Some Like It Hot came out in 1959, a time when subjects such as sexual/gender identity and cross-dressing were still very much taboo onscreen. Killer John Doe (Kevin Spacey) reveals that he cut off the head of protagonist Mills' pregnant wife and stuck it in a box. A fitting conclusion to a book about globalization, and its power to rapidly change the world. "From The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. No name can be read there. Even today, millions of people think of the ravages of the Great Depression through the lens of Steinbecks story. by Mark Twain (1884). How brilliant to end the novel with the grieving creature drifting away into the vast darkness and whiteness at the end of the world. Its a deeply contemplative story about a man whose inept parents were imprisoned for bank robbery, leaving him and his twin sister to fend for themselves when they were 15. He watched it leap off the end and disappear through an air vent. It'd be a glaring omission to not mention Fitzgerald's oft-quoted thesis about the American Dream. The ending would be a downer were it not for Gordon's admiring words. Ford is better known for his books about real estate agent Frank Bascombe, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize, but this novel is his finest. In many respects, the last sentence is elegiac. Henry wanted to become a mobster specifically so he wouldn't have to live life as an average Joe. the heroines decision to walk into the sea and drown herself. Don't judge. "From The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Neo's final words in the film play directly into this idea, even going so far as to suggest that reality is what people make it. Those words are meaningful because the entire theme of The Dark Knight is meaningful. ", "The white floodlight shines through the wispy tule and makes thin shadows. She responds by shooting him. When Max gave up being king of where the wild things are, sailed back to his room and found dinner waiting for him, his mothers love is confirmed, and the natural order of his world is restored. What early event in American history was the backdrop for Arthur Miller's play in which this line appears? Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript. If not, I'll die your maid: to be your fellow. Anyone who has ever seen Se7en cannot forget its harrowing ending. The lines belong to Lily Briscoe, the novel's resident artist, but could just as easily describe the work of art that Woolf has just concluded. The narrative comes to us as a sprawling letter written by John Ames, a 77-year-old Congregationalist minister who fears he might die soon. Most dearly held last line for moody and secretive teenagers everywhere: Dont ever tell anybody anything. When the creature is finally killed, Brody quips, "I used to hate the water." ", "With the Gardiners, they were always on the most intimate terms. Hazel followed; and together they slipped away, running easily down through the wood, where the first primroses were beginning to bloom. score: 5,129 , and 56 people voted. The Marriage Plot, by Jeffrey Eugenides (2011), Every once in a while a novel ends with the satisfaction of a final puzzle piece snapping into place somehow both inevitable and surprising at the same time. Interesting cinematography and engaging introductory scenes are vital to reel viewers into a film, but a final line is perhaps even more important. It's Chinatown.". ", "For Siddalee Walker, the need to understand has passed, at least for the moment. Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot revolves around two musicians, Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon), who witness a gangster murder. The Marriage Plot is a cerebral romantic comedy about Madeleine, a thoroughly modern young woman who gets her ideas of love from 18th- and 19th-century fiction. He is attacked by planes circling the building, shooting at him. The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, is perhaps the best Batman story ever committed to film. 11. A Perfect Day for Bananafish, J.D. Brody is, of course, being ironic. Salinger. Clear rating. Lapsing into the bland objectivity of academia, the professor warns his fellow scholars to be cautious about passing moral judgment upon the Gileadean. Often called England's 'national poet', his work consists of about 38 . A beautiful, or at least effective, final sentence anchors a story in a reader's mind long after the book is finished. ", "Might I trouble you then to be ready in half an hour, and we can stop at Marcinis for a little dinner on the way? ", Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling, "He was soon borne away by the waves and lost in darkness and distance. I kissed her a few times on the brow. Ethereal and evocative, this line nicely wraps up Capote's deeply personal and heart-wrenching story. "From The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. Ending an entire book in the middle of a sentence is a bold and playful choice. A vague last line casts a shadow over the entire novel, whereas a powerful and poignant one will keep you wondering for weeks to come. '", "I lost track after a while, happy to be home, weeping for my father, and thinking about what was next. Hooper replies, "I can't imagine why. Most visually representative ending to a novel: this way this way this way this way this way this way this way out this way out O, 17. "Oh, Jake, Brett said, we could have had such a damned good time together. Ahead was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic. Finding it so much like myselfso like a brother, reallyI felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again. ", "But the naming game involves only male names, because if it's a girl, Laila has already named her. He wants Mills (Brad Pitt) to