No Country For Old Men Ending Explained

[@silverstar4289]

I am a Sheriff. With 20 years as an investigator with hundreds of cases of child abuse from cigarette burns to murders. Final day is on my calender. Will have close to forty years at the end. It will be time to go. Was at an event with a group of retired Sheriffs. They all agreed their last four year term was just awful, and they never looked back when they were done.

[@jesseoreilly1792]

Damn...Thank you for your service!

[@Aakashputtur]

🙏

[@arnablahiri7023]

Beautiful explanation, the confession of a fragile old man justifies the title of the movie

[@Rahul-rb6ww]

Agreed !

[@AZtwoNE]

@Michael Cristian Perhaps The Lion King would be more your speed. .. This was an absolutely beautiful and perfect ending. If you still disagree, watch this video a few more times you’ll eventually get it.

[@AZtwoNE]

@Michael Cristian you thumbs up your own comment. I’m sorry this video doesn’t make sense, despite the creator using brightly colored crayons to explain it. Tsk tsk tsk

[@faizannehal1]

This explanation was better than the 20 minute explanation videos.

[@debutch7777]

You said that modern audiences are conditioned for a film to end a certain way. I think that you are spot on. I too felt angry & frustrated at the end due to the lack of justice and satisfaction felt. It felt that the bad guy got away with it and all the wrong people were killed. It felt anti-climatic & distressing but I agree with you when you mentioned that it's not about Moss or Anton or the money. . It's about life perceived by an old man who has lived through it all & no longer has the answers. A sad ending but a poignant one for a movie that will live long in my memory.

[@pencestube]

I thought when Ed Tom was speaking with Ellis about God not coming into his life, that topic was revisited in his last dream. One could interpret that God is given Ed Tom a vision that there is still time for Ed Tom to accept God into his life, and if Ed Tom does he would be rewarded by seeing his father again. The fire inside the horn could be a metaphor for enlightenment, and Ed Tom will receive that if he stays on the path. By his father going ahead of Ed Tom could be a reference to what Christ told his disciples about Him going ahead and preparing a place for them, which is heaven.

[@successrebirthmahle5155]

Huh 🤔 ..very interesting

[@warrenbiker]

Not chasing after the truck with the machinegun wielding gunmen that killed Lewellen said it all.

[@solomonjaro9630]

warrenbiker could I get some more detail on how it does that please?

[@GnralexPlus]

Cause he physically cant catch the criminals i assume

[@Fit_Philosopher]

Super lucid and perfect explanation. I totally agree. Thank you

[@abongilejankie4164]

I totally agree. Thanks for the upload. I just didn't get the dreams' relevance to the movie till now.

[@TomTheCurator]

+Abongile Jankie no problem glad you enjoyed the video.

[@RedPlaystationController]

You were spot on. That’s exactly what this movie was about.

[@Liam-Ederer]

I can see how some people didn't like the ending, but for me, I instantly called it one of my favorite endings of all time.

[@vernshein5430]

I agree with your interpretation. The final dream about Sherriff Bell's father, to me, reflects most men's feeling that their fathers will protect and take care of them. This starts from our childhood and lasts throughout our lives until our fathers die.

I know only ONE person w a "Daddy". And he hates him. Rightfully so!

[@buickmclean8163]

It's fashionable to trash Fathers now a days, but as an old man, now, I understand what you mean. Thank you for expressing this better that I could.

[@chnochno2286]

Alot of old men were killed by Anton in this movie.. poor nice old men. Definitely no counrty for them. Lol.

[@dmt0087]

This explanation really ties things up for me. I felt kind of robbed by not seeing the final battle but when you put it like that it makes sense and doesn't matter just like the money.

