This seems to be maybe the easiest question we could ever Ask Movie Irv, right? Until you realize (a) just how risky those in the movie business regard the “downbeat” climax to be; (b) how scarce it is on the big screen, and, paradoxically, (c) how many great, great films actually do depart from closing on the traditional happy ending. Maybe this question doesn’t have such a straightforward answer after all:
Just how hard is it to make a great film with an unhappy ending? And how hard will it be for you to take to the comments section now and recommend a respectable list of cinematic classics that don’t toe the line of ending on the obligatory “up” note? Woody Allen has practically dedicated his entire career to walking that fine line between sad and satisfying, so I offer up that masterpiece from the Woodman as a “gimme.” The rest is up to you.