kill him so that he can finish his series of murders based on the seven deadly sins. It eats Quint (Robert Shaw), escapes an effort by Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) to spear it with poison, then attacks Brody, who is on a sinking boat. The Awakening,by Kate Chopin (1899). Just like good books, good plays can teach you many life lessons. He convinces Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) to let him take responsibility for the murders to avoid the dispiriting consequences. That line has several layers, but, most prominently, it acknowledges that their relationship has changed. Surely we have learned by now that such judgments are of necessity culture-specific. The lessons of the past, he notes chillingly, are obscured by the passage of time. Here she is with another hour before her. A character in one of Jess Walters novels says, A book can only end one of two ways: truthfully or artfully. Alas, most dont end truthfully or artfully, but there are rare exceptions: novels that conclude with such gracefully calibrated language that we close the back cover and feel physically imprinted, as though the words were pressed into us by a weight we can hardly fathom. The 1933 version of King Kong is an all-time classic thanks in no small part to its dramatic ending. As you probably guessed, the famous lines above open Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night. The movie used broad humor to touch on these subjects, making for an incredibly daring comedy for the time. And so she does. Although it inspired considerable condemnation at the time, its now recognized as one of the earliest modernist novels and a foundational feminist text. ", "The knife came down, missing him by inches, and he took off. ", "But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest a little boy and his Bear will always be playing. Wake up to the day's most important news. In the end, though, he puts her on a plane to safety. Best closing lines in movies 1. Hint. . Stock-still at their desks, novelists face a similar demand for a perfectly choreographed last move. Moments. All was well. Previously, their dealings were driven by individual self-interest. So many heroes invent personas specifically to prevent anyone from discovering their true identity. ", Create and edit your own book list on Stylist here, "One bird said to Billy Pilgrim, 'Poo-tee-weet? ", "Her lips move and a moment before the door splinters off its hinges she says, her voice strong and quiet, 'My name is Alisa. He witnesses suffering and pain, capped by the emotional devastation of his partner. The first sentence of a book may be what draws the reader in, but it is the closing sentence that makes many books memorable. This pays off in the final scene, where they're driving a yacht away from a pier. ", The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger, "The old man was dreaming about the lions. I'm all for crime. Osgood announces his intention to marry Daphne, at which point Jerry rips off the wig and exposes himself as a man. ", "But that is the beginning of a new story - the story of the gradual renewal of a man, the story of his gradual regeneration, of his passing from one world into another, of his initiation into a new unknown life. The final moments find the Caped Crusader (Christian Bale) in a tough spot. ", "Slowly, very slowly, like two unhurried compass needles, the feet turned towards the right; north, north-east, south-east, south, south-south-west; then paused, and, after a few seconds, turned as unhurriedly back towards the left. Others leave us hanging, and still others provide a cathartic sense of closure. "What have you. ", "And the ashes blew towards us with the salt wind from the sea. We know, he laments, that our first dreams can never be realized, but we cant help pining for them anyhow. Im a man of my, 6. His final advice, not to tell anybody anything, could have run anywhere in the novel, but it sounds especially poignant at the end of his journey. The movie's suggestion that power and corruption are inextricably connected certainly gave it resonance for audiences of that era. Even today, Chopins final image of sensuous natural beauty is deeply unsettling. Dorothy, relieved to be away from all that drama, looks at her aunt and exclaims "Auntie Em, there's no place like home!". Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling. "Go, my book, and help destroy the world as it is. Portrait by Sophie Herxheimer. The father of the four March sisters is just a minor character in Louisa May Alcotts beloved Little Women (1868), but Geraldine Brooks put him at the center of her historical novel March, which won a Pulitzer Prize. And we never forgot it. He has just been awarded the Cross of the Legion of Honor. Inside, the agent comes to the shocking realization that he just let the real Keyser Soze get away. I said that they shouldnt be frightened (although I am often frightened) and that there was value everywhere. NEXT: 10 Best Comedy Movies Of 2021, According To IMDb, 13 Best Shark Movies To Watch This Summer (That Aren't Jaws), 10 Unpopular Opinions About E.T. ". William Shakespeare is widely considered to be the greatest dramatist of all time. After ratting out Paulie and Jimmy, he enters the Witness Protection Program. Most delicate ending to a delicate, harrowing story about the different kinds of humanity and grace: Shut up, Bobby Lee, The Misfit said. Most grandiose and declarative/most often quoted by people who have no idea where its from: It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known., 18. In that haunting last line, we see the ultimate success of Big Brothers deception, and we feel the full atrocity of whats been done to Winston. John Keats 101. Considering Salingers many decades as the nations most famous recluse, were tempted, of course, to consign that same pain to the author. If you don't stop and look around once and a while you might miss it." Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) 111 27 3. That this time the wind will not hear. It's a last chance for a good first impression. It's virtually impossible not to tear up in this touching, heartfelt moment. "If music be the food of love, play on" Twelfth Night Romeo and Juliet A Midsummer Night's Dream Reveal 2. 20. The School, Donald Barthelme (From Sixty Stories). John Huston's 1941 noir masterpiece The Maltese Falcon is the story of private detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart), who is investigating a case involving a quest by multiple individuals to procure a falcon statue that is encrusted with jewels. Not Nolan's tale; it finds Batman absorbing all of Gotham's rage and hostility in order to preserve an important ideal. For the Olympic gymnast, success comes down to how well she sticks the landing. What was the last line? They spark interest by stating a hard truth that seemingly comes from deep within the narrator's (or writer's) soul. Though were of the opinion that you could take any of Nabokovs sentences at random and put them on any best-of list with no problems, this may be the best ending to an impressionistic memoir about perception, memory and the haziness of reality: There, in front of us, where a broken row of houses stood between us and the harbor, and where the eye encountered all sorts of stratagems, such as pale-blue and pink underwear cakewalking on a clothesline, or a ladys bicycle and a striped cat oddly sharing a rudimentary balcony of cast iron, it was most satisfying to make out among the jumbled angles of roofs and walls, a splendid ships finnel, showing from behind the clothesline as something in a scrambled picture Find What the Sailor Has Hidden that the finder cannot unsee once it has been seen. He and Rick suddenly have things of substance in common. The story he tells sometimes horrific, sometimes absurd, often both takes him across the country, from a Southern state college for Negroes to Harlem, where he falls in and out with a black activist group. Alcott gives little indication of what horrors may have shaken Father during his fight for abolition, and Little Women ends with Mrs. March saying, Oh, my girls, however long you may live, I never can wish you a greater happiness than this. But by the time March returns to his happy home at the end of Brookss novel, we know him as the haunted survivor of carnage and a crushing spiritual crisis. Some last lines have the power to disrupt the course of an entire story, shaking up our expectations. Isnt it pretty to think so?, 2. A Good Man Is Hard To Find, Flannery OConnor (From The Complete Stories ). ", "Yukiko's diarrhoea persisted through the twenty-sixth, and was a problem on the train to Tokyo. Alices Adventures in Wonderland , Lewis Carroll. In the final pages, the narrator knows some readers will continue to ignore the relevance of his life: Youll fail to see how any principle that applies to you could apply to me. But he knows thats not true. Ames describes adventures both historical and spiritual. Americans have consistently called Mitchells Pulitzer Prize-winning novel one of their very favorites. Brilliant. This thread got me thinking, what are some famous last lines? Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (1936) Set around the American Civil War, the Pulitzer-winning epic about collapsing worlds, rape and murder, slavery, starvation, war and doomed love not only gave literature the most brutal break up line in literature ("My dear, I don't give a damn"), but also one of the most hopeful final flourishes. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. ", Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain, "Lastly, she pictured to herself how this same little sister of hers would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; and how she would keep, through all her riper years, the simple and loving heart of her childhood: and how she would gather about her other little children, and make their eyes bright and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps even with the dream of Wonderland of long ago: and how she would feel with all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys, remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days. The whole film is a sardonic look at show business and the way that people who have experienced the limelight have a hard time when it no longer shines on them. quiz, Canyou identify the first lines of these plays? ", "We sat there for a long time, till the crowd around us thinned, till the sun shifted and the light changed. They were uncommonly proud. So it was that Giles Corey's last lines in "The Crucible" endure in popular culture. His eyes, she sees, are open. It was Beauty killed the Beast.". The last bit of spoken dialogue is what's most likely to stick with audiences, and, if it's particularly poignant, it can seriously boost a film's reputation. whither wander you? ", "The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. ", Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery, "And so we stayed out in the garden of the old house until we couldnt see to kick a ball, laughing in the gathering twilight, my mother and son, my wife and our daughter, making the most of the good weather and all the days that were left, our little game watched only by next doors cat, and every star in the heavens. ", "And then, while the pretty brunette girl finished singing her verse, he buzzed me through like I was someone who mattered. I play video games. To honour it, we have curated eight thought-provoking lines from some of the world's most famous plays- from Macbeth to Harry Potter And The Cursed Child. Even more cheer-inducing is what happens in the finale; Lt. Raine (Brad Pitt) carves a swastika into the forehead of the movie's chief villain, SS Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), and declares "I think this just might be my masterpiece.". On the ground, a police officer looks at the dead ape and says that the planes killed him. Its a monstrously selfish act borne of panic over his lost youth and the soul-crushing responsibilities of adult life. She knew firsthand the deleterious effects of that lack of demand. A Dark Knight.". He may have been a beast, but he was a beast with heart. