The story Riggan relates to his ex-wife about attempting to drown himself in the ocean mirrors an incident from A Star Is Born (1937) and A Star Is Born (1954). They run through a series of names: Woody Harrelson? It tackles questions of love, truth, and identity, but perhaps the most looming theme involves the issue of success versus integrity, or to put that in cinematic terms, blockbuster fame versus authentic artistry. This implies that all of the magical realism portrayed in the film — the hovering and flying, the telekinesis, and the voice of Birdman — was all a series of hallucinations. I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog. Jonathan Romney: From Hitchcock’s Rope to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s new movie Birdman, directors have used the tracking shot to create the sense of a seamless one-shot film. So that's all real. The symbol of truth was also that stage light that the camera appeoaches to here, this light was first introduced at Mike's entrance as the resemblance of truth or knowledge. He lands himself in a hospital and even though he receives wide support and love from his fans, critics and family, he still is suffering from the mental issues that plagued him before. On July 15, prosecutors allege Birdman and Young Thug conspired to murder Lil Wayne and were involved in the April 26 shooting. Throughout the film, he is haunted by his most famous character — Birdman — as he experiences a number of surreal events, including stepping off a rooftop and flying over the streets of New York. "I guess my thing is, if you can silence the voice of mediocrity, then what is possible? The shoot took place well past midnight, when Times Square is still buzzing but empty enough to parade around a movie star in his underwear without the scene descending into pure insanity. Riggan ended up killing himself but failed just like before that's why we see the flash back to the Malibu beach. Although he was more of a fan favorite for his personality than for his on-court abilities, Andersen was beloved by most of his teammates throughout his … Chris Anderson played 16 years in the NBA, but he might be more well known for his nickname “Birdman,” his mohawk, and his colorful tattoos. In those movies, the character of Norman Maine (a washed up actor) succeeds in drowning himself, while Riggan's attempt was thwarted by a jellyfish encounter. Riggan flies to escape his own sense of low self-esteem and lack of control. 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. Birdman: Director Alejandro González Iñárritu discusses the style of the dark comedy and why he chose to film it in one continuous take. Or was the whole thing a fantasy all the way through? “We were talking. Director Alejandro Gozalez Iñárritu has remained mum when it comes to clearing up confusion around the ambiguous ending, seeming to prefer to leave conclusions up to the audience. Ask and answer questions about books! According to the writers, they considered an alternate ending that might have provided a clue. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Just like Riggan refuses doing more Birdman movies, Keaton chose not to continue his Batman career. Or did he die after all? —Somewhat. Up until the hospital scene, Birdman could have served as a decent movie about mental illness and an artist’s psychotic break while trying to achieve “true art”. Why Did Hitler Kill Himself? They told me he shot himself, but I did not see him. Theory 2: Riggan survives the gunshot, but dies in the final scene. They urged him to escape to the Bavarian Alps, to a small town in Berchtesgarden, but he chose suicide. His action of shooting himself onstage,even the unfortunate exposure in Times Square has created birdman reborn. Cookies help us deliver our Services. I was up to my knees in water at the time. Trivia. Why Not Escape? Everything seemed small. There are several strong arguments to be made in support of this ending theory. The theory brings full-circle thematic through-lines where, after proving he is worthy of esteem and love, Riggan is finally able to silence Birdman's abusive voice. [citation needed] On July 16, Birdman filed a $50-million lawsuit against Jay Z's Tidal streaming service over Lil Wayne's Free Weezy Album, alleging that Cash Money Records exclusively owned the rights to Lil Wayne's music. Waking in the hospital, he … The audience breaks out in laughter ruining the gravity of the moment and Riggan's chance to show himself as a true artist. But beneath the bandages, there he finds the beak-like proboscis. This theory, however, is muddled by his daughter's smiling reaction at the window. Birdman spans a day in the life of Riggan Thomson, a down on his luck actor (played by Michael Keaton) who once enjoyed worldwide fame portraying a popular comic book hero (much like Keaton did himself in his turn as Batman) before his career started to wane. So maybe most or all of the weirdness was just a dream? Birdman’s director Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu has explored the value of a meaningful life in another one of his award-winning films Biutiful. Is he famous because he shot himself? Before undertaking Birdman, the