Poll: The End of Birdman (Spoilers)
This poll is ONLY for people who have seen Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014). If you have not seen the movie, do not vote and stop reading. So what do you think happened at the final scene in Birdman? All interpretations from IMDB FAQ. discuss here
Vote:
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Michael Keaton in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Sam sees Riggan flying away because he a) always had powers or b) has suddenly developed or actualized them. He flies away as a (magical or symbolic) triumph of some sort (art, celebrity, self-integration, or redemption). -
Emma Stone in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Sam thinks she sees him flying away because of a) a schizophrenic break or b) drug-induced hallucination or c) shock. Actually, Riggan is dead on the ground. -
Edward Norton and Emma Stone in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Sam stoically reacts to her father dead on the ground and looks up, realizing that he will have long-lasting celebrity and/or is finally free from his torment. -
Limited edition prints are available through BAFTA's prints service - www.baftaprints.org - the proceeds of which go back into BAFTA’s charity remit.
Sam doesn't know where her father went, but sees the meteor-like object in the sky, which fills her with awe. -
Michael Keaton and Edward Norton in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
The whole hospital scene is Riggan's dying thoughts or afterlife fantasy, which begins when he shoots himself on stage. Riggan imagines what he would want to happen. -
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
The whole movie is Riggan's dream, or dying thoughts from when he killed himself on the beach, or afterlife fantasy. Riggan imagines what he would want to happen. -
Michael Keaton in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
We are made to imagine what Sam sees. This, like other ambiguous parts of the movie, creates an open-ended interpretation game, and makes the viewer part of the delusion and/or artful solution. -
Michael Keaton and Edward Norton in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
We are made to imagine what Sam sees, and then to question what we have imagined: -First we imagine her seeing him flying, as a triumph of some sort (art, celebrity, self-integration, or redemption) -Second we realize that this is impossible because Riggan's powers have been established as hallucinations; the movie ends with an unreal yet hopeful solution (whether artful, or lying, or winking) to a real and sad problem (in short: a mentally ill Riggan committing suicide to go out 'on top', when really he has "confused being admired with being loved" as his ex-girlfriend says).