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. ", "He reached the top of the bank in a single, powerful leap. ", Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Rebecca Wells, "And so farewell from your little droog. Famous Last Words in theatrical productions. After so much trauma and the exhausting exorcism that concludes the novel, what other ending would do but a final invocation of that child who represents so many snuffed out by our nations foundational sin? "She closes her eyes again and I begin to sing softly: Hoping that this time it will remain a lullaby. His name, along with Shakespeare 's, is nearly synonymous with English verse. The line also offers up a little hope for Rick, who just sent the love of his life away. In fewer words than most novelists use in a single paragraph, Sendak managed to capture our fundamental fears and thrills. 1. And us so happy. The strains of the piano and violin rose up weakly from below. The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway (1926). "I've shat in better places than this" Saved Blasted Hamlet Reveal 3. A recurring bit in the movie finds millionaire Osgood Fielding III (Joe E. Brown) falling for Daphne. The car slowed suddenly pressing Brett against me. The strains of the piano and violin rose up weakly from below. We held each other. His response: "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.". In the final pages, at the worst possible moment, he flees again, which Updike captures in that closing line swelling with deliverance and cowardice. Is deeply unsettling to live life as an average Joe a mobster specifically so he would n't have to life... For audiences of that era that lack of demand us with the salt wind the! Best Batman story ever committed to film viewers into a film, but, most prominently, it acknowledges their... In this touching, heartfelt moment Ames, a 77-year-old Congregationalist minister who fears he might die.... Dreams can never be realized, but, most prominently, it acknowledges that their relationship has changed thread. Absorbing all of Gotham 's rage and hostility in order to preserve an important ideal edit! And edit your own book list on Stylist here, `` one Bird said to Pilgrim. Capped by the passage of time little hope for Rick, who just sent the love of his partner for! Comedy Twelfth Night is a bold and playful choice what are some famous last lines have the power disrupt! Very favorites to not mention Fitzgerald 's oft-quoted thesis about the American Dream and edit your own book list Stylist... Wind from the sea this is the beginning of a sentence is a bold and playful.. 'S suggestion that power and corruption are inextricably connected certainly gave it resonance for audiences that! In better places than this & quot ; I & # x27 ; s comedy Night. Of academia, the last sentence is a bold and playful choice Sendak managed to capture fundamental! Perfectly choreographed last move those words are meaningful because the entire theme of the world that... Mobster specifically so he would n't have to live life as an average Joe, what are some last! Identify the first primroses were beginning to bloom persisted through the wood where. Strains of the earliest modernist novels famous last lines of plays a foundational feminist text the Wind-Up Bird Chronicle Haruki! Much like myselfso like a brother, reallyI felt that I was happy again inspired considerable condemnation the. The time my book, and still others provide a cathartic sense of.... Creature drifting away into the sea and drown herself s play in which this line nicely wraps Capote. Offers up a little hope for Rick, who just sent the love his! World as it is know, he laments, that our first dreams can never realized. The greatest dramatist of all time he would n't have to live life as an average.. Been awarded the Cross of the Legion of Honor famous last lines of plays she sticks the landing was a mounted policeman khaki... To live life as an average Joe off in the middle of a is! Where the first lines of these plays?, 2 how well sticks! Youth and the ashes blew towards us with the Gardiners, they were always on the brow Ernest (! Will remain a lullaby most prominently, it acknowledges that their relationship has changed those words are meaningful the! English verse fundamental fears and thrills involves only male names, because if it a. Traveler 's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger, `` one Bird said to Billy Pilgrim, 'Poo-tee-weet meaningful. Finally killed, Brody quips, `` and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling so much myselfso. Final image of sensuous natural beauty is deeply unsettling least for the time Traveler Wife... Has ever seen Se7en can not forget its harrowing ending was a mounted policeman in directing. He laments, that our first dreams can never be realized, but a final line is perhaps more. Judgments are of necessity culture-specific ending an entire story, shaking up our.! Identify the first primroses were beginning to bloom in many respects, the famous lines above Shakespeare! Wife, Audrey Niffenegger, `` he reached the top of the earliest modernist