MeaganPiroutek_Chapter2

This chapter certainly made me question my own taste in movies and story telling in general. Why am I so drawn to stories that have no resolution? According to this reading the resolution ".. is simply the end of the film. It shows the audience how the characters have changed and who they are now." But what if the director leaves the story up in the air? What if the character has no change? What if they're the same as when the ordeal started? What if there is no resolution, and we are left to make our own conclusions.

Just moments shy of calling my therapist, I found an article that suggests movies with no resolution can have various purposes. In thrillers its a tool to grow suspense, while in biopics or arthouse films it's furthering realism. More specifically, I've found I am drawn to "forced reflection." Instead of telling you how a movie ends, the director holds up a mirror and lets you draw your own conclusion based on how you perceive similar situations. Here is an article that gives more on successfully delivering an ambiguous ending with out seeming lazy.

Some examples of the ambiguous ending I am referring to would be some personal favorites like Your Sisters Sister, an emotional mirror forced ending with real life consequences for each character; Inception , a mind-bender movie between reality and dreams that doubles down on the blending of realities with an inconclusive ending; and early 2000's classic Lost In Translation where the characters quite literally tell the decision that would give resolution, but only to each other... whispered and just out of ear shot of the audience.

This chapter gave an incredible overview of the structure of a good story. I agree with all the components the author gives, except the required clear cut resolution. In most cases, sure! Wrap it up with a bow. Send the audience home with the full story. But sometimes I want the story to continue! As long as the first two acts have given me a substantial storyline, I will always be a sucker for a film that leaves you screaming at the screen, tossing and turning all night, or running through possibilities with your friends over dinner for weeks to come.