Author Topic: lovable subtle details  (Read 476153 times)

Offline postcard2011

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Re: lovable subtle details
« Reply #610 on: January 10, 2012, 08:03:08 pm »
There are many moments I love in this movie....

1. When Jack dances with Lauren the first time.... the way he looks at her, and at the end to this scene, it seems like she is wainting for a kiss, and he looks some other place.... then, I figure he is thinking in Ennis... and also the lyrics of the song are beautifull and explains in many ways Jack´s situaction without Ennis. It is like he was singing the song to Ennis.

2. When Ennis was waiting for Jack, drinking beers, so nerveous, so excited, looking by the window.... smoking... If I were Alma, I will ask him, why are you so nerveous, what is going on? Maybe he was thinking "Jack is not comming... Jack fucking Twist..." So when Jack appears, that nick name is the first thing Ennis says to Jack... But of course in a very lovely way.

3. I really love the way Jack is always wearing nice and new clothes... specially that day when he was looking for his blue parka... always blue, as his eyes. In that "date", there is the delete scene when Jack gives to Ennis a very nice and expensive rifle... I would really like to see that.

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Offline KittyKat

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Re: lovable subtle details
« Reply #611 on: January 15, 2012, 07:29:18 pm »
Has anyone brought up the reference of religion in the movie?

At Ennis and Alma's wedding as they say "lead us not into temptation..." the scene closes in on Ennis's face.

Then on the day Ennis gets thrown by the horse he also sees the sheep slaughtered by a coyote. I think he looks horrified not because the sheep died but because he was not down at the other campsite where he should have been looking after the sheep. Instead he was at the higher campsite with with Jack. If I'm not mistaken I think as Ennis looks at the dead sheep you here "lead us not into temptation..."

That night he gets back to the campsite and sits by the fire and thinks before he goes into the tent with Jack. I think he is saying to himself "who cares about religion and what people think you are supposed to do in life. I have a hunk of a man in a tent 10 feet away from me....I'm going for it! I'm not going to feel guilty anymore".

Then the symbolism with taking the hat off and Jack moving it to the side comes into play as taking down the barrier like you guys say above.

They also talk about how Ennis's mother was a Pentecostal and then one time Ennis says "I just sent up a prayer", etc.
Also the night Alma also wanted to go to a church picnic.

Any thoughts?




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Offline postcard2011

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Re: lovable subtle details
« Reply #612 on: January 21, 2012, 08:40:03 pm »
Hi! I think is Jack´s mother the pentecostal one.
Let me ask you something about the second tent scene, why do you think Jack went up with the sheeps? Did you noticed that, after the first tent scene, we can see Jack up in the mountain with the sheeps.
My english is no good, sorry.
Look, I think Ennis felt guilty with the sheep, but in the night, his feeling are so strong, maybe I think he was acting bad with jack.... then he goes to the tent and even say SORRY. I really love that scene.

Offline the_rat_wins

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Re: lovable subtle details
« Reply #613 on: December 30, 2014, 05:10:31 am »
Well, of all the many excellent threads I've read here in the past few days, this might just be my favorite so far, so I'm going to take Sason's v. kind invitation to not feel odd about chiming in, even on an old thread. Thank you again! :P

Here are a few of my favorite lovable subtle details, so far . . .

  • The boys' matching reactions to the word "lonely" in their early het scenes:

    When Ennis and Alma are talking about whether they can move into town, they are swaying back and forth together, rubbing their heads together, etc., but as soon as she says "not so lonely like you were raised," Ennis stills and his eyes open a little. Then, when she says "You don't want it to be so lonely, do you?," he absolutely freezes . . . and we hear the wind blowing (Jack!!).

    A few scenes later, when Jack and Lureen are dancing to "No One's Gonna Love You Like Me," they're laughing, smiling at each other, moving in sync . . . until Mary McBride sings "I know sometimes you felt so lonely," and right after the word "lonely," we get that heartbreaking shot of Jack looking all lost and sad over Lureen's shoulder.

    (I also watched Jake's interview for Inside the Actors Studio today, and one of the ways he described BBM was "a story about two very lonely people," so the crackpot theorist in me wonders if their reaction to that specific word, almost as a trigger, was something discussed on set at the time.)

Whew! OK, glad I got that out. My next two are shorter, lol.

  • During the second tent scene, I was always delighted by Jack's little nod after he whispers "S'alright" (or, you know, whatever it is he murmurs; I hear "S'alright), but, after watching it mumble-mumble times, I think that Ennis actually gives him a barely perceptible nod first, just before that. Which is somehow even cuter to me, that they're affirming w/ each other that it is, in fact, all right.
  • Aaaand last (for now! Ugh, why is this movie so full of endlessly rewarding tiny moments??), when Cassie first introduces herself to Ennis, he replies with "Ennis." Then pauses. Then finishes with "Del Mar," and makes a facial expression that, for him, can only be described as extreme. It's like . . . a wry, annoyed, painful half-smile. Gah.

