The Art Of Starting A Movie At The End
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- čas přidán 24. 05. 2024
- Starting a story at the end and working towards that moment is nothing new, especially in Hollywood. Films like Pulp Fiction, Fight Club, Memento, Forrest Gump, and Saving Private Ryan all opt for starting the story with how it ends. This can be a powerful tool in the right hands. Immersing the audience in the story immediately and having them along for the ride with the main characters. Though Tarantino, Fincher, and Nolan have all used this trick to great success, it doesn't always work out that way. For every Pulp Fiction or Fight Club there are countless rip offs that attempt the same style but to a lesser degree. But why exactly does starting a movie at the end make for such a compelling story?
#movies #quentintarantino #christophernolan #nerdstalgic - Zábava
Megamind (2010) did this too didn't it?
well ofc, it's another masterpiece
I gotta watch that because I keep hearing how bad 2nd one was and how the 1st was a classic
Flashbacks are different than non-linear storytelling
@@qjames0077right. It’s a way to introduce the characters without doing so with the main story. This is the situation. This is how we got here. Now enjoy what’s next.
Flashbacks are by definition, non-linear story telling, they're different from Call backs.@@qjames0077
The ending of Pulp Fiction is actually when Butch rides off on his chopper. The diner can't be the end of the story because Butch kills Vincent in his bathroom
You're right! The diner scene bookends the film, but the end of the story is Butch saying, "Zed's dead" and riding off in victory.
Pretty close though tbf
@@SwanChairUh Not really. The _whole_ Butch storyline takes place after the diner robbery. When we first meet Butch, he's in Marsellus' bar and Vince and Jules come in in the clothes they're wearing at the dimer.
You’re confusing story with plot. Kinda the whole point of the movie too 😅
@@MrOtistetraxit’s all really confusing, pulp fiction is my favourite movie of all time but I still can’t tell the order of the story 😂
A lot of stories, namely "The Hangover", seem to open "In Medias Reas", or "In the Middle of Things", so that we'll ask "How did the characters end up in this madcap situation?" Usually, I end up forgetting about this flash forward, until it inevitably shows up again after we're all caught up.
Yeah, this is a tough one. Flash forwards and or flashbacks are a bit different than non-linear storytelling. Memento is a fantastic example of this
Spot on! FYI it’s “en media res.” But using that kind of introduction doesn’t mean there will be any flashbacks or exposition. I love it when you’re dropped right in and need to figure out WTF is going on and who these people are.
If you like this style and the fantasy genre, the book series Malazan Book of the Fallen is considered one of the best in the genre and does en media res in a way that I still think about.
@@qjames0077I agree, Memento is arguably the most perfect example of this given the nature of the main characters short term memory loss which makes him the ultimate unreliable narrator when pointing out the plot holes in his story created by his condition.
@@revwolfe You're both wrong. It's "in medias res"
"12 Monkeys" is one of my favourites examples of this. Probably Bruce Willis & Brad Pitt finest work to date
12 Monkeys is great but it's no Die Hard or Fight Club
Have you scene Brad pitt recent work. Pretty good stuff.
@@AMAli-ct5dfHe just might make something of himself...
But "scene", really?
The Prestige is another example of that. I'm frankly amazed by the fact that many fans of cinema forget that movie. Every time there's a video about Christopher Nolan or some other category where the prestige easily fits in (like this video) they don't remember it. That's a great movie
Heck it's probably my favourite of Nolan's. You're right, it often seems to be forgotten.
'prestige' is one of the best films ever made, imo. seen it many times. the first minute or so, as well as the last pack a real punch.
and though it doesn't come anywhere close to prestige, 'a simple plan' also opens with the main character speaking from the future. this one's another masterful and mostly forgotten film.
literally everybody talks about it 😭
@@bettercallfrog you really think so? I just saw 'a simple plan' and was reminded again of how many awesome films have been totally ignored/forgotten.
"They were all dead. The final gunshot was an exclamation mark on everything that had lead to this point. I released my finger from the trigger. And then it was over."
Max Payne 1 has one of the best opening lines and it's also one of the final lines in the game from right at the end. The game begins with Max standing amid the destruction on top of a building as the police race to get to him. And then it goes all the way back to show how he ended up there. Really draws you in.
“To make any sense of it, I have to go back. Back to the night the pain started”
same for Part II: The Fall of Max Payne. But it'll always be that scene with Max on the tower with that grin of his.
🔥🔥🔥
That game was so awesome
Max Payne games are some of the best. I don't care to play on higher difficulty or whatever. I want to play, and replay fluidly, and "watch the movie". Great dialog and cut scenes.
I recently replayed MP3 in one sitting, and really appreciate the loading segments. You don't even want to skip them once you even can. They're key parts of the story and character development.
I also like how every kill is unique and the ops react to how and where they're shot. You can decide to play more tactical if.you want, or you can throw in that bullet time Matrix shit if and when you want. Great game. A decade on (MP3), and it's aged super well.
Pulp Fiction did not start at the end, it started and ended with the middle. There were scenes which both preceded and succeeded the Coffee shop robbery. It actually ended with Butch riding off into the sunset on the chopper.
it started at the end of the movie though
@@button9That means absolutely nothing and has no impact on the story. OP was right. Furthermore, the beginning of Pulp Fiction gives no information that establishes it as “the end” (or even the middle. Unlike, let’s say, Lawrence of Arabia, where we learn right off the bat that the title character is dead. From there, the entire movie leads up to that point. Pulp Fiction doesn’t follow this mold. The two characters the movie starts on are rather inconsequential to the story overall.
It’s just a badass way to start a movie.
The key word as used in this video is finale, which I the case of Pulp Fiction wasn't the end of the story line.
"Grave Of The Fireflies" starts with the death of the main character and his sister. This set's a ton of inevitability that doesn't leave you for the whole film, you are challenged to just watch them knowing every decision they make will ultimately spell their demise.
Megamind is a great example too, a little overlooked but great use of the ending first technique
This is a perfectly concise rundown of how to start at the end and why. As well as the hero's journey and the three act structure.
You have my respect and admiration.
Except Hollywood movies don't have a three act structure. The "middle" is a misnomer for the usually two but sometimes three major parts that occur between the setup and the climax. Hollywood movies thus have either four or five part structures. For example, in The Fugitive, the "middle" consists of two distinct parts. The first goes from when Kimble chooses to flee the wrecked prison bus, for the very sensible reason that he doesn't want to be executed, to when he jumps off the spillway to avoid being recaptured by the US Marshalls. This is a turning point. The second part of the "middle" sees him change direction literally - he goes back to Chicago - and metaphorically - he is no longer simply trying to escape, now he is obsessed with finding out what really happened the night his wife was murdered. So this movie has a four part structure: setup, complicating action, development and climax.
Gone Girl ... the scariest movie I've ever seen; because the evil is not an unknown entity, it is a twisted human mind which can manipulate everyone while appearing to be the victim and the one most affected by it, is stuck ... not that he was a better person before ... but the viewer knows which of the 2 was worse.. but her mind, that conniving mind
I liked Interstellar's (2014) puzzle that began and ended the movie
Gaspar Noé's Irreversible makes use of this technique and for that very reason it is so great.
1
Momento is the only other movie that did this better than Pulp Fiction, in my opinion
When I’m watching these kinds of movies, often what I’m watching for is to see how they can recontextualizs a scene. I’m interested in finding disparity between how I felt about the scene the first time it showed and when the rest of the film’s context arrived. Something that looked immoral is now moral. Something selfish is now selfless. The great promise of starting with the end is the writer or director saying, “Watch my movie and I’m going to change the way you feel about this scene.”
Irreversible (2002), tho it's dark and has the movie going backwards, it's one of the best one. Of course I don't think most people have seen it because of it's dark theme and because it's not in English.
An unforgettable movie!
