Ang Lee and the POM synergy

[Fran]

FRLee, I don't remember seeing the lacing on Jack's jacket.  I guess it's time to rewatch my DVD.  Ah, any excuse....

[Front-Ranger]

Ennis often appeared with packs or thermoses, and his shirts were usually all buttoned up. Let's explore how this is conveyed in the story.

[ifyoucantfixit]

         Oh that jacket is my favorite piece of costume in the whole movie...I wanted that so bad, but I never did see it on any of the auctions...NOT LIKE I COULD AFFORD IT ANYWAY....it probably would have sold if the other things were indicators for 7=10 thousand dollars...

[Front-Ranger]

I covet it too Janice!! How I would love to have the arms of that jacket encircling me!!

and now we also see that Jack is RING-LASHED!!!

[Front-Ranger]

And we also see by the liberal use of brown in Jack's costuming that he is totally ape-shit over Ennis!!

[Front-Ranger]

Here's that Ennis again and his dumb-ass mules and packs

[Front-Ranger]

Okay, here's another request for an example of synergy between the movie and the story. Annie Proulx writes about the "sweet salty stink" of Jack and Ennis knows the "salty words" to the song Strawberry Roan. How is this translated into the visuals of the movie??

[Front-Ranger]

Okay, I'll tell you this time. 'Member, as Jack rides up after a hard day in the saddle (or a hard nite in the cat-piss tent) how Ennis is just finishing up the cooking, by salting the food in the iron skillet? And he's not sure if any salt is coming out, maybe the salt got wet and is all clogged up, or maybe the holes got clogged up, so he "salts" his glove? Ennis's salt shaker appears later on in the story too, at pivotal points!

[Front-Ranger]

On a similar note, I would put Ang Lee's direction into account, too. There are some scenes which I find particulary well transferred from story to movie. For example when they head up the mountain at the beginning:

From story:
"Ennis and Jack, the dogs, horses and mules, a thousand ewes and their lambs flowed up the trail like dirty water through the timber ..."

This is really what it looked like. I saw the movie first and when this scene was shown, at first I thought indeed it was water running down the mountain, instead of a flow of sheep heading up the mountain.
I was surprised to read the description in the story later. I attach a picture of this scene.

Yep, full agreement here. And, as I said befoe, I think Ang Lee belongs with them.

Good point, Chrissi! And did you know that there really is a river that (seems to) flow uphill in Wyoming? It is the Wind River, which flows northward for many miles. You'll be seeing it when you attend the Roundup!!

[Front-Ranger]

Annie says: "...but the truck broke down short of it, pitching him directly into ranch work."

And Larry/Diana said,"It'll pitch you off your horse and you'll wish you hadn't tried."

And what did Ennis do when he came down from the mountain? He got a job with Timmy, putting pitch on the road!!