Glass Onion Final Shot Explained by Director Rian Johnson

Johnson unravels another layer of the intricate narrative of ‘Glass Onion’ by explaining how the final plan unfolded.

Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for Glass Onion.

Rian Johnsonit is Knives out following sees Daniel Craig reprising his role as wanted investigator Benoit Blanc delving into another mystery, this time involving “disruptive“Miles Bron (Edward Norton) and Andi brand (Janelle Monae), both of whom are caught up in a rich-rich problem. Called Glass onion: a mystery at loggerheadsthe film had its fair share of incredible shots throughout its two-plus hour runtime, but the one that caught the eye of viewers and critics alike was the film’s final shot with Monáe positioned similarly to Leonardo DeVinciThe portrait of Mona Lisa. In an interview with The envelopethe director spoke about the connection between Monáe and the most famous painting in the world, as well as its importance in the film.

Asked about the inspiration for Glass OnionThe final shot of – in which we see the character of Monaé sitting outside the ruins of the Glass Onion in the same position as Mona Lisa – Johnson explained that the idea kind of came to fruition pretty early on. . “That kind of gelled pretty early on, the connection between the two and also the notion of seeing something and then squinting a little closer and seeing something different was built into the structure of it.” In the film, billionaire Miles Bron borrows one of the world’s most valuable paintings from the Louvre while the museum is closed due to the pandemic. Bron brags about his purchase, explaining that he wants to be remembered forever with the same breath as the 16th century masterpiece. But while it seems like just another rich man’s business, the painting plays an important role in the film simply by being present and witnessing this disastrous murder mystery evening.

Having had a conversation with Everything everywhere all at once directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, said Johnson, “they are also great structural writers, and they said it in a very beautiful way, they say that the meaning of the film is contained in the structure of the film,” the director told The Wrap . Johnson went on to add, “And to me, that reflects a lot of that, and everything that Edward says when he talks about the Mona Lisa, in front of everyone, suddenly merging that with that character of Helen at the end. And you know, she burned the Mona Lisa but the Mona Lisa lives in Helen.”

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With the release of Knives out sequel, Johnson cemented his reputation as a director of crime films with satisfying endings. Benoit Blanc’s directorial debut also came to a satisfying conclusion, with Ana de Armas‘ the character who will have the last laugh as he inherits the entire estate of detective novelist Harlan Thrombey. She is seen standing on the balcony, sipping her coffee, above the dead author’s terrible family as they gather below. After all, it’s her home, her rules, and her coffee, as her mug suggests. In line with the first, Glass Onion saw Helen de Monáe take ownership of her sister’s legacy in the most satisfying and rewarding way possible.

Besides Craig, Norton and Monáe, the film also stars Kate Hudson like Birdie Jay, Dave Bautista as Duke Cody, Catherine Hahn like Claire Debella, Leslie Odom Jr. as Lionel Toussaint, Jessica Henwick like Peg, and Madelyn Clin like Whiskey.

The film is currently available to stream on Netflix. Check out our interview with Rian Johnson below.