TOTW 05/09: Things that made you go "hunh?"

[bailey1205]

I agree Laura.

I wish they had put in more for the OS into the motel scene.

OS Ennis was definitely more vocal about his feelings for Jack.

Also, the OS "never enough time, never enough"

One of the guys I worked with said it was just a movie about two guys cheating on their wives.

I told him he needed to read the story.

[Jeff Wrangler]

You know one thing that bothers me...  After Tent Scene 2, you have:

Tussle scene
Aguirre/pneumonia
Hailstorm
Untangle them sheep/harmonica playing

Then the summer ends.  For a lot of viewers, it's just not going to add up to a significant romantic relationship.  It just seems so brief. 

Obviously, its significance is made clear later by the fact that they agonize over each other the rest of their lives.  And the film is all about missed opportunity, I know — and Ang deliberately starves the viewers of the luxury of lingering romance, to help make the point that J + E were also starved of it.

But when some once-only viewers would post on IMDB saying crap like, "Well, it just didn't seem like that big a deal"    I can kind of understand why they'd think that, even if I don't agree.

Good observation, Laura! 

[SFEnnisSF]

Do you mean when they talk about gay sex, or about sex in general?  Because slang terms and vagaries are used all the time about straight sex, too.  (I wonder if it's American puritanism, or if it's also common in other countries.)  Like, it's never "are you having sex with her?"  It's "does she put out?" or some such thing.  (Or in Ennis's case, "It's normal and all?")

I was meanin' when they specifically bring up the gay sex.

[SFEnnisSF]

You know one thing that bothers me...  After Tent Scene 2, you have:

Tussle scene
Aguirre/pneumonia
Hailstorm
Untangle them sheep/harmonica playing

Then the summer ends.  For a lot of viewers, it's just not going to add up to a significant romantic relationship.  It just seems so brief. 

Obviously, its significance is made clear later by the fact that they agonize over each other the rest of their lives.  And the film is all about missed opportunity, I know — and Ang deliberately starves the viewers of the luxury of lingering romance, to help make the point that J + E were also starved of it.

But when some once-only viewers would post on IMDB saying crap like, "Well, it just didn't seem like that big a deal"    I can kind of understand why they'd think that, even if I don't agree.

Ten times what you say here!!  Even if we had even gotten 15 more seconds of intimacy between the two of them it would have helped tremendously.  In fact, this was one of the things that I struggled with the most with this movie.  Maybe that's how come I ended up here...

[mariez]

You know one thing that bothers me...  After Tent Scene 2, you have:

Tussle scene
Aguirre/pneumonia
Hailstorm
Untangle them sheep/harmonica playing

Then the summer ends.  For a lot of viewers, it's just not going to add up to a significant romantic relationship.  It just seems so brief. 

Obviously, its significance is made clear later by the fact that they agonize over each other the rest of their lives.  And the film is all about missed opportunity, I know — and Ang deliberately starves the viewers of the luxury of lingering romance, to help make the point that J + E were also starved of it.

But when some once-only viewers would post on IMDB saying crap like, "Well, it just didn't seem like that big a deal"    I can kind of understand why they'd think that, even if I don't agree.

I have to chime in.  This is so true.  In trying to convey to the audience that same sense of longing, that same sense of "never enough" that J&E felt, he may have overdone it a bit.  I read the short story first, so I came to the movie knowing it was a true love story, but many viewers were watching the movie "cold" so to speak. 

[Marge_Innavera]

I had a lot of "hunh's" in the movie for awhile.

It took me the 10th viewing to understand everything Ennis said.

I read a list of "signs you're a real Brokie" a long time ago, and seem to remember that "actually understanding everything Ennis says" was one of the items.   

[Front-Ranger]

I disagree. If the movie had shown more intimacy and bonding between Jack and Ennis after the tent scene, then the fight tussle and their abrupt breakup at the end of the summer would not have made sense. And their happy tussle was meant to just be a representation of something that happened several times. Just my humble opinion.

[belbbmfan]

I have to chime in.  This is so true.  In trying to convey to the audience that same sense of longing, that same sense of "never enough" that J&E felt, he may have overdone it a bit.  I read the short story first, so I came to the movie knowing it was a true love story, but many viewers were watching the movie "cold" so to speak. 

I'm not sure about this.

The SNIT was added to the story and it was very passionate and affectionate, love, not just physical attraction. And the thing that really drew me to the movie (and read the story in anticipation of the movie) was the trailer with the reunion scene and Ennis' longing looks just before the reunion scene. OMG, the passion that spoke from that to me made it clear that their connection was a very deep and special one. It gave me goosebumps and still does.
Anyone who didn't get that, maybe just wasn't ready. 

I bumped into someone from work at the cinema, during the BBM days. She's a psychologist, working in the HR department. My husband and I were going to watch Casanova and she was off to BBM. I asked her, laughingly 'did you bring your hanky?'
The next day I asked her what she thought of the movie and she said 'it was so-so'.  I nearly keeled over, couldn't believe what she said. That was the first time I realised this movie was not for everyone to get.

Maybe you're right Marie, about watching the movie cold. Maybe a lot of people are so used by now to all kinds of mushy love stories where every emotion is shown (and explained several times just to make sure) that this type of movie doesn't make a huge impression on them.

[Mandy21]

I look back at the photo of those Brokies who came to the get together at my house, and the look of utter shell shock present on the faces of all who had just watched the movie, pretty well sums it all up.

Hiya, Fiona.  Thinking back on that viewing at your house, I don't know what in the world caused me to stand up and take that picture of you all at that exact second.  Sitting in front, I knew before even glancing at you all on the couch, that the looks on your faces had to be memorialized.  I did know that if I didn't take that photo, it would be a moment lost forever, and I thought that the other folks at BM would have missed out on it if they didn't see it.  To me, it summed up that day/reunion entirely.  I'm only glad that none of you were mad at me for taking it, for capturing all of your's raw emotions towards this film, and especially the utter sadness of the ending.  It was priceless to me.  As was holding you in my arms, through your tears, when we first watched it alone together.  Me trying to pretend to be strong cause you were a basket case of weepiness.   I would agree with you that the entire experience of this movie, the friendships and ties that have been formed, the places we've been to to visit other Brokies, the words of wisdom and advice given and received, should add up to all of us saying "Hunh?" to the entire thing.  It's amazing the journey one single film has taken us all on, and I wouldn't trade it for the world...

[retropian]

I would have put in some scenes at least showing physical affection    in the second half of the film. When I first saw it, I remember thinking 'what are they still keeping this a secret for?'

I would second this! I would have like to have seen the physical connection they had after 20years expressed in the "Sometimes I miss you so much, I can hardly stand it." scene. It was in the story. Going back to the 1st summer, I would have liked at least 1 more scene, perhaps an expansion on what they were doing right before Aguirre spied on them. In the story he watched for 10 minutes! I hope you noticed that the knees of Ennis's jeans are muddy. He's been kneeling in the dirt. Wonder what was going on? Hmmm. Also, the one thing I've always missed that was in the story, but not in the film, is the ""felt like he could paw the white off the Moon." scene as Ennis rode back to the sheep.

Ian