Fun Fact: For Pulp Fiction, Uma Thurman originally turned down the role of Mia Wallace. Quentin Tarantino was so desperate to have her as Mia, he ended up reading her the script over the phone, finally convincing her to take on the role.
He really wanted her feet on cam
I honestly don’t think Pulp Fiction was a good choice to champion this point. Nothing about the opening scene of the movie hints that it’s actually part of the closing scene in any way. The small-time crooks aren’t seen anywhere else in the film, and the movie as a whole is a series of vignettes.
I mostly agree with your analysis, but you left out one crucial factor: one of the things that makes Pulp Fiction's structure work so well is that the ending is not really the end. The scene in the diner is really closer to the beginning than the end of the narrative timeline. After the diner scene, Vincent takes Mia out to dinner (and almost kills her), and the whole Butch subplot takes place, including Vincent's death and Butch's encounter with Marsellus (and Maynard and Zed). QT's genius is that he managed to structure the thing so that the climax was exciting and FELT like the ending, even though it wasn't. The actual ending, chronologically, would be Butch and Fabienne riding off on Zed's chopper, but that would have been significantly less exciting.
It can work if done right. The only genres that have done this the most that I can think of are action movies and biopics, specifically music biopics.
Agreed, Pulp Fiction used this to their advantage, as well as telling the story out of order by following three different groups.
"I think the best way to tell this story is by starting at the end, briefly, then going back to the beginning; then periodically returning to the end, maybe giving different characters' perspectives throughout. Just to, you know, give it a bit of dynamism." - The Other Guys (2010)
“Teddy Shelby getting revenge…” the disrespect 😭🤣
Yeah I zoned out of the video for like 30s chewing on that because that didn't sound right. His name was Leonard.
I don’t know if it counts as starting with the ending, but I love how Run Lola Run starts with “the incident”. It’s way too soon in the runtime for the climax of the movie so you’re sitting there thinking “what the hell just happened?”
I freaking love the opening scene of pulp fiction!
Excellent introduction to what your about to experience 😂
Great video
Except Pulp Fiction starts in the middle of the film not the ending, Butch's Story (The third Act) happens after the Diner Scene.
What background music is featured in this episode? It’s wonderful!
Fight Club did this really well.
I forget the movie even starts the way it does. I’m so used to that insomnia sequence and plane scene, that’s what I always think of when I think how the movie starts.
But Pulp Fiction started in the middle and ended at the conclusion of the middle. The chronological end is Butch saying, "Zed's dead baby, Zed's dead".
The Prestige
“Let me tell you about the time I almost died."
Anyone, whats the movie with harrison ford that comes often in the three act structure explanation please :)
Great vid as always keep it up !
The Fugitive?
Some of my favorites are:
The Hangover
A Thin Line Between Love & Hate
Sonic (the first movie)
Renfeld
🤔 Wow. Knew that this trope works well with comedic movies.
I love this
Arrival!
Probably the best use of this technique as it is contextually relevant to the plot unlike any other movie, except maybe Momento
Citizen Kane being named the greatest movie is not an overstatement by far, especially because all of us have some Rosebud in us
I've always enjoyed the opening sequence of Inside Man (2006) with Denzel Washington and Clive Owen.
While not exclusively being the absolute endpoint of the film, it gives the viewer a glimpse into the outcome (without spoiling the plot or the reveals) well before the film plays out, which is in essence the point of this video (I think).
An example of a movie from another genre that does this really well is Moulin Rouge. You are told from the very beginning that Satine will die but not how, so as you watch the rest of the movie you experience different emotions of wanting the lovers to be happy and knowing they won't and not knowing exactly what will separate them.
Hey @nerdstalgic I think your audio is messed up in this video
Yeah something is off sync, I can’t even listen to it
Memento immediately came to mind before i even clicked on this video!
Really though, Pulp Fiction started near the end of the middle and ended with the middle. Plus, it was three stories.
Suggestion for a topic: "Can Great Movies be Spoiled?" since if knowing a reveal ruins a pivotal scene, what would be the point of rewatching it when the hallmark of a great movie is it can be enjoyed on multiple rewatches.