pair also collaborated on the script for The Last Elvis, which was also Bo’s directorial debut and premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Top Answer. Under this theory, Riggan has — knowingly or unknowingly — had superpowers all along, and has either been trying to come to terms with these powers himself, or get the world to recognize them. There are clues that support this theory too: — Sam herself is a recovering addict who has just come out of rehabilitation. "We're not going to sit around and explain the ending," said Dinelaris. Obviously, this could only happen in a dream and not reality. Not much, unfortunately. On opening night, the performances are better than ever. And therefore, it hardly surprises me that fans have come up with several theories on the twisted ending of Birdman. One possible interpretation is that the ending is some kind of dream that Riggan is experiencing in the moment of his death. In other words, this theory means that he's dreaming of a happy ending in which he finally gets the critical acclaim he so desired, is reconciled with his ex-wife and daughter, regains the adoration of fans, and proves he's an actor to be taken seriously and not some Hollywood "hack.". The rest of the film is his hallucination while he is dying. By now, I am assuming most of you have seen ‘Birdman’ and, like me loved the film. We're not sure, because when his daughter goes to the window to look at where he should have plummeted to the ground, she turns her gaze up and seems to smile in delight at what we can only guess is her father flying as he had in his previous hallucinations. critics and audiences alike were impressed. This theoretical interpretation would be the most fundamentally happy ending, proving to his antagonists in the movie as well as the audience that he's more than some mere actor struggling to dig his way out of a rut, but is instead a dedicated artist willing to commit an act of self-mutilation in pursuit of a great performance, as well as a superhero imbued with the power to fly. The Broadway play that ex- Birdman Riggan Thomson is about to stage ends with the protagonist, played by Thomson, shooting himself in the head with a gun. He looked more like a member of the television show “Ink Master” than an NBA player. Download PDF Print We know it is reality, a meta-reality in fact, because we see both the fantasy in his head, and the rational real world debunking of it. Over last few months, I have watched ‘Birdman’ a couple of times more and got enough time to ponder upon its interestingly complex ending. Birdman's final shot has become one of the most talked about scenes this year. As I wrote in my review “Whether it be the innovative use of camera and music, or the stupendous performance of its actors, or just as a completely different movie-viewing experience, ‘Birdman’ gives you several reasons to not miss it. "The camera prowled like it did the whole film, [and] went backstage through the halls we've seen the whole time, and we'd 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," Dinelaris revealed in a 2015 interview. ()Riggan's third Birdman movie came out in 1992, the same year that Michael Keaton's second and last Batman movie was released. No dice, because he's filming "the prequel to the X-Men prequel." Weird new look aside, it seems as if everything is finally turning Riggan's way. I felt it and the film began to breathe by itself, and the characters began to grow. One final interpretation of the ending would be something of a blend of the first two. Afterwards there was another shot, and I saw the officer himself lying on the deck. Hitler’s officers warned him that the Russians were on their way and that it would only take them a day or two to take the chancellery. Which one out the two is actually the correct interpretation depends on what you, as a viewer, want to take away from the film. The sudden change of fortunes of Riggan is not only too good to be true but also, goes against the theme and dark nature of the film itself. ‘Birdman’ won the Oscar for Best Picture after beating ‘Boyhood’ in a close race. Did Michael Keaton's Riggan Thomson die... or did he fly away into fame and glory? When Riggan sees the nose and realizes that he'll never escape his connection to Birdman, he finds this deathly depressing. Birdman is obssessed with acting, or rather, his ability to convince others he's good at acting. The first time is when he shoots himself in the head onstage. Then when he jumps from the window and his daughter looks out at the sky and smiles, she's doing so because she's realizing for the first time that her father can actually fly, and it's a look of delight and amazement. ", In Dinelaris' view, the way the story ends is all about maintaining a sense of circularity and consistency. Waking in the hospital, he discovers that the suicide attempt was misinterpreted as some innovative form of shock theater, and suddenly it appears that he will be thrust into success again. Everyone was rushing around and there were no more boats. So in the end, after taking all these theories and possibilities into account, how are we to interpret the final scene of Birdman? You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author. They have to be, because in a way that's Alejandro just trying to express that sense of confusion about what he is in his own life. He really dies, as is evidenced by the jump cuts and scenes from his life, ending with jellyfish on the beach from his last suicide attempt. In short, he has won over everyone: audiences, critics, and his family. When Birdman reached theaters in 2014, it was an instant sensation due to a combination of its engaging visuals, thrilling performances, and all-around surreal viewing experience. 