Barb, I so agree with your take on Lureen's losing her fire, until all the red that's left is what's painted on her fingers and mouth. And I think most of that fading was self-imposed. Every time she smothered her words, like during her father's rudeness about who Bobby looked like, or when the customers were so insulting about her husband right in front of her, she was smothering passions she should have had, and would never be able to get back.
Lynne, great catch about Ennis' changing reflections. His fading parallels one that meryl described of the change in the view of the landscape out the window in Jack's truck - sharp and clear on the way up to Ennis after the divorce-came-through message, and blurred on the despairing trip back south.