SPOILER ALERT : If you have not seen this film, you should get the MGM released DVD with the director's alternate ending included in the special features.
I recently watched this movie for the first time, and was enthralled by the story of two men, stranded on a deserted island, sworn enemies whose countries are at war with one another, who are faced with a great dilemma. Can enemies work together to insure their survival under the harshest circumstances, or will hate prevail and both men die? It is a very touching story about how friendship is formed out of necessity, and fueled by the human survival instinct.
At the end of the film, Marvin and Mifune escape one island and land on another that had been conquered by U.S. soldiers, then abandoned just as quickly in the swift series of battles throughout Pacific islands toward the end of World War II.
With supplies left behind on the island, the two men get cleaned up and shaven, and are able to find something to eat and even find sake on which to get drunk.
While drunk, Mifune finds a copy of LIFE Magazine which shows Japan losing the war rapidly. Mifune understandably gets upset and angry, then he and Marvin get into a drunken argument.
In the theatrical release, bombing can be heard in the background during this argument, and the movie just ends abruptly with an explosion that tragically takes the lives of these enemies-turned-friends. End of story, war is hell, now go home.
Luckily, I was watching the 2004 released MGM version DVD, which has the alternate ending that presumably director John Boorman had submitted to the studio as the ending for his film.
In this ending, no bombing can be heard in the background. Mifune reads the magazine, gets upset, and the argument takes place. This version, however, contains no convenient explosion to make it seem like both men became enemies again, only to be killed together. The tragedy here happens when both men seem to realize, with dialogue-free fantastic physical acting by two legendary actors, that despite everything they have been through, and despite having becoming friends, their place in this world is not meant to be together. They both exchange sad final glances, and quietly walk off in opposite directions.
I like to think that both men returned home to their respective countries, and became actors, who went on to star in movies like The Seven Samurai, and The Dirty Dozen.
This "alternate" ending is a much more complex, more interesting, more ironic, more tragic, and infinitely more satisfying ending than the one that was slapped on the end of the film for the theatrical release. I hope this movie is restored to the better ending, and featured as a Criterion Collection release with commentary from director John Boorman some day soon.
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