Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Interpreting the Brokeback poster
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: southendmd on November 15, 2007, 02:23:06 pm ---I don't see Ennis as frowning; rather, it looks like a "Mona Lisa" enigmatic smile.
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Good way to put it!
Penthesilea:
--- Quote from: southendmd on November 15, 2007, 02:23:06 pm ---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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Good one Paul! It's so obvious, but yet it didn't cross my mind the last two days.
I think I've read the referrence way back somewhere on imdb, but totally forgot about it.
In my language, to name someone "janusköpfig" (literally = Janus-headed) is a bad thing to do. It implies that the person named such is deceitful, not truthful, therefore has two faces. :-\
How about English? Are there also negative connections to Janus?
Brown Eyes:
The Janus suggestion is really interesting. It's not a word or reference I'm all that familiar with. I do think the visual imagery provided here seems to be very relevant to the BBM poster and I like the idea that it could be about beginnings and endings. Chrissi, I can see how "double-headed" could also have negative connotations. But, again, I'm not so familiar with the specific use of the term "Janus" in English.
I love that we may have come to yet another classical allusion! :D With this potential connection.
I can see how many aspects of the BBM story can be seen as double-sided or double-edged. A fantastic love affair that's also deeply tragic. That main theme presents all sorts of conflicting circumstances for Ennis (of course). So, I can see how this idea of double-sidedness could be really useful in thinking about BBM.
Mikaela:
Great topic!
Some thoughts: Despite the figures of J&E being so prominent relative to the background mountains, the two men fit in with and "become one with" the mountains and the nature by means of:
- The "horizontal" line on Ennis's sleeve and the light/shadow effect on it takes up and continues the shape and line of the mountains.
- The flowing line of Ennis's hat that is directly continued by that of Jack's become one gently curved line that once more closely reflects and parallells the general shape the mountains.
The imagery of the mountain mirrored so clearly in the calm lake is repeated by the position of the two men - mirror images in the way they face opposite ways. That is very clearly symbolic, I'd say.
As has been noted, the vertical seam on Ennis's sleeve serves as a divider between the two men.
Their expressions and the downward-turned gazes - what to make of that? Both look introspective, taciturn, and yes - enigmatic. Veiling their feelings and hiding their eyes under the iconic cowboy hat brim. Since direct eye contact can be very eloquent as to true emotions.... perhaps this meant to be directly indicative of the two of them having to hide "the love that dares not speak it name?" Not just from the poster onlookers, but also from for each other, given their position turned away from each other. Jack's slight pout indicates a possible difference between him and Ennis, though - either in personality or in emotional state.
And yes, I recall seeing varius articles and interviews back when the film premiered confirming the deliberate use of the Titanic poster as inspiration, so there's no doubt in my mind about that.
TOoP/Bruce:
--- Quote from: Penthesilea on November 15, 2007, 03:09:53 pm ---
How about English? Are there also negative connections to Janus?
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I don't think this is either a negative or a positive, but Janus Funds Inc. is the name of a large family of mutual funds here in the US of A.
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