Looking Through the Window

[Front-Ranger]

It's really amazing how many critical scenes take place with the actors standing by a window or in between two windows or a window and a door. What does this mean? Well, for starters, if there is a window in the scene, it means you should pay attention because something important is going to happen. For instance, in a pivotal scene, Alma looks out a window and sees....this!!

[Front-Ranger]

Here it is from the reverse POV:

[Front-Ranger]

Yes, it's incredible how many scenes feature a window! For instance, here's a late scene of Ennis at the bus station, eating pie, when he is confronted by Cassie:

[Front-Ranger]

And here is Lureen as she answers that fateful one phone call from Ennis. She is sitting in front of a window, with the white light pouring through, making a nimbus of her platinumed hair:

[Front-Ranger]

Lureen is not often seen in conjunction with a window. In fact, she is most often seen with her back against a wall...when baby Bobbie is born, as two rednecks diss her husband, as she works the adding machine.

Alma, on the other hand, is often seen with a window nearby. She is not in the dark about her husband. Alma may be poor, but she always has a window in her kitchen! Here's one of my favourite pictures of her, as her silhouette seems to form the shape of the mountain, with the little yin/yang salt and pepper shakers visible through the gap between her arm and her body:

[southendmd]

Lureen is not often seen in conjunction with a window. In fact, she is most often seen with her back against a wall...when baby Bobbie is born, as two rednecks diss her husband, as she works the adding machine.

Alma, on the other hand, is often seen with a window nearby. She is not in the dark about her husband. Alma may be poor, but she always has a window in her kitchen! Here's one of my favourite pictures of her, as her silhouette seems to form the shape of the mountain, with the little yin/yang salt and pepper shakers visible through the gap between her arm and her body:

I had a funny association:



Vermeer often painted his subjects in domestic situations, near a window.

[Penthesilea]

Good one Paul. There's Vermeer again.

[Penthesilea]

My assorted windows collection (so to speak ), chronologically.






Alma with two windows




Ennis comes home, looks through the window. More pics of Ennis looking through the window to come




We see Ennis through the window after he sent his "You bet" postcard to Jack

[Penthesilea]

More of Ennis looking through the window. (Gawd, I LOVE this pic *melts*)





Other view from same scene. Ennis is waiting for Jack.




Jack is coming, Ennis looking out of the window once more





When Jack is finally there, no window pane is seperating them




Instead, it is now Alma who is seperated from the going ons by a window pane





Ennis and Jack coming up into the flat; a window is seen next to Alma, the shades almost completely closed. You can only get a glimpse of what's going on outside. Just like the glimpse Alma saw of Ennis's and Jack's relationship.
Guess the glimpse was more than Alma ever wanted to see, she doesn't get and doesn't want to get the whole picture at this moment, thus the blinds are shut for the greatest part.

[Penthesilea]

The next morning, again Alma is the one looking through the window. Twice even. Here's the first look...




...and what she sees




After Ennis has left the appartment, she looks out of the window the second time...




...and that's what she sees this time. Again, Ennis and Jack are together and Alma is seperated by a window pane.



Symbolically, the windows can mean being seperated from the world outside and from the possibilities it holds. But I think in these and some other scenes the act of looking through the window (as opposed to a character shown next to a window) symbolizes being seperated from your loved one and longing for him.