[@christophercarton6566]

Sheriff Bell's father is with him through the entire movie, protecting him from Chigurh and the danger Moss has put himself in. When Sheriff Bell sits on the couch in Moss's trailer, he casts two shadows onto the TV screen, the larger of which symbolizes his father, who protected him from arriving at the trailer while Chigurh was inside. We can safely conclude this because Chigurh only cast one shadow on the TV screen when he sat in the same place. The two-shadow phenomenon occurs again when Sheriff Bell enters the motel room in El Paso, from which Chigurh has just made his escape. The second dream was telling Sheriff Bell his father was protecting him the entire time, yet Ed Tom has been clueless to the signs all around him.

[@cosmicman621]

...that’s a hopeful take on the movie...I’ll have to remember it.Thanks.

[@TomTheCurator]

If you have any suggestions on future videos please comment down below.

[@kwstasgreece604]

I wonder if Anton in the past was in the army special forces.The cruelty he deals with everythin and the knowledge of treating his wound from the shotgun

[@TomTheCurator]

+Kwstas Greece it's either that or maybe an enforcer from a cartel or even and supernatural force. But the special forces assumption makes the most sense to me.

[@andifisaytoyoutomorrow0]

Hereditary, it's a hot mess of innuendo.

[@nathanwest6617]

The Shining

[@natura808]

First dream: You gonna lost all that’s materialistic at the end anyway and it doesn’t matter - money that have been lost in the dream as a symbol. Second dream: You can bring the “fire” to the future even after your death and make it “warmer” by understanding first dream, that’s probably what his father did sacrifice his life, son, family, everything for the “warmer” future that his son and sons of others will get to through the cold and darkness.

[@chico5817]

Absolutely on point and this was indicative of the conversations he had with his father in law and the other older sheriff- from another county, in the diner. The dreams and conversations among those old men is a confirmation or recognition of pure evil’s existence in the modern world and possibility that there is no country for these brave lawmen in a lawless and immoral world.

[@ivelsoup]

I think that the point of the movie is to get you to think, and I think that that is really important. But also it has a message I think, the point is that everything is meaningless and no matter what you try to do, you will, in the end, die, it all ends the same. Is Chigur death? Is he a man? I think he is a bit of both because even for him there are forces outside of his control that act upon him. It challenges everything that you are supposed to believe, and that makes you think, and the conclusion is it is all random, nothing matters, it is all the same, it is all pointless. It is no country for old men because the old man is trying to deal with the world according to his system, but everything is always changing and before you know it the system is nothing like what you thought it was, and you are left behind. Even if you live you feel useless and life is empty, no matter what happens you lose, everyone loses.

[@andifisaytoyoutomorrow0]

Spot on, it's not terribly complicated. It took me a couple times through to fully understand. When my Dad died two years ago it all became clear. Ed Tom's story had been told and then the movie ends abruptly, as it should have.

[@steved4748]

Great job and kept it short, i hate people that overcomplicate it. Definitely agree by the opening narration that its all about the Sheriffs perspective, all the amazing supporting characters with excellent acting keep you from being stuck up on Bell. Too me this made the ending even better and my first time seeing this i could tell this was gonna be the last scene and absolutely loved it, i laughed at the people who were in the theatre confused lol

[@mirazusta2002]

That's a very toughtful and I believe excellent and accurate interpretation on what this fascinating story is all about. I have to admit that I would have not reached that level of insight into "No country for old men" in a lifetime, not only because of my language limitations, but also because of my lack of scope when looking at the whole picture. Thanks for your video and analysis. I love this movie more even than before.

[@MediaSock]

Yeh, I totally agree with you, as I got it right away on my first viewing, it was very obvious and the ending dream monologue clarified it for those who didn't get it, for me the ending felt genuine because I've lived in a country riddled with murder and drug related crime, in that part of the world the narco's and their sicario's almost always get away with murder and everything in between, in real life in that part of the world justice for a murdered victim's family and relatives is extremely hard to come by.

[@se4949]

What a silly interpretation

[@sumanitutankaowachi5389]

The entire movie is about death, and that it’s coming for everyone, and the choices we make along the way determines when it will happen. “You can’t stop what’s coming.”

