Search Movie Plot Summaries & Endings Explained

Drama · Bittersweet tone · Bittersweet ending

Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Set in a small Jewish village in Tsarist Russia, this musical drama follows Tevye, a milkman struggling to balance tradition with changing times. As his daughters challenge his arranged marriages, he grapples with his faith and the increasing anti-Jewish sentiment that threatens his community and forces them to confront difficult choices about their future.

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Drama · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Cisco Pike (1971)

A desperate former drug dealer, down on his luck, is coerced by a crooked LAPD officer into moving a massive shipment of 100 kilograms of seized marijuana before the weekend ends. Set against the gritty backdrop of West Los Angeles, he races against time, hoping to survive the violent demands of the street and corrupt police. He must outwit rival gangs and evade the law while the deadline looms.

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Western · Whimsical tone · Bittersweet ending

Daisy Town (1971)

A caravan of pioneers finds a lone daisy in the desert and decides to settle there, rapidly building houses, a bank, a saloon, a jail and the bustling Daisy Town. Peace soon gives way to outlaws, turning the settlement into a lawless place. The legendary gunslinger Lucky Luke, who shoots faster than his own shadow, rides in to restore order and teach the villains a harsh lesson.

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Thriller · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Short Night of Glass Dolls (1971)

When things are not what they seem… An American journalist in Prague searches for his girlfriend who has suddenly disappeared.

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Drama · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Death of Me Yet (1971)

A small‑town newspaper editor discovers that his shadowy past as a Cold War spy has resurfaced when a former Soviet operative, once his handler, arrives in the United States on a mission to eliminate him. As the threat looms, he must confront old secrets and protect those he loves.

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Action · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Big Boss (1971)

Cheng, a young man from mainland China, travels to Thailand to live with his expatriate cousins and work at an ice‑factory. He has vowed to avoid conflict, but when relatives vanish after confronting the factory’s ruthless management, he breaks his oath. With his lethal combat skill, Cheng battles the tyrant known as the Big Boss.

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Horror · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Lady Frankenstein (1971)

A Mad Surgeon’s Mind in a Woman’s Body When Dr. Frankenstein is killed by a monster he created, his daughter and his lab assistant continue his experiments.

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Drama · Bittersweet tone · Bittersweet ending

The Last Picture Show (1971)

In a fading Texas town, two teenage friends, Sonny and Duane, face a changing world and the uncertainties of growing up. As their high school years draw to a close, they grapple with love, loss, and the challenges of defining themselves amidst economic decline and shifting social norms. They must ultimately decide whether to leave their hometown behind or find a future within its diminishing prospects.

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Western · Light tone · Happy ending

Trinity Is Still My Name (1971)

Trinity returns to the saddle, still horsing around, when he and his brother Bambino are swapped by two federal agents. Using the confusion, they devise a daring plan to steal a vast treasure hidden in a remote monastery, guarded by a gang of ruthless outlaws. The comedy‑laden Western tracks their cunning maneuvers and quick‑draw antics as they outwit both lawmen and criminals.

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Crime · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Organization (1971)

An incorruptible detective dares to confront the shadowy criminal network known as “The Organization.” When a band of idealistic youths infiltrates a corporation’s headquarters and confiscates $5 million of heroin to keep it off the streets, they turn to San Francisco Police Lieutenant Virgil Tibbs, who launches a determined effort to bring the syndicate down.

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Drama · Melancholic tone · Bittersweet ending

T.R. Baskin (1971)

A hopeful young woman leaves home for Chicago, chasing fame and fortune. Upon arriving, she confronts the city’s emotional coldness and the harsh realities of urban life, forcing her to navigate loneliness and redefine her ambitions as she searches for a place where she truly belongs. Throughout her journey, she wrestles with doubt and the anonymity of the metropolis, learning that success may require more than just ambition.

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Drama · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

Women in Cages (1971)

On a brutal prison called Devil’s Island, naïve American Carol Jeffries receives a ten‑year sentence after being framed by her drug‑dealer boyfriend, Rudy. She endures savage conditions, a sadistic head matron and several attempts on her life. Determined, she persuades her fellow inmates to flee through the jungle, knowing ruthless trackers will be dispatched to hunt them.

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Horror · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971)

Set in fog‑shrouded Victorian London, Dr. Jekyll conducts experiments on deceased women to craft an elixir of immortality. The potion transforms him into the beautiful but psychotic alter‑ego, Sister Hyde, who stalks Whitechapel’s dark alleys, hunting young women to sustain his research. With each change Hyde grows stronger, threatening to permanently silence the frail Dr. Jekyll.

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Thriller · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

A Taste of Evil (1971)

After a horrific ordeal that forced her into hiding for seven years, Susan returns home, only to discover the terror has followed her. Fresh from a mental institution after a traumatic rape, she suspects someone is deliberately trying to drive her insane, pushing her into a nightmarish battle with her sanity.

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Action · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The French Connection (1971)

A determined narcotics detective, "Popeye" Doyle, and his partner work relentlessly to infiltrate and dismantle a sophisticated international drug trafficking operation. The story follows their intense pursuit of a ruthless cartel that is flooding New York City with heroin, leading to a dangerous and gritty confrontation with formidable adversaries.

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Thriller · Tense tone · Ambiguous ending

Point of Terror (1971)

Tormented by ancient demons that lurk in the subconscious, a vulnerable nightclub singer is plagued by vivid nightmares of infidelity and murder. When she awakens, the horrifying visions feel alarmingly real, forcing her to confront whether the terror is merely a dream or a sinister reality threatening her very sanity.

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Drama · Tense tone · Bleak ending

Punishment Park (1971)

As a mock documentary, the film envisions a United States where prison overcrowding prompts President Nixon to declare an emergency. New detainees—mostly anti‑war activists—must choose jail or three days in Punishment Park, a desert site where federal agents hunt them for sport. They opt for the park, only to face blistering heat, ruthless pursuers and a very slim chance of surviving.

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Action · Tense tone · Mixed ending

Duel of Fists (1971)

A business executive trained in Kung Fu and a professional kickboxer learn they are long‑lost brothers. United by blood, they confront a powerful crime syndicate both inside the ring and on the streets, featuring early cinematic use of Muay Thai alongside classic kung‑fu choreography.

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Comedy · Bittersweet ending

Catlow (1971)

Wanted dead by the Mexican cavalry, the Apache nation, and Texas ranchers—each hoping to see him killed in their own brutal way—his only chance of survival rests with a marshal who wants him hanged. The outlaw fights against all interference as he crosses into Mexico, intent on executing a daring $2 million gold robbery.

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Animation · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

Thank You Mask Man (1971)

Animation pairs Lenny Bruce’s monologue with scenes of the Lone Ranger and Tonto. Townspeople protest the Ranger’s refusal to stay after a deed. He stays, enjoys their “Thank you, mask man” chant, then makes a final request that outrages the crowd. John Magnuson noted audiences objected to perceived “fag‑bashing,” yet piece uses that language to critique hero worship.

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Drama · Tense tone · Mixed ending

Five Desperate Women (1971)

When a group of five young women travel to a remote, isolated island for a vacation, they soon discover they are not alone. A silent, mysterious killer begins stalking them one by one, turning their getaway into a nightmare of terror and survival as they fight to stay alive.

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Thriller · Tense tone · Happy ending

The Failing of Raymond (1971)

On the day before she retires, a teacher discovers that a student she had flunked ten years previously is out to kill her.

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Drama · Hopeful tone · Happy ending

Prema Nagar (1971)

A romantic story about a wealthy boy whose life revolves around wine and women and a middle class girl who changes him. They fall in love but his mother opposes the match.

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Drama · Light tone · Happy ending

Guddi (1971)

A teenage girl rebels against her family's plans for an arranged marriage because she is completely enthralled by cinema and adores the iconic star Dharmendra. Immersed in films, she imagines a life on the screen rather than a conventional household, spending hours watching his movies and dreaming of similar roles, which strengthens her resolve to reject the proposal.

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Horror · Dark tone · Sad ending

Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971)

Dracula conspires with a mad doctor to resurrect the Frankenstein Monster.

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Drama · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Birdmen (1971)

During World War II an American operative is sent to Norway to help a German‑backed atomic scientist escape. Both are captured and taken to a POW camp inside an alpine castle. Lieutenant Cook must outwit the Gestapo, whose suspicion of the Norwegian’s identity grows, and persuade the inmates to build a two‑person glider for their escape.

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Horror · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Fright (1971)

Amanda, a young babysitter, arrives at the Lloyds’ home to watch their son for the evening. After the parents leave, eerie disturbances in the gloomy old house heighten her anxiety. The nightmare escalates when the boy’s biological father, recently escaped from a nearby mental institution, shows up, turning the night into a terrifying ordeal.

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Drama · Melancholic tone · Sad ending

First Love (1971)

Based on a novella by Ivan Turgenev, Pierwsza milość is the story of a 15 year old boy and a 21 year old girl who develop an ill-fated romance.

