# Movies That End With the Main Character's Death - Spoilers Obviously **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 5, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389 "2003-07-05T16:26:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/41 "2003-07-05T22:17:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wumpus \* > \*\*How many movies _start_ with the main character’s death? I can think of two classics off the bat … \*\* I’m tempted to ask - how can you be a main character if you’re killed up front? But, I’ll play along: **The Big Chill** (yes, he was already dead, don’t nit-pick). ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/42 "2003-07-05T22:33:46Z")
**Wumpus** wrote > [@](#): > > How many movies _start_ with the main character’s death? I can think of two classics off the bat … Like **Laurence of Arabia** for one. **Maureen** wrote > [@](#): > > […] I’ll have to go with the very disturbing “Casino” instead. Robert DeNiro. Blown to bits. End of flick. and > [@](#): > > Yeah, I just had that argument with my husband. And lost. Very smugly pulled out the DVD director’s cut, played the ending over 3 times. It was in the beginning. He turns the key in the ignition and goes boom. Actually, he doesn’t go boom. Watch a fourth time, please. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/43 "2003-07-05T22:47:54Z")
Citizen Kane! ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/44 "2003-07-05T23:15:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wumpus \* > \*\*How many movies _start_ with the main character’s death? I can think of two classics off the bat … \*\* **Sunset Boulevard** , right? ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/45 "2003-07-05T23:22:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blonde \* > \*\*See, I was going to post that one, but the OP stated that the death scene had to occur at the very end of the movie, roll credits. We might have to make an exception for **Titanic** , though. \*\* I was just about to correct you, then recalled the “Heaven” scene that comes before roll credits. Terribly sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/46 "2003-07-05T23:27:40Z")
**The Sand Pebbles** **Bridges of To-Ko-Ri** ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/47 "2003-07-05T23:38:46Z")
Citizen Kane was one movie I had in mind. The other one involved a swimming pool. Re: Casino. Bill H. is correct. Robert DeNiro does not bite it. CASINO SPOILER: Watch the _end_ of the movie. “No matter what the Feds or the papers might have said about my car bombing, it was amateur night. … [The metal plate under the driver’s seat] was the only thing that saved my life…” Later you see a paramedic putting a living De Niro in an ambulance saying, “You sure were lucky, mister.” ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/48 "2003-07-05T23:39:48Z")
jsc1953 figured out the pool one while I was writing my post! ---
**Author:** ![leafrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cab0a1/32.png) [@leafrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leafrog)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/49 "2003-07-05T23:44:56Z")
**Bad Lieutenant** And man, if he hadn’t died at the end…ooooh, I’ve never disliked a character so much! Great film, great performance. Nasty, son-of-a-bitch character. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/50 "2003-07-05T23:56:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoCoolUserName \* > \*\*I don’t remember the ending to **Omega Man** clearly enough to be sure. Is Chuck’s death the final scene? \*\* No… they have the scene with the little kid putting Chuck’s hat on the edge of the fountain, the creepy guy picking up the bottle of blood, and the lot of them heading off to repopulate the earth. ---
**Author:** ![RobuSensei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@RobuSensei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobuSensei)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/51 "2003-07-06T00:41:45Z")
**All That Jazz**. IIRC, the last shot is of someone zipping up the bodybag over Roy Scheider’s face. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/52 "2003-07-06T00:48:26Z")
**Von Ryan’s Express** **The Wolfman** **Frankenstein** **The Mummy** **The Hideous Sun Demon** **Dracula** ---
**Author:** ![JerseyDiamond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@JerseyDiamond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerseyDiamond)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/53 "2003-07-06T01:01:21Z")
Carlito’s Way ---
**Author:** ![bafaa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@bafaa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bafaa)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/54 "2003-07-06T01:11:04Z")
**Dr Strangelove** ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/55 "2003-07-06T01:22:01Z")
_Old Yeller_. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/56 "2003-07-06T01:35:12Z")
**The Life of Brian Spartacus Pennies from Heaven Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge** ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/57 "2003-07-06T03:56:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bafaa \* > \*\ ***Dr Strangelove** \*\* Who’s the main character? Some of them obviously survive to go down into the bomb shelter, or at least, that’s how I took it. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/58 "2003-07-06T04:11:06Z")
I’ll cast my vote for \*\* 2001: A Space Oddessy\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/59 "2003-07-06T04:37:17Z")
**King Kong** ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389/60 "2003-07-06T05:47:00Z")
**On the Beach** , _everybody_ dies in that one! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-end-with-the-main-characters-death-spoilers-obviously/186389.md?page=4)