As you see her walking up those stairs at the end, the expression on her face is like, yep, I'm going to be ok and I did the right thing.
She's rich, she's free of her oppressive father and she got closure with Morris. She'll probably take a trip somewhere and who knows she might meet an independently wealthy older man.
Now she's older and wiser and has the confidence to live her life the way she wants to. That's my take on it anyway.
I agree that she'll be just fine, whether she finds a man or not. She's wealthy and independent and knows her own worth. No one will ever take advantage of her again.
shareI agree with you. She seemed happy when her family was visiting. So yes she will be happy.
shareI think you must have misunderstood the ending if you think Catherine will be fine. She most certainly won't be. It is a very tragic ending. Here is a woman who has never known her own worth in life at all (her father has seen to that) and being wealthy and independent does not help her at all. She finally saw through both her father and Morris, but this enlightenment also helps her to see her own situation clearly: That she will never be loved for her own sake. Granted, she is not a victim anymore and has finally grown up, but this new-found understanding of herself has definitively left her embittered and has come at a high price.
She took her revenge on Morris (perfectly understandable), but revenge comes at a cost to the person who takes it. She knows she will forever be alone because it is quite clear to her that there won't be any other men. That's why she (symbolically) locks all the windows after Morris left (she is shutting out life). She will also never do embroidery again.
She is embittered and has done with life. Maybe there is a look of triumph on her face when she walks up the stairs, but what is there for her the next morning? Nothing. Yes, she sometimes sees her little nieces and nephews, but that is certainly not a substitute for other relationships.
In the end her father has won. Catherine has exactly become what he expected her to become: an unhappy lonely spinster. Or in today's language, the old cat lady who is trying to convince herself and the people around her that she is really happy with her life.
I do realize this is a bleak view of the ending of one of my favourite films, but not every life is a wonderful one and not every ending is happy.
Jessica Rabbit
"I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way."
I disagree.
IMHO, Catherine was ahead of her time; an early feminist who realized that a woman does not need a man to feel happy and fulfilled.
She could find a number of activities that could satisfy her: her church, volunteer work (with the Civil War just looming ahead, her services could be invaluable), etc.
Maybe even a suffragette!
She is independently wealthy, with no man--father or husband--to control her.
God bless her!
Seeing Catherine as an early feminist is a 21st century reading of the situation. All her wealth does not help her at all. Of course she can do church and volunteer work and may get along in life just fine. It will fill out her days.
As for being happy this is another matter. Catherine is obviously not happy.
On a little side note, the "I don't need anybody to be happy" mantra is just self-protection. Are there people who really love to be alone? A few.
But I know many women (and some men) who repeat this phrase ad nauseam. What it actually really means is that they can't find anybody who wants to be with them. And there are usually good reasons for that.
So they stuff themselves with ice-cream and chocolate and sit in front of Oprah and the home shopping channel and tell themselves they don't need anybody to salvage their pride.
This situation though does not apply to Catherine. Unfortunately in the end she is embittered, but before she became this way she was a very nice, affectionate person who could have made many friends and found someone to love if her father had not seen to warping her personality.
So no, happiness is not what Catherine found in the end.
Jessica Rabbit
"I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way."
[deleted]
You base your interpretation of the ending too much on the book. There are significant differences between book and film. The Catherine of the book is not the same Catherine than in the film.
You name a few differences yourself in the second and third paragraph. Catherine in the book is much more docile and forgiving. She always turns the other cheek and lets Morris down much more gently in the end. She is very poised while doing so. She sends him on his way with both his and her dignity and self-respect intact.
Catherine in the film however almost turns into a fury of revenge. She is without a doubt embittered and almost spiteful (though that word does not quite describe it adequately) and cruel. She does not want to see her father when he is dying and humiliates Morris when he comes back one last time. (Difference to the novel: it is not 20 years that have passed and Morris is still the same good-looking man). The ending of the book is indeed low-key as opposed to the big bang of the film. Catherine shows all the cruelty she "has been taught by masters".
