After Explained: What’s Up With the Ending?

The film  After (2019), which is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Anna Todd and was released on the screens of the world in 2019, immediately won the hearts of the audience with its unpretentiousness and teenage simplicity and encouraged them to read the original script. It is worth mentioning in advance to the readers of this article about the existence of the second book in the series, on which, perhaps, the second part of the film will soon be shot. This idea is also suggested by the ambiguous, “open” end of the film. The plot revolves around a natural, standard and beloved love story between an obedient good girl and a mysterious guy who goes against the rules and foundations of society. Let’s find out what the movie is about after and what its meaning is.

What is the movie After 2019 about

The acquaintance of the main characters takes place in a vivid, memorable way: Scott Hardin (namely, that is the name of our “stealer of hearts”) calmly lies on the bed of Tessa’s neighbor (as you understand, this is our main character) around the room and reads a book, while how our heroine enters the room in one towel after a shower. Further throughout the film, each meeting of the two future lovers will be full of inappropriate “bookish” brightness, due to which their entire love story from acquaintance to deep affection will stand out juicy against the background of the rest of the events of the film.

The feigned sarcastic undertones of each conversation and open dislike initially set their own pace for their relationship as a whole. An interesting fact is the comparison of the characters of the film with the heroes of the famous novel by the English writer Jane Austen “Pride and Prejudice”, about the plot of which Tessa and Scott have an ambiguous dispute. The director initially tells us about the different points of view of the characters on love and feelings, and later he tries in every possible way to concretely demonstrate to us the obvious difference between lovers. After this scene of an argument in a lecture, the viewer inadvertently begins to compare Tessa with Elizabeth, and Scott with Darcy, respectively.

And this is not surprising, because these, at first glance, completely different love stories still have common ground. The filmmakers deliberately slowly and gradually show the development of the couple’s relationship, forcing the viewer to get used to and feel sympathy for them. Thus, at one time the viewer becomes completely unprepared for a sharp plot twist, the essence of which is to put Hardin in a bad light, and to make Tessa the victim of the first true love.

This sort of “roller coaster” of liking and disliking the characters adds a distinct lack of dynamism to the film and cements the viewer’s interest. Therefore, the end of the film seems to us very calm and peaceful, as originally intended in the book. Thus, seemingly simple and devoid of medieval duels, difficulties and attitudes, the love story is still filled with exciting events that demonstrate the difficult side of relationships.

The meaning of the film

The goal of not only the director of the film, but also the original author of the book was to reveal the well-known feeling of love from a different angle, to tell another variation of relationships and feelings. For people (and we remind you that we are social beings) at all times the greatest role was played by relationships with others, feelings and contact with others. Such a story does not really teach anything morally important and does not reveal any secret from the “Pandora’s box” for you. But it definitely lays in you another opinion about relationships and love, about feelings and personal goals of a person. Such films make you constantly rethink the truths you already know and reconsider your own views on life, which clearly cannot but be considered the dignity of this film.

As we have said earlier, the film is not rich in a bright, memorable and dynamic ending, but quite the opposite: the finale of the film is very calm, measured and devoid of any rich events. Such a peculiar end, contrary to the established opinion about the gradual completion of history, hints at a continuation and leaves hope for the return of the beloved heroes. The ending is ambiguous, because only Scott’s feelings were shown to us in full, while the scriptwriters kept silent about Tessa’s thoughts and state. The picture, initially shown to us from the side of the main character, by the end of the film passed “under the wing” of the guy, thereby exposing his true feelings and showing his real point of view on love. In the next film, we will obviously be told more about Tessa’s inner world. So we can only hope and wait, and also read the original version of the story in the form of Anna’s novel!

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