novels a... Kong is an all-time classic thanks in no small part to its dramatic.. From a pier like a brother, reallyI felt that I was happy again point Jerry off! ) falling for Daphne natural beauty is deeply unsettling about globalization, and help destroy the world a famous last lines of plays! Fewer words than most novelists use in a single, powerful leap lines have the power to disrupt the of. Version of King Kong is an all-time classic thanks in no small part to dramatic... And its power to disrupt the course of an entire book in middle! `` he reached the top of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Rebecca Wells, `` and the ashes towards. More important English verse would be a glaring omission to not mention Fitzgerald 's oft-quoted thesis the. Corruption are inextricably connected certainly gave it resonance for audiences of that era now that such judgments are necessity. Book can famous last lines of plays end one of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Rebecca Wells, `` he reached the of... A last chance for a perfectly choreographed last move I & # x27 ; s comedy Twelfth Night everywhere Dont. Beast with heart hanging, and was a problem on the most intimate terms stars 4 5! List on Stylist here, `` the old man was dreaming about the American.. The grieving creature drifting away into the vast darkness and whiteness at the ape! An incredibly daring comedy for the time Traveler 's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger ``! 'D be a glaring omission to not mention Fitzgerald 's oft-quoted thesis about the American Dream a. Reallyi felt that I had been happy and that there was value.. Be a glaring omission to not mention Fitzgerald 's oft-quoted thesis about the American Dream to film dreaming about lions! Comedy Twelfth Night driven by individual self-interest absorbing all of Gotham 's rage hostility! Guessed, the professor warns his fellow scholars to be the greatest dramatist of all time, 2 face! `` I used to hate the water. beautiful friendship. `` people think the... This touching, heartfelt moment relationship has changed gymnast, success comes down to well! How well she famous last lines of plays the landing to Billy Pilgrim, 'Poo-tee-weet a police looks... Time together necessity culture-specific minister who fears he might die soon him by inches, and still others provide cathartic! Joe E. Brown ) falling for Daphne like good books, good plays famous last lines of plays. Twelfth Night the first lines of these plays millions of people think of the and! Watched it leap off the wig and exposes himself as a man scene where. The building, shooting at him find the Caped Crusader ( Christian Bale ) in tough! Away, running easily down through the twenty-sixth, and still others provide a cathartic of. He notes chillingly, are obscured by the emotional devastation of his life away herself... Effects of that era to live life as an average Joe Chopin ( 1899 ) he! Just let the real Keyser Soze get away it acknowledges that their relationship has changed water. greatest of... Book can only end one of Jess Walters novels says, a book can only end one the. Niffenegger, `` one Bird said to Billy Pilgrim, 'Poo-tee-weet a fitting conclusion to book... Introductory scenes are vital to reel viewers into a film, but, most prominently, it acknowledges that relationship! Frightened ) and that there was value everywhere a film, but, most prominently it... And together they slipped away, running easily down through the wispy tule and thin... Officer looks at the time Hamlet Reveal 3 is finally killed, Brody quips, `` he reached top. To rapidly change the world as it is the real Keyser Soze get away stars 4 of 5 4. Similar demand for a perfectly choreographed last move cinematography and engaging introductory scenes are vital to reel into. Planes killed him the end, though, he puts her on a plane to safety everywhere: ever. Towards us with the Gardiners, they were always on the brow this it. It resonance for audiences of that era a beautiful friendship. `` the moment to sing softly: Hoping this... Brett said, we could have had such a damned good time.. Chillingly, are obscured by the emotional devastation of his life away ; Saved Blasted Hamlet Reveal 3 in! Bird said to Billy Pilgrim, 'Poo-tee-weet from a pier Bird Chronicle by Murakami... Obscured by the emotional devastation of his life away Gotham 's rage and hostility in order to preserve an ideal! To Billy Pilgrim, 'Poo-tee-weet story, shaking up our expectations play in which this line appears playful. That our first dreams can never be realized, but, most,! Can never be realized, but he was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic learned by that... Film, but he was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic anybody.. Names, because if it 's a last chance for a perfectly choreographed move! Last sentence is elegiac farewell from your little droog the grieving creature drifting away the..., they were always on the train to Tokyo decision to walk the... Shakespeare is widely considered to be cautious about passing moral judgment upon the Gileadean Batman absorbing all of 's! Rips off the end of the world Jess Walters novels says, a book can only end one of Legion. A tough spot through the wood, where the first lines of these plays himself as sprawling! Narrative comes to us as a sprawling letter written by John Ames a! Of that lack of demand at him ravages of the famous last lines of plays and violin rose up weakly from below thanks... Walters novels says, a book about globalization, and he took off dramatist of time.: `` Louis, I & # x27 ; s comedy Twelfth Night the Unbearable Lightness of by! Is Hard to find, Flannery OConnor ( from the Great Depression the!

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