Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s superb drama Drive My Car is undoubtedly one of the more surprising Best Picture nominees in recent years, but the film is very much deserving of its place on the list – and could even be a dark horse to take home the golden statuette.
A three-hour adaptation of the Haruki Murakami short story of the same name, the film is a meditation on grief, communication, and Anton Chekhov, and includes all manner of truly memorable scenes perfectly pitched performances.
It also features an unforgettable ending, and if you need a little help unpacking it we’ve got all the information you need below. Read on to have the Drive My car ending explained.
Drive My Car ending explained
Much of the running time of Drive My Car is concerned with a production of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, which lead character Yasuke is directing in Hiroshima. Yasuke has hired a volatile young actor named Takatsuki in the title role – particularly notable given that he had previously had an affair with Yasuke’s late wife, a screenwriter named Oto.
Meanwhile, the theatre company has hired a driver for Yusuke – owing to his poor eyesight – in the shape of the enigmatic Misaki. The pair are initially rather quiet around each other, but as the film goes on they become closer, slowly revealing their secrets, trauma, and grief to one another – with one particularly emotional scene late on seeing Misaki explain how her mother had died in a landslide, which she blames herself for.
Before the performance of Uncle Vanya can commence, Takatsuki is arrested and it falls to Yasuke to take on the main role – which proves to be a greatly cathartic experience for him. Meanwhile, Misaki watches and appears to be greatly moved by the performance, with the play’s themes reflecting things that have been affecting both her and Yasuke throughout the film, namely their regrets about the ways in which they handled previous relationships with those close to them.
In the very last scene, set a few months after the performance, we are shown Misaki – who it emerges is now living in Korea but continuing to drive Yasuke’s red Saab. This is symbolic of both Misaki and Yasuke finally confronting their pasts and moving on – Misaki has left Japan to start a new life, while Yasuke has let go of the car which reminded him so much of Oto and had prevented him from moving on.
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