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Drama · Hopeful tone · Bittersweet ending

Kotch (1971)

Walter Matthau delivers a uniquely vibrant performance as Joseph Kotcher, a retired salesman pressured to leave his son’s home. Rather than entering a retirement facility, he hits the road, meets Erica—a pregnant former nanny to his grandson—and discovers purpose by helping her prepare for her baby, finding new meaning in his own life.

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Family · Bittersweet tone · Happy ending

Kal Aaj Aur Kal (1971)

Widower Ram Kapoor leads a wealthy but lonely life in Bombay; his son Rajesh works abroad and his aged father Diwan Bahadur lives in a village. Rajesh returns, brings Diwan home and the trio reunites, but they clash over love, marriage, caste and Rajesh’s wish to marry Monica instead of the arranged match with Rukmani. He seeks women causing scandal.

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Western · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Red Sun (1971)

The legendary fighting machine of the West is put to the test in 1870 when Japanese ambassador Sakaguchi and his entourage ride by rail to Washington to present a priceless sword from the Emperor to the U.S. President. Meanwhile, two thieves, Link and Gauche, board the same train, plotting to seize the priceless gift.

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Crime · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

Without Apparent Motive (1971)

The story follows Commissaire Carella as he investigates a string of murders along the French Riviera in Nice. Each clue points to a different suspect, and the audience is invited to decide which of the characters will become the next victim and which is the murderer. Carella searches for the hidden connection linking the killings.

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Drama · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

Goya: Or the Hard Way to Enlightenment (1971)

Serving as a court painter for King Carlos IV, Goya enjoys great wealth and fame. Though he upholds the authority of the king and the Church, his deep affection for his fellow Spaniards creates a painful inner conflict, forcing him to confront the moral contradictions of his privileged position.

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Thriller · Dark tone · Bleak ending

The Bloodstained Butterfly (1971)

A young female student is brutally killed in a park during a thunderstorm. Numerous eyewitnesses spot TV sports star Alessandro Marchi fleeing, and the evidence against him seems damning. Yet the case feels oddly convenient, and when another murder occurs while Marchi is in custody, the investigation uncovers layers beyond the obvious.

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Comedy · Bittersweet tone · Sad ending

The Apprentice (1971)

Jean‑Pierre, an apprentice TV‑commercial technician in Montreal, is fired and left broke and behind on rent. He becomes infatuated with free‑spirited model Elizabeth, who apologizes after seeing his dismissal. He borrows money from friend Dock and steals to fund a trip to Acapulco, while Michelle tries to pull him back. Jean‑Pierre chooses a way out.

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Drama · Melancholic tone · Sad ending

A Season in Hell (1971)

It follows the turbulent existence of Arthur Rimbaud— the prodigious, cursed poet who wrote his masterpiece by twenty, later turned to arms dealing, and died at thirty‑seven—while also portraying his intense, stormy partnership with fellow poet Paul Verlaine, marked by constant travel, fierce love, and ultimate rupture.

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Drama · Dark tone · Bleak ending

The Third Part of the Night (1971)

During the Nazi occupation of Poland, Michał watches the brutal murder of his mother, wife and child. Shattered, he is thrust into a bizarre existence that feels alien, roaming a nightmarish landscape filled with trapdoors, doppelgängers, wormholes and shifting realities that echo his trauma and loss.

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Thriller · Tense tone · Ambiguous ending

See No Evil (1971)

In the quiet English countryside, Sarah Rexton is forced to rebuild her life after a horse‑riding accident leaves her blind. She moves in with her uncle’s family, learning to navigate daily chores and relationships with newfound resilience, all while an unseen killer stalks the household, turning ordinary moments into a tense, suspense‑filled fight for survival.

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Action · Dark tone · Mixed ending

Angels Hard as They Come (1971)

When a reckless biker gang rolls into a quiet town, they clash with a tribe of drug‑dependent hippies who have made the community their own. An eye for an eye, a piece for a piece, fuels their retaliation as each side seeks revenge. The two roving factions quickly become enemies, sparking a violent showdown that throws the town into chaos.

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Horror · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

Creatures the World Forgot (1971)

As the first nomadic tribes trek across the wilderness of an infant world, they battle a harsh environment and each other. A massive volcanic eruption kills the tribal chief, sparking a struggle between his two sons who vie for leadership and the affection of a young woman. The film explores rivalry, envy and passion in a prehistoric adventure.

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