3. —Maybe. Now, which out the two theories is more logical, I will leave up to you. Prior to Birdman's big night at the Academy Awards, Iñárritu was asked about the film's ending, revealing that it wasn't the original ending he had scripted:. He is an artist, dammit! During the final scene, however, he leaps from a window — presumably to his death. — Finally, when Sam (Emma Stone) looks out of the window, from which Riggan had jumped, she looks up in sheer amazement, implying his father didn’t die but is rather flying. See Answer. In Birdman, protagonist Riggan Thompson a.k.a. Questions like these have plagued fans since the movie's release. The cut after shooting himself at the end of the play is a cut in the timeline, a pseudo-continuous timeline that symbolized reality. It is Sam who hallucinates. Throughout the film, Riggan is literally haunted by the success he enjoyed in the past while engaged with a superhero franchise, but now he's attempting to create something that will garner him acclaim for his creative talents — something any artist will tell you is easier said than done. In this theory, whether he is genuinely trying to kill himself or he thinks he can fly, the outcome is the same — he plunges to the ground and presumably his death. Do let us know in the comments below, which theory you support? If you've been hoping the filmmaking team behind Birdman would help clear things up, well, you're out of luck. But as it turns out, Riggan is so depressed (or possibly mentally ill, as his hallucinations and schizophrenic-like voices suggest), that he jumps out of the window either attempting suicide again or having some kind of psychotic break from reality. Flight shows up again and again. "In Jack Sparrow's voice [Depp would say], 'What the f*** are we doing here, mate?' What does he have to say about it? Riggan Thomson is an actor who played the famous and iconic superhero "Birdman" over 20 years ago. When Riggan shoots himself for the ultimate pleasure of his audience and the “soulless” critic, the film has a pretty powerful message on its hands. At the end of the film, the stress becomes too much and Riggan tries to kill himself with a gun during a performance of the play. He was telling me about his gun. “On opening night, the performances are better than ever. Michael Fassbender? By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Wiki User Answered 2009-12-07 18:51:00. Flight and the nose? At that moment, it's inexplicable. These represent freedom. This further adds to the theory that what we are seeing is nothing but a world of fantasy occurring inside the head of Riggan Thompson. Suffice to say that critics and audiences alike were impressed. "At the ending of the film," he shrugged, "(it) can be interpreted as many ways as there are seats in the theater.". Because of its stellar performances? As for his new nose, when Riggan peels off the bandages covering the nose, this is his symbolic peeling away of his old self, and therefore his need for superstardom and Birdman. Asked by Wiki User. Jeremy Renner? So did Riggan fall to his death? But most important of them all has to be the fact that everything that happens after Riggan (Michael Keaton) shoots himself are just too good to be true: He gets his recognition and fame as an artist; his ex-wife is supportive of him; his daughter idolizes him; even the New York Times critic has only good things to write about him. "It goes back to Alejandro because he starts the movie on ... this character Riggan Thomson floating in his underwear three feet above the ground," he added. Another possible interpretation is that Riggan actually does have the power to fly, and in fact could even be Birdman — or at least some variety of superhero. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), or simply Birdman, is a 2014 American black comedy-drama film directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu.It was written by Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., and Armando Bó.The film stars Michael Keaton as Riggan Thomson, a faded Hollywood actor best known for playing the superhero "Birdman", as he struggles to … That's small. Here's why Birdman didn't deserve to win the Best Picture Oscar — and why it did. And at the end of the actual premiere Riggan choses to use a real gun instead of a fake one and actually shoots himself in … That's small. It seems that in the end, it really is up to you. Why does birdman call himself that? — During the last scene, one can clearly hear ambulance sirens in the background. If the answer to the complex questions about ego, fame, and celebrityhood that director