Following the resolution of the main conflict in a film, there is a scene, or scenes, where all the loose ends are finally tied up. This section is known as the dénouement. The dénouement allows the film maker (as it does for an author of a book) to not only clean things up at the end of a story but it also gives them an opportunity to show the benefit of the hero's victory over the villain. Examples of dénouements in film are the awards ceremony in Star Wars, the return to the Shire in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and seeing Maximus joining his family in the afterlife in Gladiator.

When the dénouement is skipped the ending feels abrupt and incomplete, as can be seen with the ending of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

Labels: miscellaneous, movie watching tip