The end of Traffic with Brian Eno's An Ending (Ascent)

[solidussnakess]

what is drug use? is it use of a substance banned by gov? is it use of a substance banned by international law? what constitutes "drug"?. perhaps the desires of an individual, or persons, but who knows? is it addictive, or impossible to stop? where does it come from? what is a drug?

[sublimeade]

@solidussnakess you asked "what is a drug?" twice

[bneth1201]

One of the most important, meaningful endings to a movie ever. Subtle meaning.

[bradley583]

As I see mentioned before, this music was used numerous times throughout Drive (2011). For years I loved this film and the end score and to see it done so well in a new movie was great to see (and hear, lol).

[gaguy1967]

One of the most depressing ends ever.......but one of the best.

[eddie8866]

granted, GLADIATOR was a great movie...But this movie should have taken home EVERY OSCAR!

[kHovsT]

Just watched Drive (2011) and the scenes where Ryan and Carey are together played this music.

At that moment I keep wondering where I head it. I just know it was from another masterpiece movie.

Thanks to Wikipedia I found it!

:)

[ty22guy]

"You like beisbol? The kids, they cant play beisbol at night. Everybody likes parks, everybody likes beisbol."

[solidussnakess]

to this day i cant believe this movie lost the academy award for best film to that hunk of shit called "gladiator." unbelievable....

[RealToOy]

rare kind of ending for a movie.. really great job congratlatios to the team for making this film..

[RonnieBlack444]

Can someone please tell me why the fuck Montel put the bug under the desk at the end? Was that just so he could arrest the drug lord or what?

[wuntun2163]

@RonnieBlack444 the cycle continues, doesn't it? just cos he evaded prosecution once, gotta try again. I felt it was a lot like the ending of The Kingdom in that respect.

[solidussnakess]

@RonnieBlack444 so he could wiretap him and catch him in the act directly, instead of acting thru proxys (ie. his wife).

[tarathetarantula]

I think the ending is a metaphor. It shows the children playing, peaceful music. After a hectic, somewhat violent movie, the ending stresses the importance of life and innocence, and protecting our children and families from the negative influences of the world. And how the law forces, police, FBI, etc all work together to secure the childrens futures. Sometimes the law fails, you can only depend on yourself to protect your family.

[Tucker2121]

bases loaded



[KaiserKiller]

"Sabes que...everybody likes baseball..."

[biggeryossarian]

Just watched this on AMC. Second time I saw it. I forgot about how great the ending was!

[tokuizawan]

I went to movie theatre and bought DVD and watced many times.

[indioazteca]

I appreciate you looking beyond the obvious and I respect your opinion but no one is suggesting here that the director wanted to convey the message that drug trafficking had ended, yet he did choose simple ending to the story lines in the film; a father who's war against drugs begins at home and is now ready to listen, a policeman who is just doing his job placing a "bug" at the home of the drug lord, a clean Mexican cop doing something for his town (Tijuana) and its future, the children.

[indioazteca]

All he wants in exchange in for the Mexican children in Tijuana to have a shoot at life, at the American dream you know, apple pie, the American dream...

Kids and their families can go and play baseball at night instead of falling into the hands or drug dealers who can easily use them to sell drugs and commit crimes.

Brilliant ending.

[Scorpysivity]

I haven't seen anybody comment on this... but he's there because his partner mentioned he liked baseball, right?

[bcotton123]

@Scorpysivity I think that earlier in the movie, when he is having secret meetings with DEA agents in San Diego, they ask him what favors they can do for him in exchange for valuable information regarding the Salazar and Obregon drug cartels. I'm fairly certain the ensuing discussion regarding baseball hints at the fact that Javier just wants them install new lights for a local baseball field where he lives in Mexico. That's his only request, and a good reason why this ending is so powerful.

[Scorpysivity]

@bcotton123 oh... I thought it was because his partner SPOILERS who dies mentioned at one point that he liked baseball.

