I loved this film and saw it in the cinema back in 95, but the ending was always an anti-climax.
How could Pacino see DeNiro in a busy crowd from that distance- especially as DeNiro was only just on the steps at the building?
Why didn't DeNiro, who'd ''lost'' his tail at one point, just hide and double back, or hide and shoot Pacino as he ran to catch up?
The main problem is DeNiros character goes against his core philosophy of never being afraid to walk away and leave everything behind.
The ending would’ve been much better if Deniro has disappeared at the airport. And Pacino would’ve been left standing there listening to Moby with nothing but his D in his hand.
Thats how I feelt.. The whole film is being built around De Niro not taking risks, being able to walk away.
Then he takes a risk by running back into the hotel and leaving his girlfriend in the car, he had his out.
All of those risks just for revenge? He wasnt an impulsive guy and I dont think revenge would motivate him. It goes against his whole personality.
The airport shootout scene was a bit of a mess. Cool premise but it's like Mann didnt get coverage and chopped together the parts they did have. Very anticlimactic in my opinion.
He takes a risk by letting Eady get that close to him in the first place, his MO is changing from that point on. He talks about being 180 in the other direction of marriage/commitment, but he completely changes that.
It's Pacino we see sprinting down the stairs away from his soon to be ex-wife as the movie nears it's climax.
Yeah that's the whole point. If he didn't stay/go back for her he would be free and clear. Right,? I mean he left her but even trying was a gamble he wouldn't usually take. It's called character development. I don't know it's been a couple years since I watched it last.
shareSo letting a woman into his life, that could potentially put him at risk opens the door to a whole revenge escapade that puts them both at immediate risk.
Character development my arse, they couldnt just let him ride off into the sunset with his girl. They had to create another tension set piece and the eventual head to head of the two main characters to the determent of the De Niro character weve been following the whole movie.
Weve been led to believe he's a smart criminal, considering all the angles before making a move, he considers taking the girl at length. He doesnt see himself in the game much longer and this is his one chance to get out, retire and live a peacefull life without looking over his shoulder every few seconds.
When did the impulsive character arc come into play, when did taking silly chances for revenge come into play? Especially in a high risk situation. He considers taking off with his girl, then does something completely dumb and totally out of character compared to what weve been shown previously by, pulling out of his escape route and going for vengeance, leaving his girl sat in a parking lot so he can run around a public building full of cops for revenge? Putting the woman he broke his own rules for in danger, sat there not knowing what was going on.
The revenge motif falls flat for me. Also Pacino catches on to DeNiro not through smarts, but being in the right place at the right time as DeNiro happens to do something completely dumb and out of character.
Its just too convenient to get them back together for the end meet up
Agreed, he was home free but suddenly revenge was all important to him, his methodical nature etc... I think a guy like him would have come back to finish this chapter at a later time. Not risking it all suddenly.
sharePacino didn't exactly see DeNiro at first.
He just thought DeNiro was smarter than to leave the hotel from the front gate, and that he was probably going to leave from another backdoor exit, trying to play it cool.
In addition, he saw a car with a woman inside. This woman was not fleeing like everyone else. Who could she be? DeNiro had mentioned earlier he had a woman. Pacino probably associated this car with the woman inside to DeNiro, and that's why he ran towards it. Only after he actually saw DeNiro.
The showdown at the dark airport is just a typical shoot-out.
Well to be fair his plan was to just walk away. After Jon Voigh gave him where Wagro was then DeNiro couldn’t let it go and changed his mind.
shareI think that's his character arc, though. He doesn't care about things, but over the course of the film, he finds stuff he cares about. It's a big part of the point of his journey.
shareHis character arc was that he actually cared about revenge? And would sacrifice everything to get revenge, when before he wouldn't give a crap about it, think about what he was doing and not put himself at risk to get revenge in such a dangerous fashion.
shareI think it was that he started to care about things, people, and a kind of justice or honour amongst thieves. I think he also started to insist, internally, subconsciously, on seeing an end to his relationship with his nemesis. He cares - after a fashion - about Vincent Hanna, and he needs to see that through. That was way more important to him than Waingrow.
shareDeNiro was a sociopath, a murderer and a career criminal. Movie justice demands that he is killed off. Despite everyone rooting for him to get out, get away, all the way to the F. B . I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMVqIISyp60