There are a few movies which are ruined by the last scene and AFTER FALL, WINTER is certainly one of them. The movie is well made, well acted by the two leads and it reaches an absolute catharsis in the sequence where the girl finally finds him and tries to free his head from the plastic bag. The music, cinematography, performances in this scene are world class and if this was the last scene the movie would be a masterpiece. It could have gone either way - a happy end, the girl arrives on time and sets him free, they live happily ever after; or she is late and he dies. But sadly Mr. Schaeffer adds one more scene, a terrible Romeo & Juliet rip-off where the girl hangs herself (why? She was a tough person, absolutely not suicidal) and then the guy wakes up (how? Even if he doesn't die immediately he should have been in coma because of lack of oxygen). I don't think that there wasn't anybody on the set who could have said "hey, this ending will bring the movie down". Or did Mr. Schaeffer simply want his character to stay alive?
Review of After Fall, Winter
After Fall, Winter
(2011)
Very good romantic drama, ruined by the last act
26 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers