Spoilers · the ending
The Great Train Robbery: the ending, explained
Edwin S. Porter · 1903
This page gives the ending away. Not seen the film yet? Its spoiler-free guide is here.
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Spoilers · the ending
Edwin S. Porter · 1903
This page gives the ending away. Not seen the film yet? Its spoiler-free guide is here.
What happens
The posse catches the gang in the woods, and a gunfight kills the outlaws and recovers the stolen goods. Order is restored, but the film saves its real punch for one last shot of an outlaw.
The last image
In close-up, one outlaw aims his pistol straight at the camera and fires at you.
What it says
The ending delivers a simple moral shape: a crime is answered by organised retaliation. The final shot then treats violence as an attraction, jolting you the way a fairground show would. The film still sees you as a spectator, there to be startled.