The ending of Moonage Daydream, directed by Brett Morgen, offers a philosophical and emotional closure to David Bowie’s life and career. It combines music, visuals, and archival footage to create an immersive experience.
Moonage Daydream is not your typical documentary. Instead, it dives deep into David Bowie’s thoughts on time, aging, and mortality. The film uses a unique montage-style editing format, making it a visual and auditory treat.
Philosophical and Emotional Closure
The ending of Moonage Daydream leaves viewers with a sense of philosophical and emotional closure. The final scenes feature a mix of Bowie’s tracks “Memory of a Free Festival” and “Station to Station”. This combination immerses the audience in Bowie’s artistic world. Director Brett Morgen often worked late at night, fine-tuning the ending through experimentation. This process resulted in a deeply moving conclusion (IndieWire).
In the end credits, viewers hear a previously unreleased audio recording of Bowie. This recording was initially made for an electronic press kit for his 1995 album, “Outside”. Morgen found this audio charming and decided to include it in the film. This final farewell from Bowie serves as a reminder to live each day to the fullest, much like Bowie did (Time).
Integration of Music and Visuals
The ending of Moonage Daydream showcases the seamless integration of music and visuals. Morgen often paired music with archival footage, sometimes by chance. For example, he once matched a Philip Glass orchestral piece with footage of Bowie painting and dancing on stage. The synchronicity was so perfect that Morgen included it in the final cut (IndieWire).
This approach highlights Bowie’s movements and artistic expressions, making the ending a visual and auditory feast. The combination of music and visuals creates a powerful and immersive experience for the audience.
Themes of Transience and Mortality
The film’s ending encapsulates the central theme of transience. Morgen identified this as a key aspect of Bowie’s life and work. The theme is broken down into sub-categories such as mortality, aging, time, gender fluidity, spirituality, mobility, chaos, and fragmentation. These elements are woven throughout the film, culminating in the final scenes that reflect Bowie’s philosophical musings on the impermanence of life (IndieWire).
The ending serves as a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of life. It encourages viewers to reflect on their own lives and the passage of time.
Audience Reception
The ending of Moonage Daydream has received mixed reactions from critics and audiences. Some praise the film for its sensory and emotional impact. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described it as a “glorious celebratory montage” that captures the essence of Bowie’s fans and their connection to the artist (Wikipedia).
However, others criticize the film for its lack of conventional narrative structure. Some find the busy visual approach and lack of traditional documentary elements overwhelming (Hollywood Reporter).
Conclusion
The ending of Moonage Daydream is a fitting tribute to David Bowie. It encapsulates his philosophical outlook on life and his artistic legacy. Through a combination of music, visuals, and archival footage, Brett Morgen creates an immersive experience that leaves the audience with a sense of closure and reflection. While the film’s unconventional approach may not appeal to everyone, it succeeds in capturing the essence of Bowie as an artist and a human being.
