Having said my opinion of this wonderful scene, I now also want to tell you, what a bloody idiot i was after seeing the movie for the first time.
I had not read the book, and had no one at the time to talk about the movie with, and when I saw that scene I didnt realize it was a flashback.....I actually thought it was a mistake, and that there had been some mix up with the scenes...
I joined a message board, but had not read anything about this scene, but the message board had a thread about mistakes that were in the movie....and I, in my naevity, sent in that "they got it wrong, one minute Jack has a moustache and the next scene he doesnt have it".......and would you believe, no one even corrected me on this, or asked what the hell I was talking about.
After being in the message board community now for over six months, where we have dissected nearly every minute of the film, I feel quite embarrassed now, for even thinking that they would make such a blunder as I had thought they did, and even more embarrassed that I had the stupidity to write it in a message board post.
But it does go to show, that one viewing of the movie, (especially if the book hasnt been read), may not let the viewer appreciate or understand all the things going on in the movie....I remember I didnt see the words "deceased" on the postcard in my first viewing....it wasnt till I joined a message board, that I understood those last two words that Ennis said, "I Swear".....I was so shocked at the first tent scene the first time i saw it, that I hardly looked at it, brushed it from my mind, thought it was unnecessary.....
There are so many more things that I just didnt get, the first time I saw it, cant remember them now, because everything is now etched in my mind so clearly, yet with all that I missed or didnt understand, it still left a huge impact on me...I remember walking out from the theatre, and thinking, "what am I thinking, what am I feeling, something is different, something has happened to me here, what the hell is it?"......
I wonder how many others, who only see the movie the one time, and dont read the book, have a completely different take on some of the things that happened, what if they miss out on what was actually happening, the in depth of what was happening....I have found myself telling people who may be renting out the movie for a first time viewing, to watch it a couple of times...really watch it and think about it....I dont want them to miss out, or judge the movie, maybe incorrectly, because they didnt understand what was going on.
I lent the movie to my mother in law a couple of days ago, she is 80, and she rang me tonight to tell me she watched it and enjoyed it, (although, she said "there were a couple of scenes I didnt like).....I knew she would like it, I dont think I would have given it to her if I thought it would offend her, but on the other hand, I know, that she probably didnt get close to understanding it all.....her main comment about it was that it was "sad"......and "isnt that Jake Gyllenghaal a nice looking young man"........Now I would love to sit with her and watch it again, so I can explain things to her, hopefully I will do that after she has had a little break from it.
I know it cant happen, but I just want everyone to understand this story and what it is all about, without missing out on any details.......just like I would have done, if it hadnt got into my soul the first time I saw it and made me want to see more of it, and read more about it......