MovieChat Forums > Point Blank (1967) Discussion > A detail question about the ending.

A detail question about the ending.

posted 18 years ago by Local Hero
4 replies | jump to latest

As far as I can tell, in the final shot of the film, the camera pulls up from slowly from Brewster's body on the floor of the Alcatraz quad, pans just over the rooftop of the quad revealing a shot of San Francisco in the distance (and though it had seemed to be the middle of the night a moment ago, it now looks like morning, but that is a different question), and then the camera pans to the left, revealing another island in the distance that looks like Alcatraz to me (not Angel Island or any other I know of). So, if you follow me, you see my point of confusion: we look up from Alcatraz to see an Alcatraz in the distance. Is this my mistake, or is there some sort of subtle metaphysical symbolism here?

[–] mickya 18 years ago

A post in another thread explains this:

The last scene wasn't at Alcatraz, it was at Fort Point, on the mainland right under the Golden Gate Bridge. In the very last shot, they pan up to a view of Alcatraz in the bay in the distance.

[–] Local Hero 18 years ago

Yes, I know Fort Point. I didn't realize the last scene was supposed to be there, but that would definitely explain the final shot. Thank you!

They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.

[–] timalex99 17 years ago

But that still doesn't explain the fact that the final scene is, according to the character's dialogue, actually taking place on Alcatraz.

To me, this just strengthens the sense of "other-worldliness" that permeates the film.

Anywho, just one man's opinion.

[–] Squonkamatic 17 years ago

One of the possible and more popular interpretations of the film is that it represents Walker's dying deathwish, a fantasy that he has while bleeding to death on the floor of the prison cell where he was shot. So during the final pan the film brings the fantasy full circle by stopping where it started by suggesting Alcatraz just by showing it.

Also, Brewster states something along the lines of "There's only one operation where that much money changes hands -- You remember it, the Alcatraz run. The drops change but the run is still the same." ... Which always suggested to me that the location of where the money changes hands changes to keep a step or two ahead of the Feds.

So yes they imply that the location should be Alcatraz but it obviously isn't, which is indeed consistent with dream imagery which often involves misplaced locations or names for things. It's only when you wake up that you start to realize that the meanings of the dream elements were askew, which is what you're doing now trying to piece together the meaning of the movie.