Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) ending explained

What happens

On the final preview, Riggan fires a real gun on stage and shoots off part of his nose. The audience goes wild, and the critic who vowed to destroy him writes a glowing review. Recovering in hospital, he climbs to the window and seems to fly.

The last image

Sam looks out the hospital window, then glances up at the sky, and smiles.

Two readings

1 · TransformationRiggan finally becomes the thing he imagined, and Sam's smile shows she sees it.

2 · EscapeRiggan flees his failures and his family, perhaps by jumping, and Sam smiles through her grief.

What it says

The ending refuses to tell you whether Riggan was seen truly or only wanted to be. Applause, a review and a flight all feed the same hunger to matter, so the film leaves you to decide what counts.