Yes, she has won the upper hand in the end and got her revenge, but that does not equal happiness. She would not have wanted revenge on Morris so badly, were she not embittered. In the book she just simply does not care anymore about Morris, not so the case in the film. In the film Catherine never developed a healthy self-esteem, all her strength is focused on revenge. She somehow has lost some of her humanity. That's why this development is sad: it was probably necessary but she lost a lot in return. Her father thought no one could ever love her because she was awkward and plain; now by locking herself in she makes sure that no one will ever love her and the sweetness and naiveté that made her lovable are gone. And these traits have not been replaced by anything else but bitterness.
When Catherine ascends the stairs at the end of the film there is triumph in her eyes because she has paid Morris back, but also a touch of madness. As I said before she shuts all the windows and doors and will never do embroidery again (she says about the embroidery when asked about it by her aunt: "I must finish it now for I shall never do another".)
So to sum it up, the book has a much more redeeming ending than the film which I think is very uncompromising. Based on the film there is no happiness waiting for Catherine.
Jessica Rabbit
"I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way."
Whatever, the ending of the film is much more satisfying dramatically than the dull way that Henry James finished the story in his novella.
If the film had really followed the book with that insipid ending, it never would have emerged the triumph for cast and director that it is. It's Catherine's reversal of character that made the film so stunning. This is why the later version of the film was far less successful.
Her walk up the stairs is obviously meant to suggest that she has triumphed over her greedy, faithless suitor, her face brightening as she nears the camera. Sure, it's a bitter triumph but doesn't mean she will make the same mistake again. Now she understands the duplicity of men's ways and is a much more poised and independent woman than before. Cutting herself off from life, no I don't see that--cutting the thread off her old life and no longer doing embroidery could mean just the opposite of what you suggest.
She is her own woman now and will not be as naive in matters of love.
"Somewhere along the line, the world has lost all of its standards and all of its taste."
I saw Catherine as a victim as she had submerged herself into deep cynicalism as her Father did. Although she rightly got revenage on Morris by misleading him as he did her, Catherine had sealed herself off from finding love forever as her deep cynicalism of men will continue. What makes it all the more tragic is that her Father who was a cruel and spiteful man had been right all along regarding Morris when us as the audience were lead to believe he was being narrow minded. It places us into the same predicament as Catherine therefore seeing the world in a more cynical view.
"I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not".
what film did you watch - I never once thought her father was being narrow minded about Morris, I could see that he was just bulls**ting her. I thought her father only wrong when talking about his daughter, he had placed his wife so high that his daughter could never live up to it. as we see in the end in that gorgeous french gown just how beautiful she looked. she had finally found her voice and a great strength within herself that she never showed before. I dont believe she sealed herself off completely from finding love - perhaps in the book she did as 20 years have passed of her being alone - in the film we see how loving and warm she is with her family and now she has finally closed that chapter of her life - her father's abusive comments about her, morris's lies and her being shy/quiet.
in the end I saw her as a strong, passionate, intelligent beautiful woman who could do so much better than Morris. he had run out of chances, never finding any real work, in his end he realised yes he desperatly wanted her money but now he actually discovered that he needed her love too - something she could no longer give to him, he was a fool to leave her in the first place, her father would never of actually cut her off - besides she wouldnt have actually been poor £10,000 a year back then was still quite a fortune - idiot
*beep* me gently with a chainsaw" Heathers
Do you mean cynicism?
🌈
HRH Darth Madonna of Minas Tirith, servant of Eywah
I think you're right. Those who have commented that she will be unhappy seem to have based their opinions on the notion, perhaps held only subconsciously, that a woman cannot be happy and fulfilled without a man. I believe that is in error.
shareThe title "The Heiress" didn't just mean money. In the end Catherine inherited her father's coldness and cynicism as well.
shareWhat a great assessment. I don't know if she will ever be happy. But she is no longer willing to trust, which is key if you want to love someone.