[@Blackfive1945]

I agree totally .It was obvious when I saw film what it was about .Explanation is in the title .

[@ZeaLDailyParanormal]

Roger Black so your smart huh

[@rafaelcamilo4887]

The same way he comes to realization this not a country for old man, this not a world for a good man. This world is not only full of injustice and inmorality but also profoundly criminal.

[@mogensschmidt2498]

1.that car jumpscare at the end 2.umm he is not the only chrakter in the movie 3.anton is still out there

[@fahmyghaly3175]

the best explanation i ve ever seen

[@deanwilliams534]

Seems to be pervasive...not just in law enforcement or good vs evil but in all things. Old equals irrelevant. I turned fifty this year and I can see generations and passage of time from the sheriff's perspective more and more. Very nicely done and insightful sir. I won't be able to look at it the same way again.

[@jimparker7778]

Just like the Wizard of Oz. At the end Dorothy wakes up and she's back in Kansas again, the screen goes from brilliant colors to black and white. Same for Sheriff Bell. The story begins with his narration, and ends when he realizes he'd been sleeping and dreaming the whole time. Then the screen goes black.

[@secondchance6603]

Very well put, couldn't agree more.

[@elbandito5411]

This comment may be late being that I avoided this movie since it came out til now. I'm glad I finally watched it and I did understand why some did not like the ending because Chighur still survived. But I was looking at the movie wondering why it had that title but I then found myself focused on Tommy Lee's character more and feeling that it definitely wasn't a place for him. And Chighur was not the bad guy. He was just doing his job as a hit man but was just very thorough. Even though I figured out the meaning of this movie by watching it just once, I was hoping someone else got the meaning the same as I did and I'm so glad you did. Great explanation.

[@kuggeluer4315]

He was definetly a bad guy, lol

[@ayepweakly3564]

To me the second dream was Sheriff chasing sugar and he was going to eventually meet up with him I firmly believe that's what the ending means

[@Beeznhunny]

I think you sum up the theme of the movie but my take is at least the dream story at the end is him conceding he is old and admitting to fears of his inevitable death, but he is comforted knowing is father, who he clearly still lives in awe of and doesnt feel he measures up to, will be waiting for him on the other side to take care of him.

[@cliffjones8809]

The tommy leee jones part is similar to Indie in raiders. He made absolutely no difference to the movie, the end would be the same if he hadn't even been in the movie. He just told us how life is hopeless and apathetic, so we could go home depressed. And they won a shitload of awards for this.

[@shivammishra-yu6fs]

This movie tells that evil persist if it has more talent. So make more tallented good people .

[@stuzo666]

It was a complex group of characters, all different, all with different views on life. The fact that sheriff bell mentions the " no country for old men" in only relevant as it was the name of the film and immediately draws ones attention to that , shifting the spotlight on him kinda thing. Old men can be violent and has little to do with it, there are holes in the plot, while anton pursued the money there was money in the drugs left behind . He could have taken the drugs, cashed in and waited. The film was just about intriguing characters, the main one being anton who got away after killing llewellyn wife or girlfriend and still never got the money , so the plot was not about the money it was just revenge and killing

[@Brandonizzle3]

This has been the best explanation out of all the fucking ridiculous ass videos trying to explain it like it’s a PhD final exam

[@kepecs0408]

GREAT explanation.

[@brijeshmishra9403]

I agree with you, but whats the whole point of cutting off the scenes of Moss And his wife's murder?

[@stancexpunks]

Brijesh Mishra do you mean not showing their murders? It’s to make moss’ death feel anti-climatic and random. I believe they didn’t show his wife’s death because they want you to come to the conclusion that she was killed yourself since she refused to call out the coin toss.