    Do we think there's any way he doesn't hear Jack's voice in his head saying "Your folks just stop at Ennis?" anytime he tries to introduce himself by only first name? Because I sure as hell heard it in mine.  ::)

That's all for now . . . thank you guys for being so welcoming to a newbie who's here . . . um, nine years late. All your many threads of analysis and observation and fun continue to be a real pleasure to read!
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Offline morrobay

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Re: lovable subtle details
« Reply #614 on: December 30, 2014, 09:13:52 am »
I absolutely love it when scenes are discussed again, so thank you!  It brings back the feelings that in some way have started to slip away over time, so reading about it makes it almost new again, or at least, brings it to the front of my mind to think about in detail again.

Not sure if you're new to the forum or to the movie itself, but I'm so glad you posted.

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Re: lovable subtle details
« Reply #615 on: December 30, 2014, 01:29:59 pm »
Isn't this a great thread? Thank you so much for reviving it, ratty!
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Offline serious crayons

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Re: lovable subtle details
« Reply #616 on: December 30, 2014, 05:50:44 pm »
Brilliant analyses, the_rat_wins! It's been a long time since I've seen it or engaged in discussions of subtle details, but I'm not sure I've heard that "lonely-lonely" pointed out before. Thanks for contributing! Please feel free to continue doing so!

 :D



Offline Sason

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Re: lovable subtle details
« Reply #617 on: January 06, 2015, 11:28:18 am »
That's some very interesting observations, TRW!

Especially the first one gets me in the mood to watch the movie again and look out for those reactions.

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Offline coffeedrinkintexan

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Re: lovable subtle details
« Reply #618 on: January 06, 2015, 01:03:24 pm »
There are a lot of threads I love here (you should see how many browser windows I currently have open!!) but this is by far my favorite. It has given me reason to watch this achingly devastatingly beautiful movie yet again.

Tell you what, I don't know what I'd do without Bettermost, because I am literally the only one I know personally that has been turned inside out by BBM.

Anyway, I had noticed a few of the LSDs already mentioned here, but there are a couple I haven't seen as yet in the thread:

1) The fact that BOTH Jack and Ennis end up dancing with women they may like but not love to "No One's Gonna Love You Like Me". I didn't realize this until I downloaded the soundtrack onto my phone and pulled an Ennis. "Hunh? Why's this one here twice?" Rewatched movie. Figured it out. Duh.

2) In the Twist Thanksgiving scene, Jack puts his hand on Lureen's back after he turns the TV off and heads back to the table. My husband and I do this kind of as a way of saying, "I've got your back on this one," and leads me to believe that they may not have been soul mates but Jack respected Lureen enough to back her up when came to parenting Bobby.

3) It's a very short scene, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE when Jack lets little Bobby drive the combine and yells, "No hands!" Both Jack and Ennis are almost literally suffocating under the weight each carries, but they really do make efforts to be present as fathers despite having both had poor relationships with their own fathers. Choosing in some small way to not be the kind of fathers they had

4) In one of the bar scenes with Cassie, it took me several viewings to realize that when the Allman Brothers' "Melissa" came on, it was just after Ennis was at the jukebox. Was this the song Ennis chose? Had he heard it before and had it resonated with him? It certainly describes him to a T. I'm quite sad that song didn't make it onto the soundtrack.

5) I know it's been mentioned that Ennis winks at Jack during the 'prayer of thanks' scene. I just love the relaxed, happy look on Ennis' face. We get to see it so rarely, it's such a treat when it's there. There are a couple other winks too, so well-timed I don't think they're coincidental. A second one when Ennis arrives at camp just after Jack's blue parka scene. As soon as he gets out of his truck it's there. They're so happy to see each other. I love it. And the third during their last night together when Jack says he'll probably get shot by Lureen or the husband, and Ennis says, "You probably deserve it." There's a little wink there.  I don't know what to make of that last wink.

Tons of subtlety and detail that just makes the story that much more heartbreaking. As has been mentioned in so many places here and elsewhere, Jake and Heath's ability (and to an extent Anne and Michelle's) to convey a whole story with the slightest change in expression - just brilliant. I love these actors, these characters, and this story.
« Last Edit: January 06, 2015, 03:13:43 pm by coffeedrinkintexan »
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Offline coffeedrinkintexan

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Re: lovable subtle details
« Reply #619 on: January 06, 2015, 01:22:33 pm »
I never thought of the name of the bar being strange. But you're right Mikaela. Maybe 'Black and Blue Eagle' is a more common name for a bar in the west. Who knows?

And you're right with your observation about the fight. I makes you wonder whether the name of the bar is a coincidence or not? Somehow I don't think so.
The bar name didn't strike me as particularly strange either.

But I do think, in addition to it fitting with Ennis getting the snot beaten out of him, the 'black and blue' is also a reference to Jack. Black Resistol, blue eyes and denim. And the eagle for good measure, since OS Jack showed off the eagle feather in his hat.
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