If we can save humanity, we become the caretakers of the world
Bingo. Her innocence is gone and her heart is darkened. This is emphatically NOT a happy ending.
For the record, I never read the story, and derive my conclusion only from multiple viewings of the movie.
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Nothing to see here, move along.
butaneggbert says > For the record, I never read the story, and derive my conclusion only from multiple viewings of the movie.I'm glad someone mentioned this. On the boards some people often bring in elements from the original work in discussing the movie. They'll even argue a point using references from the original. There's always a risk in doing that because, as I always say, whether the original was a book or a play, each medium is different.
> Those who have commented that she will be unhappy seem to have based their
> opinions on the notion, perhaps held only subconsciously, that a woman cannot
> be happy and fulfilled without a man. I believe that is in error
No, I based my opinion on
1) Catherine's decision to confine to her home, a home that brought her endless anguish and misery, despite the constant request of her aunt (not aunt Penniman) for visiting
2) the way Catherine accused Maria's compliment as a bribery for a favor so that Maria can have a night out
3) The way she rebuffed Morris by locking *herself* in the house instead of setting herself free
4) As she walked up the stairs after locking out Morris, sitting in dignity in the handsome house, rich, respected and unloved, fulfilling every single prediction her father had on her.
Since you have made your assumption on people who don't think it is a triumph for Catherine, allow me to make my assumption on those who do, that they based it on the fact she had exacted revenge on Morris. However, what if Morris died during his journey to California and Catherine never got the chance to tell him off, would you still consider she was leading a fulfilling life in that house? I can't help but feel people are so thrilled with Morris getting what he deserved they are blind to how bitter and cynical Catherine had become. Sure she is smarter to not to fall for Morris again but there is a fine line between wisdom and cynicism.
Her walk up the stairs is obviously meant to suggest that she has triumphed over her greedy, faithless suitor, her face brightening as she nears the camera. Sure, it's a bitter triumph but doesn't mean she will make the same mistake again. Now she understands the duplicity of men's ways and is a much more poised and independent woman than before. Cutting herself off from life, no I don't see that--cutting the thread off her old life and no longer doing embroidery could mean just the opposite of what you suggest.
She is her own woman now and will not be as naive in matters of love.
I agree with you until you say Catherine wanted revenge so badly. She didn't seek out Morris; she had no plan for revenge. When he came to the door and she first heard his voice, her face softened and she reconsidered seeing him. It wasn't until she heard his same lies that she had a new purpose. (She was even relaxing in her parlor in a beautiful dress just because it was the coolest one she owned. How free and happy that must of made her feel!) She got her revenge and I think she would be happy again. Maybe not birds and butterflies happy but that's only Disney.
shareOne of my favorite things about these boards is to hear how other people see a scene - or a character, or a line - completely differently than you do.
I don't see Catherine depicted as "free and happy" in that scene at all. Her tone is flat and joyless throughout. She conflates Maria's compliment with her request to go for a walk to make the one sound like a bribe for the other - as though she can't imagine a compliment being sincere, and assumes there has to be a catch.
She's wearing her beautiful dress, but not to go meet friends, or have dinner out, or do anything except sit alone in her parlor with yet another needlework canvas.
I don't see any indicator of a joyous life anywhere in that scene, from start to finish. Yes, she attains personal power and (even if the desire were spontaneous) revenge, but I don't think she's happy before or after he shows up.
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Nothing to see here, move along.
> Catherine was ahead of her time; an early feminist who realized that a woman does not
> need a man to feel happy and fulfilled.
> She could find a number of activities that could satisfy her: her church, volunteer
> work (with the Civil War just looming ahead, her services could be invaluable), etc.
> Maybe even a suffragette!
