Film 1985. Clue probably the best film adaptation ever made, not that the competition is great. However, it is this uniqueness that makes it significant. The film makes brilliant use of the trademarks of the board game it was based on, including but not limited to several of the film’s endings. Any board game connoisseur knows that a game of Clue can end with any of the seven characters as the killer. In this way, Clue the film depicts several infamous alternate endings. In the film’s theatrical run, each screening featured a different alternate ending. ClueThe box office failure is usually attributed to this stunt, but since the DVD, TV and streaming versions contain clever edits of all three endings, the film has had a successful second life and is often cited as a cult classic. .
Clue it’s a murder mystery that features all the familiar characters from the board game (Mrs. Peacock, Professor Plumb) and a few new characters added by the writer/director. Jonathan Lynnmost significantly Tim CurryButler Wadsworth. The film opens with a mysterious dinner party to which guests arrive who are given pseudonyms such as Miss Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren). It is later revealed that every guest is being blackmailed. Each player is given a unique set of weapons (recognizable from the game). Mr Boddy (Lee Wing), the host, informs the guests that someone must kill Wadsworth in order to escape with their secrets. A lively discussion ensues until the lights suddenly go out. Mr. Boddy, the alleged blackmailer, is dead and the killer must have been one of the dinner guests as they were the only people in the house.
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The edit, which shows all endings, begins with title cards that say “how could this have ended”. In the first ending, Miss Scarlet is depicted as a murderer and the ultimate blackmailer. Miss Scarlet, who ends up with a revolver. but fails due to the lack of bullets in the gun. Wadsworth is revealed to be an FBI agent and Miss Scarlet is arrested. The next title card reads “How about this?” and represents a similar situation in which Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan) is the culprit. The final title card reads “And Here’s What Really Happened”, representing a situation in which every character has killed at least one person, and Wadsworth is the real blackmailer. Mr Green (Michael McKean) is an FBI agent who calls the police and arrests everyone for their crimes.
In interviews conducted long after the theatrical release Clue, Tim Curry revealed that the fourth ending was filmed, but was ultimately omitted from the final cut. The scene in which Wadsworth allegedly poisons after-dinner drinks and actually kills the entire cast was never seen or included in any cut, possibly because it was too creepy for a movie that is ultimately a comedy. All in all, the combined endings make for a charming ending to the film, so the decision may seem odd. Even Roger Ebert, who gave the film a mostly positive review, suggested that combining the endings would have made the film better.
It is easy to assume that Clue’The ending’s alternate tactic was a marketing scheme, as the studio was essentially asking viewers to buy three tickets for the movie, which was the same throughout the movie, right up to the very end. This type of ploy might have worked if it wasn’t for the fact that the endings were regionalized, which likely meant that audiences would have to travel far beyond their usual theaters if they were determined to see all three endings. Besides, even if they went to a different cinema, there was no guarantee what kind of ending they would see. There is no evidence that the regional gap was ever apparent to the ticket buyer. Trade publications such as Diversity as well as Hollywood Reporter mentioned the producer of the film, Debra Hillafter the release of the film. Hill was quoted when discussing combining the endings, probably hoping that being able to see all three would solve box office problems. It doesn’t look like Hill’s wishes will ever come true, but given the film’s vibrant second life, it’s a shame she didn’t get into action sooner.
How was it supposed to end
However, apart from marketing schemes, there is some artistic metric that Clue tried to do with their multiple endings. In interviews conducted prior to the film’s release, Jonathan Lynn hints that he was very involved in the decision to split the endings. This makes sense, as most of his directorial decisions are aimed at mimicking gameplay. For example, the vernacular, including weapons and character names, is expertly crafted into a believable, albeit comical, plot. The mansion in which the entire film takes place is modeled after the board game, including secret passageways. Because the game can end differently each time, splitting the endings makes sense in theory but not in practice. Lynn, a new director at the time, stated that much of his Hollywood reputation depended on success. Clue. He was confident that the film would be successful. Looks like he was right. According to Lynn himself, he was blacklisted by Hollywood for several years after the film’s release.
The fact that the film prompted many written retrospectives, Rocky Horrorthe on-screen situation and luscious life on television speaks both to the skill of everyone involved in the film, especially Jonathan Lynn, and to the seriousness of every decision the director makes. If Lynn had decided to combine the endings from the very beginning, things might have ended differently. Clue is a uniquely brilliant film that uses intellectual property in a way that has never been seen before, probably before Pirates of the Caribbean movies. It’s a smart, funny, well-acted satire that uses both murder mystery and board game tricks to amuse and delight. It is especially ironic that the future of the film could have ended differently if things had ended differently. Killer Behind Death Clue likely to remain forever unknown. However, as the film is going through a fruitful second life, the suspects will hopefully be able to sleep peacefully.
Source: Collider