[@Jagger-Tyr_13]

I feel like the point of the ending is that it's pointless. That its the "ramblings" of an old man who's not only past his prime, but also doesn't want to out stay his welcome. And when he does try, he fails to bring anything to the table. Its got nothing to do with Anton, or the money. Its just an old man outstaying his welcome and not achieving anything more than that revelation. "Shit happens, then you die, and the same shit happens to someone else" kind of mentality.

[@oldfarmproductionsllc2492]

This movie finally makes sense

[@mirazusta2002]

I would say it's a great and probably accurate interpretation of the story the movie tells. I would have never reached such a conclusion myself after many succesive viewings

[@BiteThemBack75]

I always thought the second dream was him realizing that the didn't quite live up to his father or his vision of his father.

[@winstonowen3181]

I agree, people my age are from a different civilization! They can no longer cope with the amount of evil and lack of common sense that exists now. Morality is quickly fading!

[@nipungrover7058]

Are you the guy from 'UP' movie 😂...offence jk ☮️

[@foskco87]

The questions I have about this movie are all more superficial and plot related. How did they even know it was Moss who took the money? Why was there Mexicans waiting for Moss in the motel? Who actually killed Moss? Who t-boned Chigurh at the end? Was it just a random accident or was it someone purposefully hitting him?

[@5.0king32]

It was all accident/fate and throughout the movie you see fate take its course

[@1qwasz12]

His license plate. Carson's employer hired Mexican gangs to find the $2.4 million; they killed Moss. Mexicans had the transponder at that point in the movie. A car running a red light T- boned him. It was a random accident.

[@worken360]

Just rewatched it for the first time in uears. Excellent interpretation of the film's ending.

[@headbuster103]

It makes me wonder if crime just gon get even worse in the future

[@waltermalone216]

:(

[@Weird-City]

"I'm a lookin' for Llewellyn Moss!"

[@noori1577]

did you go up to his trailer?

[@geraldkeller2937]

Yes, great explanation. Some of the things we see anymore make this a sad comment of our current society and criminal activity.

[@richstephens7615]

I do agree. I'm getting older and feel the same way. "You can't stop what's comin'"

[@ShawnTBell]

And remember the lady at the poll tells Llywelyn that 'You can't see what's coming"

[@himanshiravi800]

Thanks for the video. You explained it so simply..

[@orlandogonzalez9360]

Yes completely, would love to hear some debate you on your explanation. Good work, and thank you kindly sir

[@CADWALLATER]

Maybe all of us end up disillusioned to some degree. Twain, many others. Me. You finally get past the illusions and see it for what it is, and it never seems to change, except to grow worse, and then a bit better, and worse again, endlessly. There's good in people, but it's buried underneath a mountain of bad things.

[@neviodauru8517]

Good explanation

[@daveatlarge5030]

Excellent posting....

[@Boxingbear]

I think your analysis is interesting and has merit. I would like to read the book myself for better insight.

[@TomTheCurator]

+Boxingbear thanks. The book matches the films quality

[@ZahidJatoi1972]

Life is not like minus into minus becomes plus. It is not as smooth as it is thought to be. We get satisfied cursing bad people that they will have bad consequences of bad acts they do but things don't work like this. In real, in many incidents, it is innocent who suffers while evil one gets away with fun. This movie shows us the reality which we are not willing to watch in the cinema. Perhaps, we expect biblical life to watch in cinema as we fail to find it in real life. I agree with the explanation on this video. Thanks for sharing it.

[@hm1rza]

You are absolutely right!

[@iconoclasting]

Great explanation. But, why the hate? Can you explain that? I thought that the ending was completely congruent with the film. My favorite movie

[@TomTheCurator]

Modern audiences are conditioned for films to end a certain way.

