The Falling Star ending explained: Is there any escape from the shadows of the past?

The Falling Star ending explained: Is there any escape from the shadows of the past?
The Falling Star ending explained: Is there any escape from the shadows of the past? (Image via Kino Lorber)

Deeply anchored in the inspirations of thèâtre de l'absurde, The Falling Star presents a darkly comic story of absurdity. Filmed by the writing and directing team Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon and released on August 30 in US theatres, the work transports viewers through a turbulent mix of lost identities, failed attempts at atonement, and the relentless search for meaning.

The Falling Star shocks viewers wondering about its actual message long after the credits have rolled for a film billed as a caper comedy with its somber undertones and an apparently hopeless story.

Fundamentally, The Falling Star is the narrative of Boris, a former activist whose life has been reduced to shadowing an underground bar. Years of guilt and isolation follow from a bombing attempt gone wrong in his past.

As it negotiates a world devoid of clear direction, the movie presents a succession of characters, each more tragic and lost than the next. Though it presents a humorous front, the film pushes its viewers to see past appearances and provides a closer examination of loss, identity, and the futility of some goals.

The Falling Star creates a convoluted story full of misinterpretations and mistakes as the plot progresses, ending with more questions than answers. The narrative returns to its beginnings and features people caught in an unceasing cycle of hopelessness. This raises the issue of whether the characters in The Falling Star have any chance or if they are destined for their terrible ends.


Exploring the ending of The Falling Star

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The closing of The Falling Star is as mysterious as the movie itself. Both physically and emotionally, the characters discover themselves back where they began, following a sequence of mishaps, mistaken identities, and failed plots.

Boris, who had hoped to use a clever switch with his doppelgänger, Dom, to escape his past, discovers that running from one's sins is not as easy as it sounds. Eventually, the scheme to fool the one-armed vigilante Georges fails and Boris stays caught in his past with no apparent escape.

This closing once more reflects the main idea of the movie: one's fate is unavoidable. Boris' attempts to separate himself from his past are fruitless, and the repetitious nature of the film's events points to the characters' being caught in a depressing cycle.

The film suggests that the characters' circumstances are improbable to change, thus the issue of hope is purposefully left vague regardless of how hard they try.


The role of loss in The Falling Star

An enduring theme in The Falling Star is loss. In the aftermath of his previous deeds, Boris has forfeited his liberty and inherent essence.

Fiona, Dom's private investigator, and former spouse is actively seeking a missing canine, a seemingly insignificant endeavor that reflects her own tragic loss of direction. The film's absurdist approach, evocative of Beckett and Ionesco, reveals even more of the characters' lack of control over their lives.

A still from the movie (Image via Kino Lorber)
A still from the movie (Image via Kino Lorber)

The way the characters, in spite of their best attempts, cannot recover what they have lost emphasizes this theme at the conclusion. The last scenes of the movie, which show the people in constant flux, support the idea that their lives define them more by what they lack than by what they have. Like the characters, the audience is left to question the point of their hardships.


The visual poetry of The Falling Star’s ending

Visually, The Falling Star is a feast for the eyes. Abel and Gordon use a sequence of arresting tableaux to capture the sad mood of the movie. The last scenes are especially remarkable since color and composition give the story layers of significance.

One scene, in which Boris and Fiona unintentionally exchange a tissue while sobbing in adjacent bathroom stalls, captures their mutual loss and solitude.

A scene from the movie (Image via Kino Lorber)
A scene from the movie (Image via Kino Lorber)

The choreographed dance sequence towards the end of the movie includes all the major characters and represents their entwined fate. Though ridiculous and obviously out of place, the dance captures the characters' helpless searches for meaning and connection in their hectic lives. This visual narrative is evidence of the directors' capacity to portray difficult feelings through pictures instead of words.

The Falling Star ends not in one of redemption or atonement. Instead, it leaves the viewers uncomfortable and full of unresolved issues. The characters find themselves in flux without any obvious road forward. The film asks its audience to consider the essence of loss, identity, and the certainty of fate.

Though it might not provide the closure some viewers are looking for, the movie is still a potent commentary on the human situation. Ultimately, the characters—like the viewers—are left to consider the uncertainties of life and wonder whether there is any hope for escaping their own personal sinkhole.

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Edited by Gayatri Chivukula
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