Author Topic: Peeks, Glances, Gazes and the whole eye-contact thingie  (Read 6849 times)

Offline Penthesilea

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Peeks, Glances, Gazes and the whole eye-contact thingie
« on: June 08, 2009, 04:42:04 am »
In a movie where so much is said without any words, body-language and all different kinds of looks are important. I think all those different ways to look at each other (or not!) deserve their own thread, so here it is! :)


Offline Penthesilea

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Re: Peeks, Glances, Gazes and the whole eye-contact thingie
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2009, 05:40:09 am »
Arrg! My comuter just had a malfunction and closed all open windows. My post is gone :P.
I don't have the time to rewrite everything now, will do so later. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that naturally I intent to fill the topic with some content ::).

Offline Brokeback_Dev

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Re: Peeks, Glances, Gazes and the whole eye-contact thingie
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2009, 06:20:49 am »
Eye contact is so important.  I love to look into peoples eyes.  I used to wonder and i said this to my older brother when i was just 14, I remember it so clearly, it was when I first moved from the Jersey shore to Florida to live with my grandparents, we were outside looking at the stars in the night sky, and I said I wonder if all people see the same things differently. 

Its no coincidence I grew up to become an optician/optometric assistant by trade, but really doesnt it seem that, in reality, everyone sees everything from a different perspective.  A glance, a look, a wink. Since I've been married I dont try to create a stir with eye contact in a flirtatious way. Nope not at all. I keep those looks to myself.  I guess I do with him...

When Lynne and I were in Boston we met up with Paul to have dinner at a very nice resturaunt.  There was a refreshing chill in the air as Lynne, Paul and I were walking through the southend streets of Boston towards our destination.  It was at night and trying to cross the streets was challenging.  Paul said you have to establish eye contact with the drivers, and as he did the traffic slowed down and let us cross.

There is no one way to look at anything either physically or as seen only through someone's own eyes.  I like to think Jack and Ennis had those looks with each other often.  Both during the scenes we didnt see in the movie, that are left up to our imagination,and on the set in between shoots between Jake and Heath.

Brokeback moutain is a very special movie indeed.  It brings up all this different angles and ways to look at things.  Brokies are the best  :)



Offline Penthesilea

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Re: Peeks, Glances, Gazes and the whole eye-contact thingie
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2009, 07:23:36 am »
I totally agree with Dev about the importance of eye-contact. I think it speaks volumes abour Ennis's shyness and low self-esteem when he could not make eye-contact, or had to look away briefly. He did this often, and just today I noticed it in a scene where I hadn't noticed it before.


A very well known-example is the beginning of TS2, when Ennis kneels at the entrance of the tent, and barely is able to look at Jack. Yet, he shoots very brief glances up, only to look away again immediately. This goes repeated times. So sweet and endearing :).

Not daring to look at Jack




Sneaking up a peek, at least up to Jack't mouth. Oh, what a sweet temptation that mouth is :).




Better look away again quickly, and additionally bend the head a bit.



Offline Penthesilea

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Re: Peeks, Glances, Gazes and the whole eye-contact thingie
« Reply #4 on: June 08, 2009, 07:38:14 am »
...and I said I wonder if all people see the same things differently. 


A short detour: I've wondering the same thing for a long time. Do other people see the world the same way I do? How about the colors? Maybe what I think is black, looks for someone else like green. Only we all have learned to name that specific shade "black". But is there away to be sure that every person sees the same color when they say "black", or "blue" or "red"?
Good thing we have an optometrist on board: Fiona, can you tell us something about it? Do you know for certain? (or Dev, can you clarify?)

BTW, I had a funny experience when we were studying: B-Day of a fellow student of my husband. It's about 20 years ago and the broad use of genetic research just began to be a topic for people. Anyway, someone made the comment "You'll see, one day they'll engineer chickens that lay green eggs." Whereupon the fellow student said: "Hunh? Eggs are green anyway." :laugh:
The guy was colorblind (or partly colorblind, I don't remember) and he made it to his early twenties without someone ever telling him that eggs are either white or brown.


I'll be back to Ennis and Jack with my next post.

Offline optom3

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Re: Peeks, Glances, Gazes and the whole eye-contact thingie
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2009, 08:37:06 pm »

A short detour: I've wondering the same thing for a long time. Do other people see the world the same way I do? How about the colors? Maybe what I think is black, looks for someone else like green. Only we all have learned to name that specific shade "black". But is there away to be sure that every person sees the same color when they say "black", or "blue" or "red"?
Good thing we have an optometrist on board: Fiona, can you tell us something about it? Do you know for certain? (or Dev, can you clarify?)

BTW, I had a funny experience when we were studying: B-Day of a fellow student of my husband. It's about 20 years ago and the broad use of genetic research just began to be a topic for people. Anyway, someone made the comment "You'll see, one day they'll engineer chickens that lay green eggs." Whereupon the fellow student said: "Hunh? Eggs are green anyway." :laugh:
The guy was colorblind (or partly colorblind, I don't remember) and he made it to his early twenties without someone ever telling him that eggs are either white or brown.


I'll be back to Ennis and Jack with my next post.

