Birdman Ending Explained
Birdman tells the story of Riggan Thomson, a faded actor famous for playing the superhero Birdman years ago. He tries to revive his career by writing, directing, and starring in a serious Broadway play based on a Raymond Carver story. Throughout the movie, Riggan struggles with his past fame, his inner doubts, and a voice in his head that sounds like Birdman, pushing him to give up on real art and go back to blockbuster movies. The film feels like one long continuous shot, mixing reality with dream-like moments where Riggan seems to fly over New York City like his old characterhttps://spoilertown.com/birdman-2014/.
As opening night gets close, things fall apart for Riggan. He locks himself out of the theater and has to run through Times Square in his underwear to get back in, turning into a viral spectacle caught by phones and news crewshttps://spoilertown.com/birdman-2014/. His daughter Sam deals with her own issues, and a tough critic threatens to kill the play before it starts. Riggan’s mind cracks under the pressure, with Birdman’s voice taunting him nonstop.
The big turning point comes during the final show. Riggan swaps the prop gun for a real one and shoots himself in the head on stage, right in front of the crowd. Blood sprays everywhere, but he survives, having only blown off part of his nose. The audience goes wild, thinking it’s genius theater. Critics rave about it the next day, calling it a masterpiece. Riggan ends up in a hospital bed, bandaged up and staring at his uncertain futurehttps://spoilertown.com/birdman-2014/.
Now the ending. Riggan sits alone in his hospital room. He gets up, pulls off his bandages, and walks to the window. He looks out over the city, lost in thought. His daughter Sam comes back in, calls for him, and finds the room empty. She goes to the window, looks down, and smiles softly. The camera drifts up and out, showing New York from above, with drums beating like wings flappinghttps://spoilertown.com/birdman-2014/.
What really happens? The movie leaves it open on purpose. One view is that Riggan jumps to his death, finally free from his failures and the Birdman curse. Sam’s smile could mean she feels peace, accepting his end after all their pain. Another take is that he taps into his superhero fantasy for real. Maybe he flies away, embracing the delusion that lets him escape his washed-up life. The flying scenes earlier hint at this, blurring what’s real and what’s nothttps://spoilertown.com/birdman-2014/https://www.avclub.com/how-reality-becomes-a-function-of-film-technique-in-bir-1798277153. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu plays with film tricks to mess with our sense of truth, much like old movies that leave you guessinghttps://www.avclub.com/how-reality-becomes-a-function-of-film-technique-in-bir-1798277153.
The point seems to be about fame’s grip on identity. Riggan can’t separate himself from Birdman, and his wild choices lead to this ambiguous freedom. Did he win respect through art, only to lose himself? Or did he choose fantasy over a broken reality? Viewers pick based on what hits them hardest about ego, success, and letting gohttps://spoilertown.com/birdman-2014/.
Sources
https://spoilertown.com/birdman-2014/
https://www.avclub.com/how-reality-becomes-a-function-of-film-technique-in-bir-1798277153
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alejandro_Gonz%C3%A1lez_I%C3%B1%C3%A1rritu
