Picture Bride: The End etc.

Problems I had with the ending:

1. It was really random and abrupt: Like, all of a sudden, you get a random voice-over at the very end about how Riyo is all grown up and talking about Hawaii being her home.

2. The ghost scene: Totally ruined any legit historical background that the movie might have had. It was really random, and it made no sense at all.

3. The dance festival was really awkward: Sure, it served the purpose of putting Riyo and her husband together at the very end, but a more moving ending would definitely have been just the floating lantern scene.

4. Riyo's character shift seemed really annoying: Why did Riyo suddenly feel the urge to not only tell her husband about her parents, but then also magically fall in love with him once he changed his attitude towards her? How did running away from him, then seeing him drunk magically make him seem attractive?

Things I loved about the ending:

1. The floating lantern scene: Definitely the best scene in the entire movie. Evocative, in terms of Japanese culture, and also it served to give us a real resolution in terms of Riyo's grieving and her relationship with her husband.

2. When Riyo seems to finally mature: The whole singing thing was a bit odd, but also a "yay!" moment, because she seemed to finally be accepted as a viable worker.

...There really isn't much else. I don't want to say that I wanted a nice picture-book, Hollywood ending, because I feel like that's what the movie was trying to do (what with the cheesy voice-over ending). I just wish it had maintained its spirit of historical accuracy and also didn't try to magically repair the relationship Riyo had with her husband in all of 15 minutes.