[@samanthabarnes6097]

Just watched the film last night and I have a question for you. How did the Mexican guys find Luellen at the first hotel and how did he know they were in his room? I think I know, but I had a debate with my son about it. Thanks

[@alekisighl7599]

@@samanthabarnes6097 He still had the transponder on him then. And the mexicans had also been given a receiver by Carsons agency. That's why Anton killed the boss. "You use the one right tool"

[@lm_b5080]

classic Coen Brothers. at the end of the day, the Coen's themselves, when you look at the themes in all their movies, particularly A Serious Man, No country, big lebowski, they are the true nihilists to quote walter: "nihilists? fuck me dude, say what you want about the tenets of socialism, but at least its an ethos!"

[@TomTheCurator]

+lm bester lol

[@vinayhulikere1734]

Alright, I'm not gonna issue a takedown notice. But it's only cause you were so nice about it :)

[@enriquealcala5530]

striate to the point in 3 min and simple. Well sied!!

[@nicktorres9416]

Did Anton kill the wife? Which caused him to be off his game and get into an accident?

[@TomTheCurator]

He killed the wife ( he checks his boots for blood ) but it’s just fate that caused that car to hit him.

[@Mo-rd1ow]

ohh i didnt know lou-allen died, i thought it was that girls mother xD now i finally get the movie

[@hakenkreuzn1]

Great explanation 👏🏻 a great movie

[@oldschool3484]

Yes, it is a great explanation .

[@handsomestik]

I fucking hate this movie, I still hate it. It hurts because I love the Coen's and Fargo.I tried many a time with this film and I still hate it.

[@marcosrausch1887]

Of course I agree with your explanation. Were my thoughts exactly back when I first saw the movie. Was in a hotel, in the mountains with my old man. He would start a fire and... wait a second.

[@nicknoga564]

To be honest, the life crisis parts with the Sheriff just drag. When watching the movie, I usually skip past them. I know the book focuses more on that subject (that crime has evolved into something nastier than it had once been), but it’s a pretty dull & depressing thing to drag down otherwise riveting crime thriller.

[@ssn711]

I think you nailed it, Thank you

[@taker1ut]

Why does Chiugrh let Bell live when he enters the motel???

[@fredericksweetenhue6857]

Bell didnt see him

[@martyb3586]

What happend the gut with the money??

[@papaiswatching]

One of Tomy's best performance by far I am sure

[@denniswild1456]

Yes you are spot on

[@rayg5604]

and then i woke up

[@dustbustr91]

cant understand half of the words as he recalls the dreams

[@scottiemontgomery9915]

Yep--I had to go to captions---somebody missed this short coming- Saw the movie twice...... WHY ? Why ...didn't this get caught ?

[@scottiemontgomery9915]

DID I say something wall Google ?

[@Garymayo]

Respectfully, you are completely wrong about this movie. It’s not a movie with a good guy, a bad guy and a sheriff trying to make everything right. This movie is devoid of good guys. The first scene is the first clue about our Sheriff Bell. His father and kin was all proud law keepers. Though they had long past away, he describes them in present tense. The very next line he describes himself as a good Sheriff in past tense. Very telling but no one catches this because it’s so well hidden in a perfectly placed dialogue. More clues follow in every scene with Bell as we assume he is the good guy. Wrong. Only thing Bell is looking for is the money. Another clue when Moss and Carla Jean find the money first thing they do is retire, quit their jobs. Who else retires suddenly in this movie? Moss does not have the money, he is dead. His wife does not have the money, she got to the motel too late to see the money again. Sugar (what Moss calls him) does not have the money because he goes to kill Carla Jean and in the car wreck he does not have it. He would have left her alone as promised had he found the loot. The Mexican gang came in and left in a hurry so they had no time to look in ventilation ducts. So they don’t have it. While Sugar was hiding in the shower behind the closed curtain ( freeze frame the bathroom scene) Bell sees the open shallow vent, sees the scratches and you see his eyes light up. What we don’t see is him picking up the dime and opening another cold air return ( they are larger , less pressure) and finds the money. The very next scene he does three things. Announces his sudden retirement, asked about life in prison and says he always thought God was going to be his salvation, but he has recently settled on other plans. In the final scene with his wife we get the biggest clues. First dream he comes into some money but kinda in denial, can’t remember much about it ( like a kid in a cookie jar). Second powerful dream, he is riding a horse in winter snow ( symbolizes end of seasons, end of life) in a valley between two mountains ( passing from this life to the next) when his Father passes him on a horse ( horses of Revelation) without looking at him with his head covered ( shame) carrying fire in a horn ( hell fire and judgment). Bell knew when he met his Father there would be a fire waiting for him (Judgment). Bell is in retirement looking over his shoulder for Mexican gangs, Sugar, the DEA and Hellfire as the movie ends. That is the plot and the ending everyone missed. There are other clues but you guys need to discover them for yourself.

