Interpreting the Brokeback poster

[serious crayons]

I don't think this is either a negative or a positive, but Janus Funds Inc. is the name of a large family of mutual funds here in the US of A.

Maybe the poster designers were trying to subtly appeal to the personal investors demographic. 

[TOoP/Bruce]

Maybe the poster designers were trying to subtly appeal to the personal investors demographic. 

Product placement?  Perhaps?

[delalluvia]

I don't go for the Janus thing, but just to throw around some more ideas, Janus was also a god of beginnings, of doorways, the old year and the new year, looking ahead and looking behind.

The two-faced thing can be seen as negative, but it can also be seen as the two men having two sides to themselves - one face they show to society, another face they show to each other.

[serious crayons]

Good observation, Del.

[Brown Eyes]

The two-faced thing can be seen as negative, but it can also be seen as the two men having two sides to themselves - one face they show to society, another face they show to each other.

I think this is very good.  It's interesting how the positioning of the two figures (that aspect alone) can have so many levels of meaning and meanings that can in fact be a bit disparate.  It can be read as an image of intimacy or as this really rather layered allegorical composition.  And, then the fact that the image evokes (but doesn't precisely illustrate) moments in the actual film is important too.  It's very interesting that this juxataposition of Jack and Ennis is never precisely seen in the film and, as has been pointed out... the landscape is similar to familiar landscape in the film... but again not precisely the same as the most significant images of landscape seen in the film.

[RossInIllinois]

That photo was taken during a special still photo shoot intended for publicity. 100s of photos were taken of them someone choose this one shot as "THE ONE". The shoot was done at a studio and the mountain scene in the back is added in for a visual effect.

[delalluvia]

That photo was taken during a special still photo shoot intended for publicity. 100s of photos were taken of them someone choose this one shot as "THE ONE". The shoot was done at a studio and the mountain scene in the back is added in for a visual effect.

Wonder what they were directed to be doing/thinking when the shot was taken?

[Brown Eyes]

Yes, it's abundantly clear that this image in the poster is fabricated, staged, etc.  There's no question that this image exists outside the normal context of the film.  This is one reason why it's so interesting to me.

I just watched BBM tonight... and while I was watching I paid special attention to Ennis's jackets.  He seems to wear the same jean jacket throughout the years (much in the same way that he seems to wear the brown corduroy jacket for many years).  The jean jacket that he wears (seen in the drive-in movie scene, the fireworks scene, the "three-hands" scene, etc.) has a brown/ tan lining on the inside of the collar.  The tan collar... is exactly the color I associate with Ennis.  In the poster, it's interesting to me that the collar is turned up.  My continuing question is about whether the jean jacket in the poster is ever seen in the film.  And, because the collar is turned up... it's almost impossible to tell.

[serious crayons]

He seems to wear the same jean jacket throughout the years (much in the same way that he seems to wear the brown corduroy jacket for many years).

And yet it never seems to get worn or ripped or stained, which you'd think it would given Ennis' jobs. A blooper??       

  In the poster, it's interesting to me that the collar is turned up.  My continuing question is about whether the jean jacket in the poster is ever seen in the film.  And, because the collar is turned up... it's almost impossible to tell.

I wondered about the turned-up collar, too. I assume they did it that way just because the composition works a little better visually than it would, I think, with the collar down. But it also fits Ennis' character -- kind of guarded, cautious, hidden. An uncovered neck in this shot would look vulnerable, very un-Ennis.

Also, the turned-up collar keeps it from looking like two heads coming out of the same body. 

[Brown Eyes]

Also, the turned-up collar keeps it from looking like two heads coming out of the same body. 

Good point.