10 Film Directors Who Used The Same Ending Twice

The Original

Roman Polanski hasn't ever shied away from a downbeat ending, though two of his movies share an especially grim sentiment - the protagonist we've been rooting for effectively giving up and accepting their grim circumstances.

First up, Polanski's 1968 masterpiece Rosemary's Baby concludes with Rosemary (Mia Farrow) discovering that her baby wasn't stillborn as she believed, but is being cared for by a Satanic coven who arranged for her to be raped by Satan himself.

In the end, Rosemary is encouraged to bond with her son, and rather than rebel against the situation, ultimately makes the calculated decision to be a mother to her child, no matter where he came from.

The Repeat

1974's Chinatown similarly ends with the hero witnessing an array of horrifying incidents and conceding he's powerless to do anything to change the situation.

Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) is shot dead by the police as she attempts to flee from her rapist father Noah Cross (John Huston), resulting in Evelyn's daughter/sister Katherine (Belinda Palmer) - a product of said rape - being delivered into Cross' custody, presumably for further abuse.

As Jake looks on in horror, he's told by an associate, "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." The implication is that Jake won't make any further efforts to free Katherine from Cross' clutches, well aware that there's likely nothing he can realistically do to affect her escape.