Which films use departure ending?

I Vitelloni (1953), Paris, Texas (1984), The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013).

What kind of technique is departure ending?

It is a narrative technique. Related narrative techniques include Chorus Commentary, The Party as Transgression, Earned Catharsis.

Narrative technique · used in 3 films

Ending the film with one character leaving while the others stay behind. The exit shows what staying costs the rest.

Examples

I Vitelloni
Federico Fellini · 1953
Moraldo boards a train out of town while his friends are still asleep. You understand what the town does to people who never leave.
Where to see it: The train: Moraldo leaves town, imagining his friends sleeping through their lives.
Paris, Texas
Wim Wenders · 1984
Travis brings mother and son together, then leaves. He watches from the parking lot and drives away. The film ends with the family together and the man who caused the damage outside it.
Where to see it: The final scene. Travis gives Jane the hotel room number, watches her reunite with Hunter from the parking lot and then drives away.
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Isao Takahata · 2013
Kaguya leaves her family and her friends on Earth. A robe erases her memories as she goes, and she weeps as she looks back. The ending shows what staying costs those left behind.
Where to see it: The farewell. A moon procession arrives, and Kaguya says goodbye to her parents before she departs.

Questions

What is departure ending in film?: Ending the film with one character leaving while the others stay behind. The exit shows what staying costs the rest.
Which films use departure ending?: I Vitelloni (1953), Paris, Texas (1984), The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013).
What kind of technique is departure ending?: It is a narrative technique. Related narrative techniques include Chorus Commentary, The Party as Transgression, Earned Catharsis.

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