Revision as of 05:50, 4 December 2020 editJimmyBlackwing (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers49,863 edits template← Previous edit | Latest revision as of 00:41, 10 November 2023 edit undoHeyElliott (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users118,571 edits WP:N'TTag: 2017 wikitext editor | ||
(26 intermediate revisions by 20 users not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|Technique in film and music}} | |||
{{original research|date=August 2017}} | |||
A '''false ending''' is a device in film and music that can be used to trick the audience into thinking that the work has ended, before it continues. | |||
{{more citations needed|date=October 2007}} | |||
{{notability}} | |||
A '''false ending''' has two contexts: in literature, film and video games it is a narrative device where the plot seems to be heading to its conclusion, but in reality, there's still more to the story; in a musical composition, however, it is a complete stop of the work or song for one or more seconds before continuing. | |||
The presence of a false ending can be anticipated through a number of ways |
The presence of a false ending can be anticipated through a number of ways. The medium itself might betray that the story will continue beyond the false ending. A supposed "ending" that occurs when many pages are still left in a book, when a film or song's running time has not fully elapsed, or when only half the world has been explored in a video game, is likely to be false. As such, stories with an indeterminate running length or a multi-story structure are much more likely to successfully deceive their audience with this technique. Another indicator is the presence of a large number of incomplete story lines, character arcs, or other unresolved story elements at the time of the false ending. These elements can leave the audience feeling that too much of the story is incomplete and there has to be more. | ||
==Film== | ==Film== | ||
⚫ | {{No sources|section|date=December 2022}} | ||
In '']'' |
In '']'', it seems like the criminal case that the movie revolves around is completely closed with no loose ends until one of the witnesses admits that she lied about important details to give more importance towards the trial of the people who raped her, exposing a cover-up conspiracy. In '']'', director ] uses editing techniques that are indicative of endings in scenes that could be used as such, but continues until the movie finally ends. '']'' has two false endings. Another example is in '']'', where, at a very climactic stage in the film, the screen fades away and says "]", which is then followed by the word "Immediately." Also in '']'', at what appears to be a cliffhanger ending, a "The End" sign appears, only for Lucy (voiced by ]) to break the ] by insisting that the film will have a happy ending; the same sign appears again at the film's actual ending. After Evelyn (played by ]) seemingly dies in the middle of '']'', the words "The End" appear before a short portion of fake credits; this is followed by the reveal that the film was being watched by an audience in a universe where Evelyn becomes a movie star. | ||
Some movies come to a formal ending, followed by the rolling of the credits, which is almost universally used to indicate that the film has ended, only to have the actors reappear in one or more ]s. In comedy films, these sequences may be ]s or ]s. In other types of films, the mid-credit scenes may continue the narrative set out in the movie. The ] movies have become notorious for this, in some cases featuring a mid-credits scene and an end-credits scene in the same movie. | Some movies come to a formal ending, followed by the rolling of the credits, which is almost universally used to indicate that the film has ended, only to have the actors reappear in one or more ]s. In comedy films, these sequences may be ]s or ]s. In other types of films, the mid-credit scenes may continue the narrative set out in the movie. The ] movies have become notorious for this, in some cases featuring a mid-credits scene and an end-credits scene in the same movie. | ||
==Television== | |||
⚫ | {{ |
||
==Video games== | |||
Some examples in video games include '']'' and '']''. Both involve confrontations with the major antagonists at what seems like their final lairs, but instead a crisis occurs and the story continues. A third is in '']'', upon sinking the ''Druna Skass'' a second time (Which can only happen if the player plays though the game again, as the game resets itself to the beginning if you sink it once), the player is greeted by another supership, that looks just like the ''Druna Skass''. Yet another example is the ] game '']'', in which the player must wait until the credits roll to their conclusion before gameplay resumes. | |||
]s are notorious for having such plot devices. It usually involves the game's main antagonist being defeated, only for a previously mentioned character to be revealed as the "real" villain. One example is '']'', in which the main character is apparently about to have a boss fight with the former villain Zant, but Zant reveals he has been working for another Villain. | |||
Another example is "]" where after you defeat Medusa, credits roll but are quickly interrupted by Hades, the villain for the rest of the game. | |||
In video games, it is difficult to use the false ending device effectively. Nevertheless, in the hands of a skilled designer, there are several methods that allow it to be done. In several video games, such as those with multiple playable characters and story lines, the game may appear to end after defeating a difficult boss, or clearing what appears to be the "Final" level, complete with credits, an ], and a return to the start screen. These endings are different from bad endings, as everything may appear to be resolved. However, fulfilling conditions such as clearing all the storylines, reloading the save file, or reaching the "ending" in a ] mode may give the player the option to continue on to the real ending. | |||
An example of this is '']'', and its sequel '']''. In the former, while there are six stories to play, only the main character's, ] is the most complete. The other characters' stories are simply side-stories. However, if "all" of the stories are completed, a final story appears that wraps up the game and acts as the "true" ending. In the latter, there are two stories to play, one for the heroes, and one for the villains. Of note is the plot device is hidden in a false ] being used that would destroy the space colony in which the villain ] is using as a base. It is at first implied that Eggman took the false Emerald, but in reality, when the last story is played, again, after the two normal stories are completed, a true conclusion is offered. | |||
Another example could be the survival horror game '']'', where, depending on your choice, you get to play with one of the two characters and get a certain ending for one of them to later discover, when you finish playing the second path with the second character, you fight the real final boss and the "true" ending (That may vary depending of which character you have chosen first) is shown. The main difference between both of the "true" endings are that places and times are exchanged, as well as the final dialogue from the game. | |||
''The Consequence'', the second Kidman DLC for 2014's '']'', features a secret false ending in a similar manner to those shown in the ''Resident Evil'' franchise. At one point, Juli Kidman encounters the brain of the game's main antagonist, Ruben Victoriano, sealed ] hooked up to the STEM system in Beacon Hospital. Should the player choose to shoot the container and break it, the game cuts to black, then begins the credits sequence, cutting short on a postcard depicting Juli, Joseph and Sebastian on a postcard, before promptly returning to the game as Kidman exclaims "What the fuck?!", indicating the whole sequence was a hallucination. | |||
==Music== | ==Music== | ||
False endings are a known device in classical music. ] was fond of them, for example inducing applause at the wrong place in the finales of his ] (nicknamed "The Joke")<ref>{{cite |
False endings are a known device in classical music. ] was fond of them, for example inducing applause at the wrong place in the finales of his ] (nicknamed "The Joke")<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/tomserviceblog/2009/may/29/haydn-playful-composer-tom-service |title=Haydn composed existential comedy |first=Tom |last=Service |authorlink=Tom Service |newspaper=] |date=29 May 2009 |accessdate=19 February 2009}}</ref> and ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sarahhicksconductor.com/web/buzz_details.aspx?ItemId=554184 |title= Haydn's Head Fake |date=16 May 2010 |first=Sarah |last=Hicks |authorlink=Sarah Hicks |accessdate=19 February 2018}}</ref> The first movement of ]'s ] contains false endings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kennedy-center.org/artist/composition/4176 |title=Symphony No. 1 in D major, Op. 25, "Classical" |first=Richard |last=Rodda |website=] |accessdate=19 February 2018}}</ref> | ||
Modern false endings include: | |||
False endings are also a common custom in popular music. ] used false endings in many of their songs, including "]", "]", "]", "]", "]", "]", and "]".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-07-21 |title=Readers recommend: songs with false endings – results |url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jul/21/readers-recommend-songs-false-endings-results |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> Other songs that use false endings include ]' "]", ]' "]" (full version), ]'s "]", ]' "]", ]'s "]", ]' "]", ]' ], and ]' "]".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-best-false-endings-in-music-as-chosen-by-haggard-cat|title=The 10 best false endings in music, as chosen by Haggard Cat|first=Briony|last=Edwards|magazine=Louder|date=April 10, 2018|accessdate=March 3, 2021}}</ref> | |||
* "Sh Boom" by the Crew Cuts, 1954 | |||
* "Born to be with You" by the Chordettes, 1956 | |||
* "Stairway to Heaven" by Neil Sedaka, 1960 | |||
*] by ], 1962 | |||
* "Keep on Dancing" by the Gentry's, 1965. | |||
* "Good Lovin" by the Young Rascals, 1966 | |||
*] by ], 1966 | |||
* "Ghost Riders in the Sky" by the Baja Marimba Band, 1966 | |||
* "Pretty Ballerina" by the Left Banke, 1966 | |||
* "Strawberry Fields Forever" by the Beatles, 1967 | |||
* "Bernadette" by the Four Tops, 1967 | |||
* "I Was Kaiser Bills Batman" by Whistling Jack Smith, 1967 | |||
* "Zabadak" by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, 1967 | |||
* "Bluebird" by the Buffalo Springfield, 1967 | |||
* "Hello Goodbye" by the Beatles, 1967 | |||
* "Neon Rainbow" by the Box Tops, 1967 | |||
* "Broken Arrow" by the Buffalo Springfield, 1968 | |||
* "Just Dropped In" (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, 1967 | |||
* "Helter Skelter" by the Beatles, 1968 | |||
* "Black Magic Woman" by Fleetwood Mac, 1968 | |||
*] by ], 1969 | |||
* "Treat" by Santana, 1969 | |||
* "No Matter What" by Badfinger, 1970 | |||
* "Rock On" by David Essex, 1973 | |||
* "I Can Help" by Billy Swan, 1974 | |||
* "I Got the Music in Me" by Kiki Dee, 1974 | |||
* "Island Girl" by Elton John, 1975 | |||
* "Let'em In" by Paul McCartney and Wings, 1976 | |||
* (Just Like) "Starting Over" by John Lennon 1980 | |||
*] by ], 1979 | |||
*] by ], 1993 | |||
*] by ], 2002 | |||
*] by ] | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Line 78: | Line 24: | ||
] | ] | ||
] | ] | ||
] | |||
] | ] | ||
] | ] |
Latest revision as of 00:41, 10 November 2023
Technique in film and musicA false ending is a device in film and music that can be used to trick the audience into thinking that the work has ended, before it continues.
The presence of a false ending can be anticipated through a number of ways. The medium itself might betray that the story will continue beyond the false ending. A supposed "ending" that occurs when many pages are still left in a book, when a film or song's running time has not fully elapsed, or when only half the world has been explored in a video game, is likely to be false. As such, stories with an indeterminate running length or a multi-story structure are much more likely to successfully deceive their audience with this technique. Another indicator is the presence of a large number of incomplete story lines, character arcs, or other unresolved story elements at the time of the false ending. These elements can leave the audience feeling that too much of the story is incomplete and there has to be more.
Film
This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "False ending" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
In L.A. Confidential, it seems like the criminal case that the movie revolves around is completely closed with no loose ends until one of the witnesses admits that she lied about important details to give more importance towards the trial of the people who raped her, exposing a cover-up conspiracy. In The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, director Peter Jackson uses editing techniques that are indicative of endings in scenes that could be used as such, but continues until the movie finally ends. Spider-Man 3 has two false endings. Another example is in The Simpsons Movie, where, at a very climactic stage in the film, the screen fades away and says "To be continued", which is then followed by the word "Immediately." Also in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, at what appears to be a cliffhanger ending, a "The End" sign appears, only for Lucy (voiced by Elizabeth Banks) to break the fourth wall by insisting that the film will have a happy ending; the same sign appears again at the film's actual ending. After Evelyn (played by Michelle Yeoh) seemingly dies in the middle of Everything Everywhere All at Once, the words "The End" appear before a short portion of fake credits; this is followed by the reveal that the film was being watched by an audience in a universe where Evelyn becomes a movie star.
Some movies come to a formal ending, followed by the rolling of the credits, which is almost universally used to indicate that the film has ended, only to have the actors reappear in one or more mid-credits scenes. In comedy films, these sequences may be bloopers or outtakes. In other types of films, the mid-credit scenes may continue the narrative set out in the movie. The Marvel Cinematic Universe movies have become notorious for this, in some cases featuring a mid-credits scene and an end-credits scene in the same movie.
Music
False endings are a known device in classical music. Josef Haydn was fond of them, for example inducing applause at the wrong place in the finales of his String Quartet, Op. 33 No. 2 (nicknamed "The Joke") and Symphony No. 90. The first movement of Prokoviev's Classical Symphony contains false endings.
False endings are also a common custom in popular music. The Beatles used false endings in many of their songs, including "I'm Only Sleeping", "Get Back", "Hello, Goodbye", "Cry Baby Cry", "Helter Skelter", "Rain", and "Strawberry Fields Forever". Other songs that use false endings include Guns 'n' Roses' "November Rain", Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" (full version), David Bowie's "Suffragette City", Gorillaz' "Dare", Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten", Foo Fighters' "Come Back", Alice in Chains' "Rain When I Die", and Beastie Boys' "Sabotage".
See also
References
- Service, Tom (29 May 2009). "Haydn composed existential comedy". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 February 2009.
- Hicks, Sarah (16 May 2010). "Haydn's Head Fake". Retrieved 19 February 2018.
- Rodda, Richard. "Symphony No. 1 in D major, Op. 25, "Classical"". Kennedy Center. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
- "Readers recommend: songs with false endings – results". the Guardian. 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
- Edwards, Briony (April 10, 2018). "The 10 best false endings in music, as chosen by Haggard Cat". Louder. Retrieved March 3, 2021.