Alejandro G. Inarritu raises during the course of the film was a perfectly happy ending then I don’t think he would have chosen this ending in the first place. The docuseries didn’t dive deep into why Travis killed himself, but in the reunion, Josh explained that he thinks Travis’ death was accidental. Riggan uses a real gun for the final scene, shooting himself in the head in front of the audience, and earns a standing ovation from all but Tabitha, who walks out during the applause. He's out too, because "he's an Avenger." And at the very end, just before Riggan disappears through the window, he sees a flock of birds take flight. Could it be that he intended to kill himself, only to find that he actually could fly? Riggan survives the gunshot. Or do you have a theory of your own? In any case, each of these theories still leaves wiggle room for interpretation. This is a glaring reminder of the fact that no matter how hard he tries, Birdman will always be a part of him. Or did he actually turn out to have his Birdman-like powers, and fly away? Neither of the theories is without blemishes, but then, they are also the best explanations to how ‘Birdman’ ends. So, here is how this 2nd theory works. Riggan uses a real gun for the final scene, shooting himself in the head in front of the audience, and earns a … It's the basis of the entire film, him producing a vanity Broadway show to convince his fans, family, friends and most importantly, his critics that he's more than a Hollywood fad. A lot of viewers walked out of the theater wondering what was real and what was imagined. Joe kills himself at the end of All My Sons because he finally accepts responsibility for the faulty cylinder heads after Chris reads him Larry's letter. In this case, it suggests that he did survive the suicide attempt, and in the process earned the respect of family, fans, and critics as shown in the final hospital scene. There is also a likelihood of her suffering similar mental issues just like her dad, and therefore, she, too, starts hallucinating under extreme mental pressure (in this case the shock of seeing her father dead would have triggered the hallucinations). Due to the wing tattoos he has on each arm. Veteran playwright Dinelaris was a new addition to the partnership for Birdman, though he did contribute some early uncredited work on Biutiful. In other words, yet another renowned actor struggling to escape the shadow of hackdom would have taken Riggan's place, which seems to indicate that he had in fact died. Essentially, this would mean that his suicide attempt was successful, and everything after that is a hallucination he's experiencing. — Another thing to note is that when Riggan takes off his bandage we don’t see a mutilated nose, but rather a nose that has taken shape of a bird’s beak. But we thought if we answered that question at the end, it would seem very, very small. What about director Alejandro Gozalez Iñárritu? Now, in his middle-age, he is directing his debut on Broadway, a drama called "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love", an adaptation from a Raymond Carver story. This theory is also supported by several clues in the film: — First of all, the film doesn’t appear to have a single cut till the time after Riggan shoots himself; then the scene cuts to images of meteor and jellyfishes before finally cutting to a hospital bed, where Riggan is lying with bandaged nose. The continuous take effect was not a gimmick, it was a dramatic device. Because of its cinematic beauty? Birdman, with its weird, ambiguous ending, is no exception. ", So that's Dinelaris' perspective. The point being that Hollywood seems to have snatched up all the talent and crammed it into high-budget, low-art blockbusters. It is hard to imagine that director would have made that choice unless he wanted to convey that it is a reality and not some fantasy-land. No, I think the most significant detail in that scene is the mask covering his nose. Due to frustration with the … © 2021 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. So, in spite of an ending that might leave you slightly befuddled — I found it interestingly complex – I highly recommend this once-in-decades cinematic experience.”. The whole sequence feels like a transition from a world of reality to a world of fantasy. Sort of depressing and also sort of uplifting: Raymond Carver's quote used to open the movie can also be found on his tombstone. Birdman falls into the ‘meta’ category of comedy, meaning the film is self-aware and it is not afraid to embrace it. At the end of the film, the stress becomes too much and Riggan tries to kill himself with a gun during a performance of the play. There are several major themes at play in Birdman. When Riggan goes on that stage and more or less commits suicide, he does so with the intention of proving Tabitha wrong and, more importantly, “Birdman” wrong. It was going to be the satire of the endless loop of that.". To really get at what the ending is all about, we have to start by asking what the movie is trying to say in general. 