This isn't a movie, but the book, "last of the breed" by Louis L'amour starts with the ending. It also works with the epilogue to end the scene in an epic way.
Bro's channel should be called 'The Art of Glazing Tarantino's Meat"
Arrival
Although you are made to believe it is the past.
Daredevil did it where we opened on matt played by Ben Affleck is already hurt and lowering himself into kingpins headquarters and falls to the floor with most of the rest of the movie being a backstory until it gets back around to that opening moment then it moves forward from there
This device is called In Media Res or in the midst of things. It's a classic device
This is the best way to tell a story
That's how the "other guys" described it. Start with the end
A movie called Lone Survivor opening with a shot of the lone survivor was never really going to spoil things, was it?
Haven't read all the comments, but one that I love for this is "The Emperor's New Groove" :)
Released only 15hrs ago. Just finished lecturing someone who I just showed The Prestige to the genius of having the ending be the beginning, as soon as I'm done and open CZcams, what pops up ...
Attack on titan is very heavily thought to have been written from the ending to the beginning, if you watch or read early chapters or episodes of the show it’s very clear they’re foreshadowing basically everything. I don’t want to spoil things tho.
The reason it works is that there's still mystery. We may know "what" is going to happen, but we still don't know "how" the story will arrive there. Many times, that's a deeper and more compelling mystery than "what." When it doesn't work, it's often because the "how" is too obvious.
Or, in the case of pulp fiction, we don't even know it's the end and realistically that opening scene has no bearing on the overall story. The robbery doesn't tie into the story as a whole it just gives space for a characters development. I think this adds to that scene because you want to know how it plays out but then you almost forget about it until it hits again and gives such a profound moment for one of the main characters.
These essays are just hype and storytelling 101 with minimal substantial claims. Fun to watch and a solid formula for monetization, but ultimately hollow. "That right there is what separates great films from bad ones: choices." "They create something that has to be experienced, not just observed." Brilliant...
Could have added my two classic favorites, Sunset Boulevard and American Beauty.
I thought of Lost Highway but maybe it's fairer to say it ends at the beginning of the movie that begins at the end. ♾️ Are there many movies that end at the beginning?
Fun fact: Dave Gahan, the singer of Depeche Mode, was offered the role of the robber (in Pulp Fiction) first. Dave, who has expressed regret since, turned it down and Tim Roth got it. :)
Also, opening with the end and making it work so well so often really takes the air out of the whole "no spoilers, waah!" bullshit. I have been "spoiled" tons and it never "spoiled" my experience. Much like research on the topic has shown. If anything, it was an enhancement because it left time to really soak up the details that points to that inevitable and known end.
I mean - ask yourself. At the end of The Sixth Sense, did you go "I knew it!" or "oh, ok, aaaah ok!" Knowing the end of Dune does not make the movies less. I read those books decades ago and remember them well and I still loved the movies. Especially the nuances that there is no way in FUCK you'd pick up on unless you were clued in.
My favorites that started with an ending are.
. Goodfellas
. X
All of these movies are made by hacks. The only appropriate way to start at the end is to freeze frame on the main character in the "opening end scene", play a record scratch sound effect, then have the main character start narration by saying "Yea, that's me. I bet you're wondering how I ended up like this." Then you play the opening of a familiar song that most of the audience probably hasn't heard in a while to kickstart that feeling of nostalgia. The song opening also has to have the sense that you're building up to something and about to undertake a journey. Baba O'Reilly by The Who is always a good choice.
1:51 Teddy Shelby?? Don't you mean Leonard Shelby?
It starts, and ends in the middle, chronologically,the apartment big kahuna burger scene is the beginning, and Zed's dead is the end
it's a crutch for screenplays that don't know how to get from A to Z, so they show us Z and that drives all the decisions after A even if they don't make any sense unless you know Z.
