Usually, dying in a movie is an absolute nightmare. Filmmakers love to dispatch their characters in the most brutal and hideous ways. There are few things less interesting in a film than an evil villain dying of old age or a triumphant hero passing away peacefully in their sleep. There are times, however, when the guys behind the camera let the characters in front of it have a slice of happiness before they slip away. Sometimes they are able to attain true happiness, whilst sometimes their plans come together perfectly in a way they never have in the past. Often, it's the very best films that can find room for their characters to shuffle off this mortal coil happily, but the peaceful death is also a quick cop out for lazy films that are desperately clinging to the notion of a happy ending. Happy deaths don't always have to be peaceful either. For a hero, it's often ideal to be struck down in a blaze of glory like the central duo in Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid. Equally, bad guys, may be happy to die in the midst of the carnage of their final plots as their megalomania reaches brutal extremes. Whatever the circumstances, it's a rare occurrence that movie characters truly get to rest in peace. But, sometimes, parting is indeed such sweet sorrow.
Freelance film journalist and fan of professional wrestling. Usually found in a darkened screening room looking for an aisle seat and telling people to put away their mobile phones. Also known to do a bit of stand-up comedy, so I'm used to the occasional heckle.
