An Instant Classic: The Best Film of the 21st Century

Rating: 10/10 (24 March 2015)

Instead of including an accompanying review, I will instead be providing my analysis of the film's ending, going so far as to explain it's relevance in being named the best film of the 21st century.
The following analysis of the ending of Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is a look into how this amalgamation of deep symbolism and cinematic excellence make the ending of this film arguably one of the most profound in cinematic history, and a perfect ending to Iñárritu's masterpiece.
"To begin, the sudden take essentially provides a clear look towards the fact that Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) has indeed perished. The reason for this ending being so ambiguous to everyone is of great concern and confusion to myself; Iñárritu's description of life as "one full take" alludes to how Riggan has died, and the following hospital scene is a depiction of Riggan's "heaven", or paradise, a world in which he is free of the struggles of fatherhood, acting, and most importantly. the alluring, pressuring presence of his former self, Birdman. This is portrayed through the symbolic revealing of Riggan's face after taking off his medical mask, revealing a nose that aligns perfectly with that of the Birdman costume; sure enough, as Riggan steps out of the bathroom, Birdman's "goodbye" confirms what Riggan wants in his ideal world - to be free of this tantalizing identity.
Other symbolism in this iconic scene is the magazine, which Jake (Zach Galifinakis) provides to Riggan in his hospital bed, the title of which is 'The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance', referring to the Raymond Carver-based play and Riggan's success. However, as we saw before, the critic Tabitha rushed out of the theater in what appeared to be contempt at the moment at which he kills himself, leading the viewer to believe that her suspicions regarding the play have been confirmed and that she is on her way to "kill the play" in a review, as was aforementioned. This positive review is once again a figment of Riggan's idealist dream, a want or lust for a positive review, to feel accomplished or fulfilled in his pursuit of "true art".
Minor symbolism in this scene includes the introduction to the scene, as during the transition a deserted beach is shown with birds flying away from dead jellyfish, symbolizing Riggan's true freedom from this identity, something which could only be accomplished through death. The press rushing into the hospital and his ex-wife's intimate embrace are all culminations of his wants, as these would not be attainable in reality.
Riggan's daughter Sam (Emma Stone) provides the paramount, overwhelming icing-on-the-cake to this profound film, as her entrance to the hospital room is one of the final events of the film. Her iconic view out of the hospital window (Which don't open, once again a figment of Riggan's imagination), provide an encapsulating finish to Riggan's idealist world, a world in which his daughter, and ultimately all of society (Symbolized by the media in the hospital) look up and remember him, finally making him relevant and proved by Sam's admiring look up to the sky where Riggan is finally free of cynical societal restraints."
To explain to some who may seem confused by the director's intentions with this ambiguous ending:
"If you look into the intricate details of the film, or "silver linings", you see what Innaritu tried to project - a man, delusional and suffering, somber regarding the intertwined nature of aging and relevance. Riggan thus seeks to escape this reality, this unfortunate truth, and finally reaches his ideal world through death. Also, I'd have to differ in terms of your analysis of Sam's reaction at the end. We see the complicated, difficult father- daughter relationship throughout the film between Riggan and Sam, and Riggan's anxiety regarding how he'll be remembered (Recall the plane incident with George Clooney that Riggan tells his ex-wife), and thus it makes sense that in his ideal world Sam would look up to him in admiration, as was implied in the final, hospital-window scene."
Thank you for reading this analysis and I hoped I allowed you to grasp a better understanding of this 'instant classic'.