Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Interpreting the Brokeback poster
serious crayons:
The only sad thing is that when Chrissi asked about Jack's right shoulder, I was about to say that, in the Titanic poster, you couldn't see Leo's left shoulder. But then I looked closer and saw that in fact you can, and that Leo and Kate are posing in something very similar to the Dozy Embrace.
ifyoucantfixit:
First I would like to say, I think this is the most beautiful Movie Poster, I have ever seen...And I know you
must know I have seen a few... I remember after watching the movie. Kelsey and I stood and just looked
at it, for the longest time...
It has the feeling portrayed in its very being of the feeling you get or got from the movie. The shy,
hidden extasy and downcast quiet. They both do look elevated from their natural selves. They look unblemished, and pure..The skin is literally flawless, the color of the hats and clothes are so pure and sharp. Ever crease and
wrinkle is stark and revealing. It seems to have the very essence of their souls within its borders. The mountains,
and the lake gives it the iconic Eden appearance. The bodies seem to meld into the sky, as if to become Gods,
within that high place. They are both just on the verge of a smile. But no smile is apparent.
The blue jackets I also think are to portray without doubt..They are cowboys,, The purity of the faces,
is to portray love and beauty.. It is meant to show. Love between men can be every bit as pure as any other
love, and definately as beautiful..
I also agree with the fact that Jack is placed in the position of being Ennis's perfect ideal, that he has to
partially hide. Even though they are one. He has to hide him somewhat too. He is also standing in front to
protect him from prying eyes too...In other words, to keep him safe..He is mine and you can't touch him..
Partially reflected also in the scene by the lake, in a possessive way....All them things etc...It encompasses
a lot of the very things the movie tells us. I realize I kind of rambled, there, but I was just putting down things
as i thought of them..sorry.
Brown Eyes:
--- Quote from: ineedcrayons on November 14, 2007, 02:34:52 am ---Great idea for a topic, Bud!
Well, it's late and I just noticed this thread so I'm going to make only a couple of quick comments and then think some more and come back to it later.
One is that I like that the image crams them as close together as humanly possible -- in fact, I think their juxtaposition actually may be anatomically impossible. My guess is that they didn't want to use a picture that's out-and-out sexy, or even as romantic as the dozy embrace, because they thought it would be too risky. Which is lame and sad and stupid. But for that I blame our society more than I do the marketing folks -- I give them credit for doing their best to get people into the theater. So, given that, they did at least manage to pose Jack and Ennis in a way that pretty strongly conveys that they're "more than just friends."
--- End quote ---
--- Quote ---The only sad thing is that when Chrissi asked about Jack's right shoulder, I was about to say that, in the Titanic poster, you couldn't see Leo's left shoulder. But then I looked closer and saw that in fact you can, and that Leo and Kate are posing in something very similar to the Dozy Embrace.
--- End quote ---
Heya Katherine again,
I think these two observations about Jack's distorted anatomy here are really interesting. And, it's also illuminating to note the slight difference from the Titanic image... where the figure in the back does have both shoulders that helps convey a more realistic idea of an embrace. In the case of the BBM image... because of the missing shoulder it makes the image seem to be more about juxtaposition than about contact (as in a hug, etc.). The missing shoulder I also think, very subtly adds to this other-worldly aspect or even surreal aspect of the image. And, I don't think many people would notice the missing shoulder right away... it's something that has it's impact as part of the image in a very quiet way. An idea of overlapping or juxtaposition is definitely re-enforced by the elegant way that the hats intersect.
The Brokeback image is definitely intimate without actually depicting a conventionally intimate pose or gesture. And, I agree that the designers of the BBM image did a really good job of pulling this off.
Both Ennis and Jack seem so lost in thought here... it seems deeply contemplative.
TheravadaAskesis:
Something that always struck me about the poster were the clouds in the background. They seemed somehow violent, threatening, tumultous, rumbling, I don't know. But the clouds, coupled with the tagline "Love is a Force of Nature", always struck me as symbolic of their relationship. Especially since these clouds are reflected in a mirror image on a perfectly placid lake. The clouds being outside pressures and the perfect lake being their love, the idea of the clouds imposing, coming over on the lake. Anyways, the clouds in the image are what always caught my eye.
southendmd:
I like the juxtaposition of the ominous clouds and the glass-still lake.
Someone (was it Phillip?) once mentined that the mountains in the poster are actually the Big Horns in Wyoming.
I don't see Ennis as frowning; rather, it looks like a "Mona Lisa" enigmatic smile.
Also, it looks like a "Janus-head", two heads facing in opposite directions. In Roman mythology, Janus was the god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings, and endings (Wikipedia).
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