Neil Druckmann explains The Last of Us Part 2 Ending and it's Real meaning - Director's Commentary

originally the house was fully empty and there was a concern I think that we had that it's going to feel like something bad happened to Dena and we don't want to make it feel like it's right that's the the thought in her head it's more Dena has made that choice to move back if she had to move back too she couldn't stay there alone with a baby it was too dangerous but I do think there's something poetic in like she didn't take Elie things with her there wasn't a I'm waiting for you I'm going to build her home it's it's I'm letting this I'm letting this die yeah here and I'm going to let everything rot for you well that's really [Music] Bleak yeah we wanted to create a metaphor for the unintended consequences of pursuing Justice at any cost and um here we get to feel it of the song that means so much to Ellie she just can't play it [Music] anymore also interesting thinking about Joel's headp space right now like just been humiliated by Ellie in front of everyone who knows what's going through his head but for me sometimes when I get just filled with anxiety it's it's guitar it's just sitting down and just jamming and just yeah not even playing a song just playing through something uh and we've had the scene at different spots of the game until until we finally landed it's it's the final moment yeah I think originally we were going to put it before the midpoint showdown of the game oh it plays so much much better at the end yeah no now you can't imagine it anywhere else once it's once it's here what are you drinking traded his soul for coffee where'd you get that uh those people that came through last week oh I would do the same embarrassed as to what I had to trade this is um the most Ashley has ever pushed back on a scene This was um because originally it was written that they hug at the end of the scene and you're like I don't know if they would I'm not sure like they we could get all the way there you were sport about it and we did uh two versions one with a hug one without a hug and they were both very very good but ultimately you are right they're starting to for kive each other but they're not fully there ultimately makes it more tragic yeah I think that's why she goes on this journey cuz it's just like it was never solved or really relationship was never fixed Dana she your girlfriend no no she that was just one kiss that doesn't mean anything she just I don't know why she did that but you do like her they just have like a fatherdaughter moment this exchange about this Crush that she has on this other girl and Joel telling her is like she would be lucky to have you I again just he has unconditional love for the for for Ellie and that's what drives her mad it'd be so much easier if he was just a complete piece of you could just forget about him yeah but you can't I mean that's what's hard I mean she she knows that he cares and she knows that he does love her I was supposed to die in that hospital I also love that you bring it back to we're talking around the thing that we need to talk about you took that from me and you doing all of these gestures to try to make it better is not what I want I'm going to bring it back to what the issue is and that's I should have died in that hospital I I also love watching um when do you both decide to make eye contact right interesting I just and it's like right here for I watch at the end of this statement for emphasis all eye contact cuz I am dead serious I don't care the cost I would do it all over again even if it means I'd lose you there is something to be said for your writing in this which is I would do it all over again and I would do it all over again walk the knife's edge of meaning because there's one that is repentant and there is one that is resolute I just I don't think I can ever forgive you for that like this this false moment I can never forgive that and he and he's ready to accept it and then he's all but I'd like to try and then I think the water works for everyone start right here we did a lot of work of just writing these scenes and not being heavy-handed to talk about theme but there is something about just the placement of the scene here and it's a scene about getting over some horrible transgression that one feels because there's other things that are worthwhile in this world than just kind of living in this resentment next to the moment where Ellie decides to let Abby go and whether she fully forgives her or not almost doesn't even matter it's just she knows there's other things in life that are more worth putting your focus on [Music] it's it's interesting read like uh seeing since the game has come out it's been out for a few years now um how many different interpretations there are for the sleeving of the guitar here whether it's she's fully forgiven Joel or whether she's fully forgiven Abby or whether she's willing to move on or whether she just doesn't want to be in under Joel's Shadows anymore and when people always like I don't know if you get this often people often come to me and they want the answer they were like which one is it mhm and I'm like it's all those things it's all those things in some way like people's minds are so complicated yeah I mean I I think it's what we've been talking about with grief and how that can sort of manifest in somebody I I'll caveat by saying this is my own interpretation it doesn't mean that it's right it's just mine um but sometimes you have so many triggers of for trauma that you just need to let anything that might trigger you should have to let it go and start over I mean how I felt in that moment moment of it's easier just to not get close to people we know when we were writing this we we had so many conversations about leaving it on on a hopeful note even though it's very dark I do find it to be a hopeful note it's left with that question of like once you've committed all these atrocities yourself can you come back from that and we saw that Joel was able to and then maybe Ellie could as well

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Keywords: PS5Share, ShareFactoryStudio, the last of us part 2, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, the last of us 2 remastered, TLOU 2, TLOU part 2, the last of us part 2 Remastered Director's Commentary, the last of us part ii remastered director commentary, the last of us part 2 news, the last of us 2 news

Id: cmgftPU4BN4

Length: 7min 47sec (467 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 25 2024