Megamind fight club momento still got goosebumps
It always annoyed me the dialogue was different at the start and end of PF
Let's see, off the top of my head, Grave of The Fireflies, Arrival, Sunset Boulevard, Kamikaze Girls, The Hole actually does this pretty well.
benjamin button is one of my top ten movies
Then you have terrible taste in films
Starting at the end is a great way to assure the viewer that the story is leading up to something.
There is nothing worse than movies that just go on and on with no end in sight.
The Haunting of Hill house was saved by this trick. If we had not started at the final night and gotten a linear ghost story it would have been one of the most drawn out and anti climatic ghost stories ever filmed.
I feel personally attacked by the phrase "Classic Movie-Pulp Fiction". That's a mortality bridge I'm not willing to cross yet.
The crazy part is that it doesnt begin with the ending, it begins and ends with the end of the first act.
Every final fantasy game in recent memory
Memento too
Tenet started with the first of its 3 endings which all occured at the same time.
Its... Interesting, Dan Harmon has never been a fan of the start the story at the end trope, that stories need to flow naturally.
I think that my favourite is probably Nobody?
But the thing is the diner scene is not the ending, its Butch riding off with his wife is the ending. The diner scene is more at the start of the timeline of the movie.
Irreversible is the perfect example. No gimmick, it's literally the point and theme of the movie.
This video says less than nothing, what was the point?
Good Kid M.a.a.d City did this too. A short Film by Kendrick Lamar
For me it's always been pans labyrinth. We know her fate but the journey is what the film is about
For me, pulp fiction is a number of story loosely held together. Bookending with the restaurant scene gave it a bit of structure. Very much like sin city. Without that structure, the movie would feel like it just ended. There is nothing you learn in the middle that give you a different perspective on the scene. The structure of pulp fiction is utilitarian for it content. Thats it
Thallumaala also does this beautifully
I think starting at the end removed all the tension from Atomic Blonde.
Triangle starts where it ends and ends where is starts, the movie itself is an infinite loop.
"In extrema res"... I think that´s how the call this technique, starting by the end of the story.
Always hated this style cause i always view it as a spoiler unless its super well done
Amadeus
They should have used this way of working with the Star Wars sequels. Oh well. 🤷♂️
Back to the future 2
"City of God" is one of the best movies.
Yeah check your mixes I love your videos and I want to watch this but the mix is soooooooo bad there’s ambient music playing over your words I’m listening on multiple devices
Suicide Kings! That one does not hold up...Seven Psychopaths does
Fallen, staring Denzel Washington.
In medias res.. it comes from literature
Memento is one of the greatest movies ever
i actually really hate this method because it's done soooo poorly so often and even when done well I still feel cheated since we (kinda) know what happens
Most of the time, this is just a cheap trick used by writers who want an easy shock at the start of the movie, but have no idea how to pull it off. I distinctively remember thinking "Ah, not this $h1t again" at the theater when I went to see Daredevil (the Ben Affleck one), and that was 2003. They went with the tired old cliché of "dying character's life flashes before his eyes" (though they saw the opportunity to add "and it's true, even for a blind man").
It was already such an overused and cheap trick, that 12-year-old me could see it.
the #1 thing most unproduced scripts have in common is starting at the end.
if you write your script to begin at the end
1. understand this does not make it unique-rather, it makes it more generic
2. really make sure you understand exactly how it's successful in the very few movies that are better for doing it well. Pulp Fiction does it in a VERY specific way that is not how 99% of scripts try to do it. for instance, Pulp Fiction doesn't actually spoil any narrative. but almost all bad scripts that wanna mimic Pulp begin by spoiling the main character's plotline by showing *them* at the end.
sorry i used to read scripts for a living and i got triggered. just, if you wanna sell a script, write it in order, and also don't describe a female character as some version of "intelligent yet gorgeous", which is a real phrase in a lot of scripts.
GO from 1999 is the best Tarantino rip off and still holds up.
The Rules of Attraction
The reason Pulp Fiction ends with the dinner scene is because the studio wanted Travolta and Jackson alive at the end of the film. This was Tarantino's way of killing them off and keeping the studio happy
TEDDY Shelby?!?! smh
Arrival?