lovable subtle details

[Penthesilea]

I love the scenes where Jack and Ennis are setting up camp. One example is the short scene where Jack puts a rasher of bacon in a sack and hoists it on a tripod so bears can't get it. I love that scene!

Me too  . I love Jack's gloved hands. I also love the splashing water buckets and the sounds of the stones Ennis puts together to build a fireplace *clack-clack*

But I always stumble about the elk meat later. They secure the bacon and other food from the bears, but the fresh, raw, half-bloody and smelling elk meat is on a rack on the ground - directly amid the camp. Not a clever idea. But it does make an atmospheric picture.

[Brown Eyes]

Heya,

Sorry if this has been posted before (I haven't re-read this thread prior to posting this... so it very well may have been mentioned in the past). 

I watched the first half of the movie just now and I made a note to myself to post an observation about a detail towards the very beginning of the film here in this thread.

Front-Ranger (in another thread) brought up the concept of Ang Lee substituting or rearranging details from Proulx's story in new or even surprising places in the movie.  Sometimes something that is said or described metaphorically comes into the film as a visual image, etc.  And this is just this exact scenario I think.

In Proulx's story, of course, in the reunion scene she includes this bit of great description about the chemistry between Jack and Ennis:

"His shaking hand grazed Ennis's hand, electrical current snapped between them."

Well, I just notice in the film that there's a very prominently placed electrical socket visible on the exterior of Aguirre's trailer when Jack and Ennis shake hands for the first time and make their introductions.  The socket is on the (essentially bare) wall behind Jack.

Neat, hunh?! 

<img src="http://www.divshare.com/img/1669697-b40.jpg" border="0" />

[Front-Ranger]

oooh, that's electifying Sister!!!

[Artiste]

That is funny atz! Notice how high Jack is, compared to Ennis' position?? Does that say something... as for now I make the move, know the moves and this job?? I have a crush on you Ennis!! ??

....

Front-Ranger, why do you like this: One example is the short scene where Jack puts a rasher of bacon in a sack and hoists it on a tripod so bears can't get it. May I ask?

Hugs, hugs ladies!!

[Sandy]

So guys, as I said in another post, I'm no longer going to read 46 pages of posts on each thread:I shall simply throw in my two penn'orth and keep on top of the new topics/posts!  So, sorry if I am repeating things that have already been said.

I love the scene when they have moved camp and (in a distant shot) we see Jack taking a log from the river towards the new site.  Ennis walks over to him and seems to punch him on the shoulder.  A friendly gesture, or asking if he needs help?  This happens before their friendship becomes physical and I LOVE it!

[Sandy]

I am getting little over excited and forget things so here's another.

Ennis is the one who is scared of the possible repercussions of them living together, and he is the more 'physical' partner (i.e. fight scenes, shoving Jack during the last fight, and even the FNIT scene, he quickly takes control).  But in the motel, he is cradled in Jack's arm.  He is being held as opposed to holding. 

And here comes another!

When they part after the summer, and Jack asks if Ennis is 'doing it again' next summer (doing what?    !) Seriously though, the emotions that flit over Jack's face, in particular, the fact that he raises his eyebrows after saying "but I might be back" is so amazing- I think he is opening his heart and almost begging Ennis to come too.   

[Front-Ranger]

I agree with you, Sandy, Jack's eyebrow action is awesome!! Just as fabulous as his tongue action in the post-divorce scene!!

Also, I love the Siesta Motel scene too because it is like a mirror of the dozy embrace scene. At last, Jack feels accepted enuff to embrace Ennis, and Ennis is comfortable enuff to "lay back" (another lovable subtle detail!!) in Jack's arms! Another thing I like about that scene is the reflection on Jack's chest. I like to imagine that the moonlight is coming in thru the window and reflecting off Jack's chest. OMG, I have to watch this movie again!

[LauraGigs]

Another thing I like about that scene is the reflection on Jack's chest. I like to imagine that the moonlight is coming in thru the window and reflecting off Jack's chest. OMG, I have to watch this movie again!

Dude, if you like Jack's chest, watch the fullscreen version.  It's got even more chest!     (I know it's sacrilege, but at least once it's OK.) 

[Brown Eyes]

This is not really a detail since it's really about a full sequence... but it's lovable (and here I'm bouncing off of some of the more recent posts in this thread).  After watching BBM again on Friday night, I was struck (maybe more than ever given my heightened emotional state these days)... by how gorgeous the motel scene really is.  The incredible intimacy of it is just really amazing.  It's so simple but it conveys so, so much... especially in their posture.  With Ennis's ear smushed into Jack's shoulder... Jack nuzzling and speaking into Ennis's hair... the amazing pretzel-like positioning of the arms...  The amount of intimacy conveyed through such simple means.

And, I was also struck by the immediate and almost shocking sad turn that the motel scene takes on towards the end of this little segment.  When Ennis says "I'm stuck with what I've got here" and Jack silently closes his eyes... it's just overwhelmingly sad.

OK... and so here's the real lovable detail for this thread... the little gleam of a tear that appears in Ennis's eye when he says "I'm stuck with what I've got here"... just blows me away.  That combined with the way he squeezes his eyes closed and takes a drag on his cigarette.  Such unbelievable acting.  Gorgeous.

 

[Front-Ranger]

... the little gleam of a tear that appears in Ennis's eye when he says "I'm stuck with what I've got here"...

Choke!! Is that his left eye, the one with the tear when he picks up the toy cowboy on a horse in Jack's room?? Also, which eye has the tear in the divorce scene? I think in the lake scene, it's both eyes.