[@Garymayo]

Ok one more clue. Bell tells the other sheriff it’s an all out war. In war, all laws are suspended, it’s every man for himself. Because Bell sees this as a War, he rationalized he was not stealing, just collecting provisions for what’s coming.

[@robhamii]

Interesting, I never saw it that way. Will have to watch it again. I think that in some ways it's even more depressing; in one version Bell remains a stoic moral character who is beat down and tired and steps away from the fight; and Anton is the "devil" and represents an embodiment of evil that is winning the battle between good and evil; in your world Bell is beat down and maybe weak (or always a bit weak or opportunist and is really an unreliable narrator in painting himself as having been good) gives in to the temptation and Anton is a bit more ambiguous...heads or tails...he's not evil or good, just a force moving through the world where men have a chance to decide between making a good decision (leave the money) and the results of a bad decision (take the money). Like I said, will have to watch it again...

[@top7173]

Good one!

[@davidcrespin584]

yeah, quite good expo, links to Moss when he said 'tell my mama I love her' wifey 'your mama's dead moss' 'well I'll tell her myself'.

[@MSSathome]

Best line in the movie!

[@DeepKumar.]

On Point!!! 😅

[@maraaron7419]

Yes I agree fella

[@shogundickin]

Good point.

[@smokedog2185]

So did anton kill Llewelyn wife ?

[@TomTheCurator]

Yes that’s why he checks his boots for blood when he walks out of the house.

[@mahmoudibnemir8704]

Your request to tell you if I agreed with you or not is like asking someone to call heads or tails in a coin toss and I won't play your game...

[@michaelhaddleton2739]

Mindless violence. Waste of time.

[@italianblood8174]

I like it!❤

[@ROZWAY_II]

How did moss die ??

[@MrRaf-mf6ji]

Amazing ❤

[@vaibhav_nitesh]

Thanks for the explanation. Still I will not give points to this movie for its disastrous ending concluding nothing. You have a man watch your movie for two hours you must respect their time.

[@bobnation7822]

I didn’t understand the ending the first time I saw it. Went & watched it a second time & came to the same conclusion. Author Cormick McCarthy never has ride off in the Sunset Happy Endings. His overriding them is that life goes on and some issues in life will never be resolved.

[@garybruce4704]

Ok. So what about the coencadence of aton getting hit just after he does or does not kill his wife. That was eerie

[@scottiemontgomery9915]

He killed her--he wipes his shoes on the way out of house. Blood ?

[@rickyraton12]

What happened to the money....that's all I want to know. who had it at the end? the Mexicans? Anton?

[@raysanace4363]

Thank you

[@KGFishyFingers]

Perfect

[@cakerbaby69]

I agree

[@DaveDeliDocFlame]

did he kill the woman in the end?

[@TomTheCurator]

Yes, as he checks his boot for blood.

[@jonathanzarco5697]

I get the movie now.

[@MasonCartoon]

Bravo

[@brianmullin430]

This movie needs a Sequel, with Vindication for those murdered and slaughtered, ...like Sheriff Longmire would end it, in my Opinion.~ It is very Anti-Climatic.

[@foodguyable]

good as any