0 0 1. The last moment is inexplicable. They would play strongly into this theory. However, if the ending is actually Riggan hallucinating during his death, then it further emphasizes on the fact that how deeply affected Riggan was, so much so that even as he was dying, he imagines himself to be at the center of attention of everyone, and once he gets that gratification he further imagines himself to be free and flying (which his daughter presumably sees in the final shot of the film). Is he still miserable? Most telling is a scene in which Riggan discusses casting options with his producer, played by Zach Galifianakis. Or maybe she's seeing the meteor shower that was briefly shown at the film's opening? He lands himself in a hospital and even though he receives wide support and love from his fans, critics and family, he still is suffering from the mental issues that plagued him before. But any time a filmmaker decides to get experimental or surreal, the audience is going to be left with a few questions. If so, what was with his daughter's reaction? Remember those symbols we mentioned earlier? Or is she just relieved that her father is finally at peace? He also finds that he'd shot off his nose, and that the new reconstruction looks suspiciously similar to a bird's beak. Nope, he's busy with The Hunger Games. [That] is good enough for me. And we're going to be talking about the ending in detail, so if it wasn't already obvious, there are spoilers aplenty ahead. In this case, in the end he would have survived the gunshot just as the movie shows, earning the respect of critics, fans, and his family in the process. "That's inexplicable. We're here to explain the ending of Birdman and clear things up. See Featured Authors Answering Questions Learn more (Steinbeck, 31) Candy regrets allowing Carlson to kill his dog and feels like he should have been the person to put it out of its misery. Birdman is rich with symbols that are intended to support the movie's various themes, but for our purposes of unlocking the secret of the end, two stand out: flight and Riggan's reconstructed nose. The Birdman character haunting him flies to symbolize his power over Riggan, or in other words, the power that blockbuster fame holds over his more passionate creative endeavors. Now he's trying to make his big comeback by starring in and directing a Broadway play, although it isn't working out as well as he'd hoped. It had a different ending but in the middle of shooting, I knew it was a piece of shit. This is evident with the deliberate casting of Michael Keaton, who himself is best known for his portrayal of Batman in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) and the follow up, Batman Returns (1992). Leveraging an experimental storytelling structure that leaned heavily into magical realism, the experiment paid off, garnering the movie four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography, as well as nominations for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress, and technical noms for Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing. But having closely analyzed the film’s themes and motives, and after reading screenwriter’s interpretation of the ending, I have zeroed down on two theories that perfectly explain what happened at the end of ‘Birdman’. Not only did the director wait an extremely long time to actually reveal it, but it also very obviously resembled birdman. He is down in the hospital, alive, because he had only managed to shoot off his nose during the play. While talking with his wife backstage, he reveals he was trying to kill himself the time he walked into the ocean only to flee after being stung repeatedly by jellyfish. It is quite possible that she hasn’t recovered fully and still takes drugs (remember she was caught smoking pot by her dad). Riggan was not a Hollywood hack, he was a dedicated performer - so dedicated that he was literally willing to die for his craft (creating "super-realism" in the process). Now, the million dollar question is: Why does his daughter Sam look up in the amazement and smiles in the final scene (instead of crying or shouting after looking down)? Even though the plot of the film itself is not difficult to follow, it is the magical realism elements in the film — especially the ending — that twists your head. Then when he sees the birds flying, he decides that his only way to be free is to fly away — whether that means flying out the window to his death, or actually taking flight and escaping into the sky. The movie shows the highs and lows of a particularly difficult day of rehearsals and performances as Riggan is forced to wrangle a challenging new addition to the cast (played by Edward Norton), all the while confronting problems with his daughter (played by Emma Stone). Speaking in an interview with HuffPost Live, Birdman screenwriters Alexander Dinelaris Jr. and Nicolas Giacobone admitted that the whole thing was rather ambiguous. 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. I saw the officer shoot two men dead because they tried to get into the boat. Theory 1: Riggan dies on-stage. It could be because when she see her father dead, it triggers a mental breakdown that leads her to hallucinate that her father is actually Birdman and can fly.
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