10 Hated Movie Moments That Aren't As Bad As You Think

9. The Literal Rat - The Departed

The Hated Scene: Martin Scorsese's Oscar winning movie ends with just about everybody dead; Martin Sheen's been thrown off a roof, Jack Nicholson's been shot, Leonardo DiCaprio's been shot, Ray Winstone's shot himself... OK, a lot of characters die from getting shot. It looks like mob rat Matt Damon has got away with it until he returns home and is (you guessed it) shot by Mark Wahlberg. It ties up the film nicely. And then a rat runs along the window. Oh come on; could there be any more obvious symbolism? Why It's Not So Bad: Sure, it's a little (OK a lot) on the overt side, but it's still a nice little bit of imagery that acts as a summary of the film's message. It's not just a one-note deal though; the rat isn't just symbolising obviousness. The view from Damon's apartment is of the Massachusetts State House, so having a rat run along its base is hinting at a wider, more government based sense of corruption. Heck, the fact that the apartment is very clean and modern, yet still has a pest problem should be enough to show that this isn't as basic as it first seems. It's not Scorsese's deepest image, but just because people could immediately read it doesn't make it bad.