# Movies that begin at the end **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 25, 2011, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934 "2011-03-25T05:01:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peanut7316](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@Peanut7316](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanut7316)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/1 "2011-03-25T05:01:00Z")
I’m sure there will need to be spoiler alerts in this thread so I’ll just start off. I was watching _Monsters_ this evening and after reaching the end, I realized that the opening scene of the movie was actually the aftermath of the final scene. (I had that inkling all along, the way the movie was going) I’ve had an image of another movie doing the same thing stuck in my head, but I can’t figure out what it is. I think it’s also in the same context of a military action. Any ideas would be much appreciated, but let’s see what other movies use the same effect. _Pan’s Labyrinth_ is one coming to mind now. Any others? ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/2 "2011-03-25T05:07:20Z")
_[Memento](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209144/)_, sort of. If I remember correctly, the color scenes progress forward in time, and the black and white go backwards. Nope, got it backwards. The color scenes go backwards in time, the B&W go forward. \ ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/3 "2011-03-25T05:08:48Z")
I believe Pulp Fiction comes close, as the beginning of the movie is a scene from the diner that is the ending scene in the movie. However, the movie isn’t exactly linear, so this isn’t the last “action” the characters have during the movie (for example, Travolta dies earlier in the movie, but later by the actual movie timeline. He gets shot AFTER the diner scene, even though the diner scene is the first and last locale of the movie. I think this example works. ---
**Author:** ![spymaniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@spymaniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spymaniac)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/4 "2011-03-25T05:19:03Z")
I think I once worked out that if you were to watch pulp fiction in chronological order, the ‘final scene’ would be the bit where bruce willis drives off on his bike saying “zed’s dead”…of course I could be wrong 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/5 "2011-03-25T05:20:00Z")
I’m going to guess that you’re thinking of [_Saving Private Ryan_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120815/) The type of device you describe could be one of two different devices: _in medias res_ (where the viewer enters into the plot in the middle of action, which is usually presented later in flashback) or the framing story. The boundary the two can be a little blurry, as in the films below: _[Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338013/)_ [_Memento_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209144/) [_The Battle For Algiers_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058946/) [_Inside Man_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454848/) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/6 "2011-03-25T05:22:02Z")
Fight Club ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/7 "2011-03-25T08:49:09Z")
_Irreversible_ ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/8 "2011-03-25T11:05:20Z")
If you only mean that the first scene is really the end of the story, and then it starts from the beginning of the story, one classic is **Sunset Boulevard**. ---
**Author:** ![Nightfall1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@Nightfall1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightfall1)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/9 "2011-03-25T11:24:41Z")
Gandhi ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/10 "2011-03-25T12:22:25Z")
_Sunset Blvd._? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/11 "2011-03-25T12:36:55Z")
**The Comic** begins at the funeral of the main character. **The Oscar** starts at the Oscar ceremony; then there’s a long flashback. **Yankee Doodle Dandy** has Cohan visiting the President after his comeback. **Megamind** starts at nearly the end of the action. **Citizen Kane** **Kind Hearts and Coronets** **Annie Hall** **Double Indemnity** **Forrest Gump** ---
**Author:** ![howye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9adbd/32.png) [@howye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/howye)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/12 "2011-03-25T12:44:48Z")
American Beauty ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/13 "2011-03-25T12:45:22Z")
Lots of films start at the end as a framing device (like both versions of **D.O.A.** ), but it’s a rare film that tells the story in reverse chronological order, like **memento**. Another is Harold Pinter’s 1983 **Betrayal** , starring Jeremy Irons and Ben kingsley. ---
**Author:** ![Promethea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Promethea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Promethea)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/14 "2011-03-25T12:50:36Z")
**All About Eve** ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/15 "2011-03-25T12:52:56Z")
Does Titanic count? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/16 "2011-03-25T13:41:38Z")
**Grave of the Fireflies** opens with the protagonist dead. (I don’t think I need to put that in spoilers, and it’s not the worst thing that happens in the movie.) ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/17 "2011-03-25T13:44:16Z")
Inception ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/18 "2011-03-25T13:55:44Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > I’m going to guess that you’re thinking of [_Saving Private Ryan_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120815/) And _Forrest Gump_, as was mentioned, and… _The Green Mile_? Didn’t that also start out with Tom Hanks as an old man? _The Curious Case of Benjamin Button_ starts out with Cate Blanchett on her death bed. And Brad Pitt starts out as an old man too! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/19 "2011-03-25T13:56:47Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > **Grave of the Fireflies** opens with the protagonist dead. (I don’t think I need to put that in spoilers, and it’s not the worst thing that happens in the movie.) You can’t really spoil a movie by giving away the beginning. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934/20 "2011-03-25T13:58:38Z")
Dr. Zhivago [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-begin-at-the-end/575934.md?page=2)