Top 10 Unanswered Questions in Classic Hollywood Movies

“The Italian Job” (1969)

Michael Caine’s ingenious thief, Charlie Croker, and his fellow robbers are last seen teetering over the edge of a cliff. Let’s just say physics is not on their side. The spoils of their heist are at one end of the precarious truck, and they are the other. Then the credits roll, leaving their fate unresolved, and there’s not even a sequel to tell us how it all turned out. This ending has puzzled moviegoers for so long that the Royal Society of Chemistry held a 2008 contest to devise a solution to save the men and the gold. The winning answer was so convoluted it’s no wonder the filmmakers opted for a literal cliffhanger.

“The Big Sleep” (1946)

It’s a great showcase for the Hollywood super-couple Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, but the murder mystery at the center of this Raymond Chandler adaptation has… a few holes. Chandler’s stories are known for their twisting plots. They’re also known for not always tying up every loose end or subplot. Halfway through filming “The Big Sleep,” director Howard Hawks realized he basically had no idea if the chauffeur character found dead in his limo was murdered or took his own life. In true Chandler fashion, the writer admitted he didn’t know either. He didn’t even really answer the question in his own novel. Unlike a lot of his fellow detective fiction authors, Chandler was much more concerned with vibes than airtight plotting.

“Kiss Me Deadly” (1955)

Everyone knows about the mysterious glowing briefcase in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction,” but did you know that little plot point was lifted from a 1955 film noir? Throughout “Kiss Me Deadly,” many characters try and fail to acquire the incredibly valuable contents of a mysterious black box. It’s never made explicitly clear what it is, but it’s heavily implied to be radioactive. Once opened, the box’s contents incinerate the movie’s femme fatale character. Most critics agree it’s a metaphor for the Pandora’s box that is nuclear war. The fire only grows in power, with no signs of stopping. Although the movie had two different endings, neither one explains exactly what is in the box. We only know it’s bad news.

“12 Angry Men” (1957)

Based on the play by Reginald Rose, “12 Angry Men” is a courtroom drama that never lets us actually see the courtroom. An open-and-shut case becomes anything but as twelve jurors deliberate the case of a young man on trial for murdering his father. Through their arguments, personal beliefs, politics, and morality, they eventually come to the decision that there is enough reasonable doubt to acquit the accused. However, one important question goes unanswered. Did he do it? Well, that’s really the whole point. We don’t know for certain. In the aftermath of Red Scare paranoia, it was a message for American moviegoers.

“The Graduate” (1967)

In this ‘60s landmark film, Benjamin Braddock spends his days since college graduation in second gear, without direction or purpose. Despite Ben famously being intimate with Elaine’s mother, Ben and Elaine Robinson fall in love. Eventually the pair run out of her wedding ceremony to another man in a scene that seems lifted from a fairy tale. But the fairy tale seemingly comes crashing down when the pair’s faces reflect the gravity of what they’ve just done. Then, the credits roll. Speaking to the fears and anxieties of young people growing up in a world their parents didn’t quite prepare them for, not even the traditional Hollywood romance is promised in “The Graduate.” Will they stay together? Will they be happy? Clearly, even they have no idea.

“The Birds” (1963)

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic of person against nature is a haunting and thrilling experience. Using a mix of real, mechanical, and photographically superimposed birds to simulate violent attacks, the movie still manages to spook even the most sophisticated viewers. But the lack of motivation lingers over the movie, which only adds to the sense of dread. Though the characters have their theories as to why the birds are hellbent on destroying humanity, the birds themselves certainly aren’t talking… just squawking). And even if the characters had the means to figure it all out, the attacks in this movie are so relentless that there’s no time.

“Cinderella” (1950)

Now here’s a true classic. The Prince, having fallen in love with the mysterious Cinderella, is only able to locate her by having every maiden in the land try on the slipper she left behind. Once he finds her, the two marry and live happily ever after… but hold on. The Fairy Godmother was very clear when she briefed Cinderella before the ball. Magic comes with a strict curfew. That means the scullery maid’s horse-drawn carriage, her gown, and everything else she takes to the ball with her will revert to their original form at midnight. But why does the glass slipper remain intact? The movie doesn’t explain. Given that it’s what the entire ending hinges on, it seems pretty convenient, even for a fairy tale.

“The Wizard of Oz” (1939)

Dorothy Gale’s journey through the technicolor wonderland of Oz is clearly fantastical and highly metaphorical. The thing is, while L. Frank Baum’s original book series makes it clear that Oz is a real place, the iconic movie leaves it…well, much more in the air — literally and figuratively. Certainly no one can sit through “The Wizard of Oz” without a sense of magical escapism. Although the movie strongly suggests that Oz was a figment of Dorothy’s imagination, and that the story was an extended dream sequence, that’s not so easy to accept. Who’s to say the magic wasn’t real?

“Citizen Kane” (1941)

It’s one of the most beloved and acclaimed films of all time, and it has one of the most enduring frame stories in all of classic cinema. Orson Welles’ masterpiece actually does answer the main question posed at the beginning: what does Charles Foster Kane’s last word mean? We find out what it means, but in a way, that’s not the biggest question of all. As far as we can tell, the room is empty when the dying man utters the fateful word. The nurse only comes in after he dies, alerted only by the sound of a snowglobe smashing on the floor. It’s a fun but minor quibble, especially when a movie is as great and influential as “Citizen Kane.”

“2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968)

Most of the movies on this list have one, maybe two unanswered questions. Stanley Kubrick’s masterwork of science fiction and philosophy is a great big question mark in itself. It’s a moody and often wordless film marked by stunning visuals, long stretches with no dialogue, and a large monolith that may just hold the key to human evolution. Its puzzling, and highly symbolic finale, still has us scratching our heads. The truth is there’s probably no singular satisfying answer to “2001: A Space Odyssey’s” questions about humanity, artificial intelligence, and the mysteries of the cosmos. Asking the questions may be more important than answering them.