Yin and Yang: Ennis and Jack

[Brown Eyes]

Heya,

Well, if we're bumping essential BBM discussions... this one is vital.  It goes along nicely with the black hat/ white hat thread.  That one is a must-read too.

 

[Lynne]

I can't decide between black hats/white hats and this one as my fave threads...oooh and the buckets and eagles!

[Brown Eyes]

Well, the black hats/ white hats thread dovetails nicely with this one in many ways.

[Brown Eyes]

Bump again.

[Meryl]

I caught the last part of the movie on HBO tonight, and I think I noticed one more yin-yang thing.  Check out the door of the trailer in the last scene:



The dark half should have a white spot, but instead there's a white spot on the light half, as if Jack's essence is now residing in Ennis. 

Next to the dark half, a shovel rests against the wall, symbolic of Jack's death.  It also reminds me of the idea that Ennis is "buried" in the trailer, too, along with his sacred relics, the shirts.

[Brown Eyes]

Hunh.  These are some interesting points Meryl! I've never thought too much about the yin and yang symbols (and especially how they might change) following Jack's death.  I wonder if there are more examples of a "lopsided" yin and yang symbol.  I'm usually too pre-occupied with looking for fans and wind by this part of the movie.

Something else strikes me about this particular still frame that you posted.  The coiled green garden hose just to the left of Alma Jr. reminds me of the coiled up rope behind Ennis's head in the very first bar scene when Jack and Ennis first meet.  It's even on the same side of the picture frame.  I think we've talked about the coiled rope in the bar with the animal skull as being interesting, early clues into some of Ennis's issues.  I wonder if the continued presence of a coiled rope-like prop (the hose here) might indicate that Ennis is just as "tangled up" emotionally at this point as he was at the beginning.

[Front-Ranger]

That's very interesting! I remember seeing that rope in the bar too!

Along these lines there is a topic called "Snakes Alive!" on Anything Goes. You can find it here:

http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,6741.0.html

[Brown Eyes]

I love all the props in that early bar scene!  There are so many!  My favorite of course are the darts.

[Meryl]

Interesting observation about the garden hose and the coiled rope in the bar, Amanda.  There's an animal skull by the trailer door, too!  Or maybe a piece of wood that's shaped like one.



Just to go a little more crazy with the symbols, how about the steps symbolizing the Mountain, and the light over the door the Full Moon?   

I've never thought too much about the yin and yang symbols (and especially how they might change) following Jack's death.  I wonder if there are more examples of a "lopsided" yin and yang symbol.  I'm usually too pre-occupied with looking for fans and wind by this part of the movie.

Two other symbols, the barn door at the Twist ranch (Page 1 of this thread) and the cherry cake (Page 2), are "lopsided."  Both appear after Jack is dead.

[Brown Eyes]

Two other symbols, the barn door at the Twist ranch (Page 1 of this thread) and the cherry cake (Page 2), are "lopsided."  Both appear after Jack is dead.

Oh, yes.  Right, of course.  Don't know why those examples temporarily slipped my mind.
 
Thanks Bud!



I like the idea that the piece of wood (my guess is that it's a piece of wood) sort of reminds us of the shape of the animal skull.  I also like the idea of the light on the door being like the moon (it reminds me of the fan inside the trailer being an artificial stand-in for the wind... so now there's this light that could be seen as an artificial stand-in for the moon or the sun of those summer days).  Same goes for the stairs/ moutain idea.  I guess Ennis's world is getting smaller and smaller.  So what's up with all the man-made stand-ins for the natural forms at this late stage?  You know me... I'm all for going a little crazy with the symbol discussions.