“Buried,” Rodrigo Cortés’s masterful exercise in cinematic tension, ends with a devastating conclusion: Paul Conroy, trapped in a wooden coffin buried alive in Iraq, dies. Despite a desperate race against time and the promise of rescue, faulty intelligence and sheer bad luck lead to his agonizing demise, leaving audiences grappling with the film’s bleak message about human indifference and the brutal realities of war. This article delves into the film’s ending, exploring its significance, the events leading up to it, and its lasting impact on viewers.
Understanding the Final Moments
The movie’s climax is a heart-wrenching culmination of Paul’s increasingly desperate attempts to secure his rescue. After enduring hours of confinement, near suffocation, and emotional torment, Paul believes he is about to be saved. The FBI Hostage Rescue Team is closing in, guided by the coordinates he has provided. He hears digging, the sound of voices, and the undeniable hope of escape fills the coffin.
However, the rescue goes terribly wrong. Just as the digging intensifies, the person on the other end of Paul’s phone, Dan Brenner, reveals a horrifying mistake: the coordinates provided were incorrect. The information came from a previous incident with a different hostage, Mark White, and due to bureaucratic bungling and a lack of proper verification, Paul has been led to believe he was being rescued for Mark White’s location, leading him to mistakenly believe he was being rescued. The sounds of digging abruptly cease. The coffin fills with sand, and Paul suffocates. The film cuts to black, leaving the audience with the chilling words, “Mark White is saved.” This final line encapsulates the film’s cynical commentary on war and the expendability of human life. Paul Conroy, an ordinary truck driver, becomes a casualty of systemic errors and governmental apathy.
Decoding the Ending’s Significance
The ending of “Buried” is far from a conventional Hollywood resolution. Its bleakness serves several crucial purposes:
- Realism and Anti-War Sentiment: The film does not shy away from portraying the brutal reality of war, where mistakes happen, and innocent people are often caught in the crossfire. Paul’s death underscores the film’s anti-war message, highlighting the human cost of conflict and the indifference towards individual lives.
- Character Study: Paul’s transformation from a terrified victim to a man who accepts his fate is a poignant character study. His final moments are marked by a quiet resignation, a far cry from the frantic panic he initially exhibited.
- Societal Critique: The film critiques the bureaucratic inefficiencies and systemic failures that contribute to tragedies like Paul’s. The erroneous coordinates, the lack of verification, and the reliance on outdated information expose the flaws within the system.
- Leaving a Lasting Impact: The film’s devastating conclusion forces viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about the value placed on human life and the consequences of war. It lingers in the mind long after the credits roll, prompting reflection and discussion.
FAQs About “Buried” and Its Ending
H3: Why did Paul’s rescuers use the wrong coordinates?
The FBI and the rescue team acted upon incorrect coordinates because they were using information related to a previous hostage situation involving Mark White. Due to bureaucratic errors and a lack of proper verification, Paul’s location was erroneously conflated with Mark White’s, leading to the fatal misdirection. This highlights a significant flaw in the rescue protocols and information management.
H3: Was there really any chance of Paul being saved?
While the film holds out the possibility of rescue, the reality presented suggests that the odds were stacked against Paul from the beginning. The faulty intelligence, the limited time, and the inherent difficulties of locating someone buried alive created a scenario where his chances were slim. The promise of rescue serves more as a dramatic device to heighten tension and emotional impact.
H3: What does the ending say about the importance of individual lives in wartime?
The ending starkly portrays the devaluation of individual lives in the context of war. Paul’s death, caused by a systemic error, underscores the idea that ordinary people can become expendable casualties in larger conflicts. The focus shifts to Mark White’s rescue, highlighting the perceived importance of certain lives over others.
H3: How did Paul keep his composure throughout the film?
Paul’s composure fluctuates throughout the film, ranging from extreme panic to moments of quiet acceptance. He is driven by the hope of seeing his family again and the desperate need to survive. His resourcefulness, his use of the phone to contact rescue teams, and his conversations with Dan Brenner provide him with a semblance of control and purpose, helping him maintain a degree of composure in the face of unimaginable terror.
H3: What is the significance of the final line, “Mark White is saved”?
The line is profoundly cynical and serves as a damning indictment of the system that led to Paul’s death. It emphasizes the fact that one person’s rescue came at the direct expense of another’s life. It is the ultimate confirmation that Paul’s death was a mistake, a tragic consequence of bureaucratic errors and a lack of proper verification.
H3: What is the overall message or theme of the movie “Buried”?
“Buried” explores several key themes, including:
- The brutality and dehumanization of war.
- The fragility of human life.
- The impact of isolation and claustrophobia on the human psyche.
- The failures of bureaucracy and government systems.
- The importance of hope and resilience in the face of adversity.
H3: Why was Ryan Reynolds chosen for the lead role?
Ryan Reynolds was chosen for his ability to convey a wide range of emotions, from terror and desperation to resilience and ultimately, acceptance. His performance is crucial to the film’s success, as he is the sole actor on screen for the vast majority of the film, carrying the entire narrative burden. His ability to connect with the audience and elicit empathy is essential to the film’s emotional impact.
H3: How does the movie use sound to create tension?
Sound is a critical element in “Buried,” as it is used to create and maintain a constant sense of tension and claustrophobia. The sounds of digging, muffled voices, the creaking of the coffin, and Paul’s heavy breathing amplify the sense of confinement and isolation. The use of silence is also effective in highlighting the moments of despair and the overwhelming weight of Paul’s situation.
H3: Is “Buried” based on a true story?
“Buried” is a work of fiction, although it draws inspiration from real-world events and anxieties surrounding the Iraq War and the experiences of civilian contractors in conflict zones. While the specific scenario is fictional, the film aims to capture the atmosphere of fear, uncertainty, and the potential for tragedy that characterized that era.
H3: What is the significance of Paul’s job as a truck driver?
Paul’s occupation as a truck driver makes him an Everyman figure, an ordinary person caught in extraordinary circumstances. It highlights the fact that anyone, regardless of their background or profession, can become a victim of war and systemic failures. It makes his fate all the more relatable and tragic.
H3: What alternatives did Paul have to contact the outside world?
Paul only has a limited set of tools inside the coffin: a cell phone, a lighter, a knife, a flask, a pencil, and a few glow sticks. Besides the cell phone, none of the other tools provided a viable path to directly contacting the outside world for rescue. His dependency on the phone amplified the suspense and emphasized the precariousness of his situation.
H3: How did the director maintain suspense and engagement with the single-location setting?
Rodrigo Cortés skillfully maintained suspense through several cinematic techniques:
- Limited perspective: The camera’s confinement within the coffin mirrored Paul’s own experience, intensifying the feeling of claustrophobia.
- Sound design: As explained earlier, sound plays a vital role in creating atmosphere and tension.
- Pacing and editing: The film’s pacing fluctuates between moments of frantic action and periods of quiet contemplation, keeping the audience engaged.
- Emotional rollercoaster: Paul’s changing emotions and his desperate attempts to survive created a compelling narrative arc that held the audience’s attention.
“Buried” remains a powerful and unsettling film that challenges viewers to confront the harsh realities of war and the imperfections of the systems designed to protect us. Its ending, while undeniably bleak, serves as a crucial reminder of the human cost of conflict and the importance of valuing every human life. The film’s legacy lies in its ability to provoke thought, spark discussion, and leave a lasting impact on those who experience its claustrophobic horrors.