[MultiJames95]

Has anyone known Air France 447 ? The music is a best song for it

[MalevolentDestiny]

As many others have commented, this ending is absolutely brilliant. After everything that transpired within the length of the show, ending on such a note was simply wonderful.. no, perfect.

All Javier Rodriguez wanted was a brighter future for these kids, so that they do not become burros para los malones.

We can still hope.

[xDoubleZer00x]

such an amzing ending, this film was one of the unknown greats :)

[JoseMB13]

I have never seen this movie but I think I´ll buy it :D

[fueljako]

This ending is beautiful but not means an happy end for me ...

In my mind, it's an image, a metaphor based on base ball. The ball represents drug.

the launcher, the receiver represent the salesman and the purchaser, and they change each time... Like in real drug traffic..

And everyone applauds, because we cant make nothing to avoid the drug traffic, that occurs under our eyes and we do not see ..

[CribNotes]

@fueljako Interesting how you created your own metaphor for the kids playing baseball in the last scene of Traffic. That's what great art does - it stimulates our own notions of meaning and representation.

This scene is really belongs to Benecio's character. Earlier in the movie, as more and more shit is unfolding around him, he speaks of envisioning a simple life where the kids can play baseball. That simple message is what drives the ending scene for me. And Eno's music just heavenizes it.

[fueljako]

@CribNotes Yess i know for the benicio's dream who become reality at this end.

But we saw during all the movie the power, the lenght of this traffic, and i can't avoid my vision, a vision of all this traffic everywhere around them, around us.

i know that this vision of these childs as future purchaser and salesman change all the sense of this end , very difficult..

A no-happy end :-) even if its more difficult

[indioazteca]

@fueljako You were high when you wrote this, right?

I mean, come on...

[fueljako]

@indioazteca @indioazteca yes this is the most comprehensible point of view, this is THE happy end .

but more deep, you really think that traffic drug is finish with this scene?

This is the american happy end . but if we go a little bit more longer,

i prefer to think that sorderbergh wanted to go more deep and propose 2 points of view, and for this this scene is fabulous !

[fueljako]

@fueljako and yess, i am always a little bit "hight" ahahahahah

no sorry, when i saw this fabulous scene, it was my firts impression, a perfect metaphor of which happen every day under our eyes

[muckinabaht]

I bawled my eyes out the first time I saw this scene. It still draws a lot of emotion from me. 

[MChill]

This scene looks like what heaven would be like....

There is no greater movie ending in this world. Not for me.

[Brealfan]

utterly & total bliss...

[civilengsi]

My favorite scene ever

[paulmerz]

@civilengsi yeah, it was brilliant. After such a traumatic movie with so much drama and suffering, for it to end with such a beautiful piece of ambient music and the innocence of children playing baseball..really touched a nerve.

Brilliant, just fucking brilliant.

[mikethedzzyke]

@paulmerz I couldn't have said it better myself.. Incredible movie.. this last scene represented how life goes on no matter what..

[lexvj19871]

@paulmerz exactly my reaction. thumbs up to this post

[Sandraspapa]

@paulmerz Couldn't agree with you more. Brilliant! Saw the movie yesterday evening and was so impressed by this ending! I believe the movie also shows the relativeness of life. Thank you for sharing this paulmerz!

[Saromandro]

@paulmerz the movie is even too light confronted to the realty of mexican-american drug traffic (every day there're so many deads , borderland carnages, kidnappings, tortures, humans dismembered...)... mexican cartels are maybe the richest criminals in the world

[dabe95]

@paulmerz They don't make them like that anymore... I'd prob. would have shed a tear if I had watched it on the big screen

[mrwizard62]

@dabe95 I saw this in the Theatre. During this scene I was frozen in my seat.All of the film rushing by in my mind while taking in this incredible ending. I must confess,I had a golf ball sized lump in my throat.

[dabe95]

@mrwizard62 yeah, i know the feeling, i was the same but sadly i watched it on my DVD. this ending is one of a kind

[indioazteca]

The American dream...for all.