans mental illness as if it were merely a quirk. Its sad, yes. That moment is probably when Riggan goes to the roof, drunk, feeling scared and overwhelmed, and seems moments away from flying. Except some kind stranger saves him. We couldnt get Johnny Depp or even the poster. Or a father to Sam. Birdmans voice is a representation of Riggan's commercial self - the part of him that wants to quit the stage show, forget the desire for critical rather than financial success, and create more Birdman films. First, here's a description of the ending from Wikipedia, which matches my understanding of how things happened: On opening night, the performances are better than ever. In this way Riggan liberates himself from his ego and is finally able to ascend to his afterlife, which is what his daughter sees. Well, guess what? I said Riggan was the one who added all of that about Ed, but in reality its Irritu. I was not commenting to be mean, I was commenting as a regular contributor to this site who would like to see proper citation of claims made, for myself, for others, and to assess credibility. That need to prove you not only still have value but your very existence. However, he's still damaged (and possibly demented)goods - ultimatelyjumping out the hospital window to his death. The Ed character is nothing more than a point of discussion for Carvers main characters. Its not important, okay?! But Riggan can see how the success will become just another burden. And I think that brings us back to the original Johnny Depp ending. In the second interaction, theyre neutral, both a little exhausted by the distance thats existed between them, both trying harder to be patient with the other and to see and hear one another. And you know what, youre right, you dont. The use of telekinesis is there to demonstrate the divide between Riggans perception of himself and the reality of himself. The first Generic Doubly-Linked-Lists C implementation. I think its safe to say from the original end that Inarritu had a point in mind. Whether he dies, lives, or flies, Riggan has learned(and in doing so, mirrored, the larger thought presented in "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love") that he can be and is loved. But Riggan isnt happy. The final theory blends elements of the priortwo - suggesting that the hospital scene is real but the end result is the same, Riggan successfully commits suicide. One couple, Terri and Mel, takes turns telling long anecdotes that juxtapose one another. That finale would have brought Birdman full-circle, as the opening scene is Riggan in the dressing room, with his Birdman inner-voice saying, How did we end up here?. I could hear everyones heart. where he has won the adoration of his fans, reconciled with his wife, While Mel tells of an elderly couple who were in a car crash and survived but were in bad shape. Can someone explain why this point is giving me 8.3V? Desire for love - the words shown during the opening credits from Carver are key. Things are happening in a place that you ignore, a place, that by way, has already forgotten about you. But by shifting focus to Sam, theres beauty in the love father and daughter discover for one another. Oh, Im sorry.S: You just wiped out the entire human race.R: [Laughing] There it goes. The connection there is that Riggans very life would have been commercialized. But for our purposes we need to look at Sylvia from more of the symbolic perspective. But off stage, he lies and politics and manipulates. This brings us back to What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. Both the original story and the play within Birdman explore the idea that love is a complicated thing that can express itself in polarizing ways. WebNo. It would be so embarrassing. You mock Twitter. However, he's still damaged (and possibly demented) goods - ultimately jumping out the hospital window to his death. For that reason, Riggan's ex-wife, Sylvia (Amy Ryan), even warns him that there's a difference between being loved and being admired: Sylvia: You know, just because I didn't like that ridiculous comedy you did with Goldie Hawn did not mean I did not love you. I mean, just barely. Something. Ruptured spleen along with everything else. Using an Ohm Meter to test for bonding of a subpanel. That is the way he wanted to remember her. You're not important. I think theyre trying to remind us thats all our ego and self-obsession are worth [a single sheet of toilet paper]. This pretty much requires you to either provide proof of your claim, or their validity is completely suspect. This is a man who feels like he's done what he's set out to do and has now been completely disconnected from reality. Things are happening in a place that you ignore, a place, that by way, has already forgotten about you. I've seen various interpretations of this, but I think Riggan's powers are a physical manifestation of his own self-inflated sense of importance, or an imagined way of his inner-Birdman persona empowering him. Butch was found dead in his home when he was only 43 of seemingly unknown causes. Knowing that he'll be remembered for his public suicide, Riggan isno longer tethered by his insecurities, able to transcend, and move on. And if you need more proof that there's no single answer about what it By the time I got down there, the kid was dead, as I said. Or you could interpret it as nothing more than an indication Sam finally understands why her dad made the choices he made in his life, which is a very powerful thing for a child. Both public and personal. There might be people lighting candles in the street praying for him, the top NY critic would praise him, his daughter would be close to him and proud of him while watching him take flight. On what basis are pardoning decisions made by presidents or governors when exercising their pardoning power? You hate bloggers. And for Sam, especially, its a sign that her dads work was meaningful. And couldnt understand why he did the things he did. However, by allowing Riggan to live, to bask in the limelight,Irritu positions the character (and the Birdman film) for a much more poignant message - and jumping off point for discussion. Riggan has both, but still cant not go to that window. What he is actually telling her that he is really going to go through with it this time. I mean, who the f*ck are you? The distance is gone. Riggans play has transcended art and become an event. "I'm still trying to figure it He is down in the hospital, alive, because he had only managed to shoot off his nose during the play. You can give into the system and become a part of it and lose yourself. We then have the scene where he flies through New York City and youre like Wait, whats happening? But then were shown it was nothing more than another delusion. And jump. Thats a key theme in the movie and the final scene makes this point profoundly. Regardless of what specific interpretation feels right to you, the foundation of the moment is Sam is seeing her dad as he saw himself. To understand the ending its important to understand the key themes of the movie. Ego Birdman represents Riggans ego. You can read about this f Youre doing this because youre scared to death, like the rest of us, that you dont matter., Lo and behold, the line we keep hearing Riggan say as Ed is: I dont exist. And about his future. You had a career, dad, before the third comic book movie. At its core, Birdman tells the tale of aman's struggle to findinternal as well asexternal love and acceptance, as the film'scentral character, Riggan Thomson(Michael Keaton), channelshis regrets and frustrationsinto a stageadaptation of theRaymond Carver short story "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love." It feels very fair. Then Jake appears. Carver ends the story with Terri and Mel in a fight and all four people lost in thought at the table. In this scenario, Riggan dies from a self-inflicted gunshot wound but, before he passes, the actor experiences a happy ending hallucination - a death dreamwhere he has won the adoration of his fans, reconciled with his wife, been recognized as a success by hiscritics, and earned his daughter's respect. Smiling and laughing isnt how everyone would react. According to Rolling Stone, Seattle police responded to a domestic dispute on March 18. Go figure. Youre talking about you. Movies & TV Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for movie and TV enthusiasts. Riggin was hallucinating one last chance at doing things right, being a legitimate husband, father and actor, and not a sell-out. The same can be said for the film's actual ending: if Riggan's dies on stage, he's a victim, crushed under the weight of his detractors and proven wrong. This is what you wanted wasnt it?Riggan, this is what you wanted?Riggan: [Sad as can be] Yeah. The Rest is Just a Death Dream) is less likely to bewhatIrritu had in mind - since the original ending presentedconcrete closureon the thematic threads of self-determination and reinvention. Birdmanis the winner of the2015 Academy Award winner for Best Picture,Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography - and mayhave been an enormous hit with critics - but thanks to a limited release, it has taken awhile for casual moviegoers to catchthe film andform their own opinions. But soon after when he reached theater, we figured out that none of this is real, it's all in his head, he's only imagining.