BIRDMAN, OR LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT ENDING

ENDING INTERPRETATIONS

Birdman, Or Let’s Talk About That Ending

Article by Justin T. Bowler
@IndyFilmTwittic

SPOILERS AHEAD: If you have not seen “Birdman”, and do not wish the ending to be ruined, then do not keep reading (that being said, most people didn’t understand the ending, so even if you read this, it’s probably not that big of a deal).

There has been much discussion as to what the artist (director/writer) Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu was portraying at the end of “Birdman”. Did Michael Keaton really fly away? Did he commit suicide? And if the Millennium Falcon is the size of a freighter, how did it get through the Death Star’s shield? (Not all of these questions will be answered in this article).

Let me quote Wikipedia about the final events in the film, so we can examine them.

“On opening night, the performances are better than ever. Riggan uses a real gun for the final scene, shooting himself in the head in front of the audience, and earns a standing ovation from all but Tabitha, who walks out during the applause. He is down in the hospital, alive, because he had only managed to shoot off his nose during the play. Jake is ecstatic about a very unexpected rave review from Tabitha, lauding Riggan’s development of a new acting style she dubs “Super­Realism,” and the fact that his best friend is still alive. While alone in his hospital room, after a poignant father/­daughter moment with Sam, Riggan spots birds flying outside his hospital room and climbs out onto the ledge. When Sam returns, Riggan is gone. Sam hurries to the window, looks down at the street, expecting to see a body, then with a puzzled expression slowly looks skyward, and then smiles brightly.”

With that, Interpretation number 1 (and probably the most common interpretation) of the ending is this. Michael Keaton’s character, after receiving the best reviews of his life, which thrust him into the role of historical Broadway champion, has achieved the impossible. He has proven he can do anything. So, he rushes to the window, jumps out of it, and flies away, further cementing that he can achieve the impossible.

Interpretation number 2: Michael Keaton’s character, after receiving the best reviews of his life, which thrust him into the role of historical Broadway champion, has achieved the impossible. He has proven he can do anything. So, he rushes to the window, jumps out of it, and kills himself. The whole movie has been about his journey to get back on top and reach a new pinnacle of his career. Now that he has achieved it, he can end it all, because he can never top this. Furthermore, how wonderfully fitting that his final moments in life are soaring through the air before his demise. So, why don’t we see his body on the ground? And why does Emma Stone look into the sky? Because when Emma Stone looks down, we are seeing what she sees, and she is just as batshit crazy as her father. She thinks he has flown away, once again, achieving the impossible.

Interpretation number 3: For this interpretation, we have to go back a little further. Michael Keaton’s character actually dies on stage when he shoots himself in the head. Everything that plays out after that takes place in his mind during the milliseconds after the bullet leaves the chamber and before his brain leaves his head. Waking up in the hospital room, getting great reviews, reconnecting with his daughter, becoming topical, and flying away are all the last thoughts of how his life could end. Hence, the bandage that is on his nose that is so “on the nose” in its Birdman­esque look.

Interpretation number 4: This is my own personal interpretation. I believe his character shot himself. I believe he survived and woke up in the hotel room. I believe he received the phenomenal reviews and patched things up with his daughter. At this point, borrowing from earlier, Michael Keaton’s character realizes it will never get better than this and jumps out the window (he does this for the same reasons as earlier pointed out). Does he die? Yes. Does his daughter see him fly away? No. The moment he jumps out the window we, as the audience, begin to see his fantastical world come to life as we have previously in the film: his flying sequence, when Birdman talks to him, etc. So, in his fantasy world, his body doesn’t hit the ground, instead, his daughter comes in and watches him fly away.

What leads me to believe this? The music. During the entire film, there are two distinct scores. First, there are the jazzy pressurized pitter patter of drums, which illustrate the immense pressure and stress his character goes through. Second, there are the beautiful melodious strings, that are always present when we enter his fantasy world. They are calming and fantastical. Between the two, a definite separation of reality and fantasy is sharply illustrated. So, when he wakes up in the hospital room to find out about the reviews, and his popularity, the drums are a blazin! Then, when he moves to the window to jump, the strings take over, and they continue as Emma comes in, she DOES NOT SEE his dead body, but, instead looks up and watches him fly away.

So, there you have it: three interesting interpretations and one correct one. Tell your friends and sound learned. (Disagree? I’d love to hear your interpretation.)