dream

Making the ending a dream is too subtle for Spielberg. Yes, the guard has the line about certain convicts dreaming their life goes on, but I think Spielberg, being Spielberg would have included something that would have made a clue to the effect that it was a dream. I think there have been a series of movies where "reality" turns out to be a dream (Vanilla Sky/Abre Los Ojos and Mulholland Drive to name a few) so that people start seeing this trend in movies where it isn't occuring. I remember a recent post where someone said the ending of Blue Velvet was a dream, and I think it kind of falls in with this whole trend. And, really, it's completely in line with Spielberg's career to put a happy ending on the film.

Just the order of the scenes before he gets put into the "jail" thing. You see the old guy shoot the irish guy before he gets locked up and the time the dream should start. Had that scene, the one where you find out it was the old guy who caused all the trouble that leads to the ending, been part of the dream, I might buy it.