Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
The Bar Scene with Jack and Ennis
Brown Eyes:
Hey marlb42! Yeah, I'd say just watch the beginning again (not such a hardship ;) ). The little details in this film are astonishing. Background details and things that seem somewhat mundane at first take on incredible significance the more you think about the film as a whole and about the way ideas and symbols re-emerge throughout the story. I like to think that Brokeback is about the poetry that can be found in everyday things... the poetry of the mundane. I think this applies equally well to both the film and the story. I think it's fun to discover some of this on one's own so I won't go into the details of my own interpretations too much here yet. I'd love to just hear what you think when you look for these little details.
p.s. Have you found the threads yet about the hat colors? I'll bump it.
:)
Cameron:
Hi,
No I haven't seen that thread yet, I will definitly read it and watch again tomorrow to look at the bar scene more closely. I have watched the whole opening part and mountain scenes many times already, yes i am totally astounded at how many new things there are to see each time, and yet there is so much I haven't seen or noticed yet. it is all amazing!!!!
I will look more closely and read that thread, I do have a lot to learn!!
Toast:
About the bar scene and what's behind the hats:
--- Quote from: atz75 on January 16, 2007, 12:35:15 am ---notice what's shown behind Ennis's hat... behind Jack's hat. Amazing!
;) :D
--- End quote ---
What should I see:
the skull or the dartbaoard for Ennis?
and farm inplements for Jack?
Ellemeno:
Toastie, could you poastie your alternating glances version of the above shot? :) It's so great.
Brown Eyes:
Heya,
I like the shot you have here Toast because you can see my favorite detail behind Ennis's head in this particular shot. It's hard to notice sometimes when the film is in motion bacause they keep moving their heads around and obstructing different things. And, this shot also happens to be a strong example of what's going on behind Jack too (this one is maybe more subtle). The dart board behind Ennis I think is just amazing... the fact that the darts are all pointed as if they've come from Jack's direction. There was an old discussion about the very early and super subtle moments of flirtation here (Ennis being willing to even ask to borrow the lighter... and then the spark from the lighter being important perhaps as a metphor for their chemistry... the electricity between them that comes up again, "Ennis as night fire", etc.). Anyway, the idea here for me is that the darts are like cowboy versions of cupid's arrows... indicating the early moments of attraction. I know there are others among us who get very excited about that skull and the ropes. And for Jack, well, it's that he's sitting in a ray of sunshine. Again, these background details seem to all be super subtle indications of the beginnings of attraction. If we see the scene through Ennis's point of view (and since he's positioned as the protagonist, this seems to be logical) then Jack as the object of attraction (even if subconscious or just-barely-developing at this stage) is idealized... and therefore the "sitting in a ray of sunshine" idea. The idea that when one first develops a crush the object of attraction is idealized.
Well, there's so much going on in terms of props in even this one shot that there's a ton that can be said, I'm sure. And, Elle, you're right, multiple angles of this scene make a big difference. I didn't even notice the dart board in the film for a very long time. Ennis's hat covers it for much of the time when this scene is in motion.
:-*
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