These are all just *your* imagination, none of them actually happened in the movie or indicated it might happen. The Catherine at the end of the movie is someone who wouldn't even venture out of her house to visit her relatives whose company she supposedly enjoyed.
I agree my feeling has always been that look of triumph over her revenge on Morris is the last happiness she will experience the rest of her days.
Siri
Don't Make Me Have to Release the Flying Monkeys!
Jessica_Rabbit69, you're absolutely right. It's a tragic ending -- she has shut down emotionally and has eliminated the possibility of any real connection with other human beings.
That image of her CUTTING the final thread of her final embroidery (the one activity that gave her pleasure and enabled her to use her creativity), and CUTTING off Morris at the knees to repay him for hurting her -- it's terribly sad.
I can understand the 21st-century impulse to see something satisfying in her independence, but nothing in the images or dialogue of the actual movie supports that view -- nor does anything in 1949 views of female happiness. And even a 21st-century movie could present us with a heroine (or hero) who cuts off the possibility of any warm, meaningful connection with others and thus leaves us feeling sobered and uncomfortable.
Mine is *not* an expression of an anti-feminist belief that a woman must have a man in order to be happy; mine is a humanist acknowledgement of the fact that we're hard-wired to have deep connections with others, and anyone -- male or female -- who can't make those connections suffers. It's a kind of malnutrition; it's dangerous to our health.
The niece and nephew, the cousin, the aunts -- these are not nourishing enough for Catherine. Even before her transformation, she was shy and insecure, unable (thanks to her cold father) to take the risk of opening up to, or feeling truly connected to, anyone, until Morris came along. And post-transformation, having inherited her father's poisonous views of humanity, she trusted no one and was not going to let anyone in. (She couldn't even allow that the maid had aid her a sincere compliment but instead accused the maid of flattering her to get a little time away from the house.)
Morris was the key to her being unlocked. (Which is one reason why her awful father, intent on denying her any joy, made that marriage impossible.)
All in all, a very painful movie.
I agree with Jessicarabbit. The ending is tragic. People should read the novel (it was great, regardless of whether James liked it). She has realized that neither man she loved ever returned that love. Feminism has nothing to do with it. Realizing you can survive without a man (especially if you're rich) doesn't necessarily mean you'll be happier without one. It's pretty cold comfort. Catherine is alone.
shareI'd like to think that she will be just fine but the problem is that a revengeful person can't be happy. She will remember Morris all her life. She should have been wiser. Maybe telling Morris she is not interested in him anymore etc. etc.
share[deleted]
What she learned from men was that they would never love her and they couldn't be trusted. You don't get over that easily.
Those who think she went on to be fulfilled are forgetting something- how desperately she WANTED to love and be loved.
When she told Mariah to bolt the door, she was basically bolting her heart as well and would have died a lonely spinster. No matter how much independence or money she had, or much volunteer work she did.
If you see something else in the ending besides that, you're doing so deliberately because it's not the ending you wish for her.
That however, is very unrealistic and would be untrue to the character's journey.
You are though, entitled to your opinions. Just don't get upset when others don't share them.
Well, she will certainly never trust another man, if she can't even accept that her maid is paying her a genuine compliment, and assumes it's a ploy to leave the house early. Because--in Catherine's mind--she is as unlovable and unattractive as her father declared her.
I was frankly dismayed she put away her embroidery, because what else will she do with her life and time? The book is another (less savage) story, but the film version offers a bleak future for Catherine.
It was not so much of an opression but a psychologycal dependence from her side. Unfortunately the irony of fate happened that the moment she listened to her heart instead of her father she suffered the most. Yes he was harsh when he spoke open with her but that doesnt mean he didnt loved her. After all, what`s the reason for a father to love his child? Because of the looks? Because of being smart or slow? Because of being rich or poor? No, the reason its just because its his child.
shareShe will live comfortable and secure but her heart is as bolted as the door and nevermore will she love.
A bird sings and the mountain's silence deepens.share