O.K brief clarification. One very accurate colour vision test is  called the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 hue test . You have to as the name suggests, place 100 discs of different hues in order. Any people who get the same result on this test, will have pretty identical colour vision.
The more common Colour test the Ishihara you have to find numbers hidden in a seemingly random pattern of dots.This test is much less accurate, and several people with different colour perception will score the same.  All traits and problems which are carried on the X chromosome, the man will always have the condition as men only have one X chromosome. Women who have 2 X chromosomes would have to have the defective gene on both chromosomes to have the condition. If they only have it on one, they will be a carrier but not have the problem. Just another way in which the female of the species has a bit of an advantage.The same is true for any genetic problem carried on the X chromosomes.
O.K so you can wake up now, never ask an optometrist an eye question, she will bore you to death !!!!
So I guess the answer is, if you have a 100% score on the Farnsworth test and a friend also does then your colour vision will be pretty identical.

One more very interesting fact I think,is that we know that Monet must have had cataracts in later life. If you study his water lily paintings done in his early life, you can see they are all what are called cool colours, so we see lots of blues and violets.Later on in his life, the same paintings were much more towards the red, orange end of the colour spectrum.
The reason for this is that not only do cataracts blur your vision, they also turn the lens a slightly yellow colour, so patients lose a lot of the colours from the blue end of the spectrum and see things as being much more the warm red orange end.
I remember one lady I examined who had the cataract surgery done and when she came to me for a post op. check was mortified that her lovely white net curtains as they had appeared to her, were in fact a very yellow shade.!! Another woman asked her husband how long he had been wearing"that hideous tie" ever since you bought it for me dear !

O.K before I bore the whole town of Bettermost to tears I will finish. I did as you can maybe tell, love my occupation. !
BTW the most common colour vision problem is in the red green end of the spectrum, so no air traffic control job for anyone with this problem !!!

Back on eye contact, I love it, the most sensitive gauge of someones interest, even to the extent of pupils dilating if you are really interested in someone, or they are liying to you.

There are so many examples of eye contact in BBM both the subtle stolen glances, the deliberate not looking, the too shy and afraid of giving away what you really feel looks.
One of  many sublime moments, is when Ennis turns his head round to face Jack and  admits it's more than he has spoken in a year.By that single gesture, he is not just offering more information than he has before, he is also angling his whole body toward Jack.

Offline tango

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Re: Peeks, Glances, Gazes and the whole eye-contact thingie
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2009, 02:26:25 pm »
Must bump...

I was thinking about this earlier today when taking my morning walk. Any time is a good time to think about Brokeback Mountain!  ;D

The first scenes when Ennis and Jack are waiting for Aguirre to arrive. I notice the glances and all that. But what stuck in my mind was the way Jack through body language was transmitting both trust and interest to Ennis.

We all know that those who are "open" face frontways to those they trust and/or want to trust them. They reveal the most vulnerable parts of their body - groin, belly, heart (chest), neck & face that would be protected by crossed arms or turned away body if they perceived any threat. So when Jack leans against the truck and slides out his arm, facing Ennis front on, he is in body language speak "open". He is showing Ennis he can be trusted since it's a position of friendliness and by extension Jack trusts Ennis not to be a threat in return otherwise, Jack would be much more closed off in body posture. So something in those first few glances made some part of Jack perk up and maybe a thought fleeted through his mind that he was going to put himself on display too to try to impress or get Ennis' attention without actually knowing that's what he was doing. It's a sexual, manly stance to push out your arm and reveal the whole front of your body like you own everything around you - it's like you're saying "here I am, check me out. Notice me".  I liken it to a straight guy meeting a very pretty woman. He stands taller, sucks in his gut, makes eye contact, smiles, gets that strutty kind of posture that screams "I am virile" because he wants to be noticed and thought of positively by the woman.  I think Jack was doing the same thing in a way.  And when Ennis continued to look at Jack with his little glances but didn't totally turn away or cross his arms in a protective stance (even though his hands stayed in his pockets), he only peaked Jacks interest more.  

 

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Peeks, Glances, Gazes and the whole eye-contact thingie
« Reply #7 on: December 15, 2009, 11:34:09 am »
Very interesting about the body language, tango. I would like to ask our optomotrist expert about Jack's eyes. Sometimes it seems like when he makes a sideways glance that one of his eyes goes too far, baring too much of the white of his eye. I've noticed it in Jake's later films too. Is this just an individuality, or could it be a sign of some problem with the eyes? I'd hate for Jake to have any problems in that department!
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Offline Lumière

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Re: Peeks, Glances, Gazes and the whole eye-contact thingie
« Reply #8 on: January 28, 2010, 01:24:51 pm »
Another scene where Ennis quite obviously avoids eye contact -

After their night at the Siesta Motel, he comes home and starts throwing stuff together for the camping trip.  It struck me from the first time I saw the movie, how much he avoids Alma's eyes.  All through their exchange, he barely glances at her.  She tries to look him in the eyes to convince him that he needed to stay.. to no avail.  





The only time he looks at her for a moment is when he gives her and Jr. a hug and kiss before the "See you Sunday, ladies".




I'm sure he feared his eyes would give away the secret, little did he know...


Offline Penthesilea

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Re: Peeks, Glances, Gazes and the whole eye-contact thingie
« Reply #9 on: January 28, 2010, 01:37:16 pm »
Another scene where Ennis quite obviously avoids eye contact -

After their night at the Siesta Motel, he comes home and starts throwing stuff together for the camping trip.  It struck me from the first time I saw the movie, how much he avoids Alma's eyes.  All through their exchange, he barely glances at her.  She tries to look him in the eyes to convince him that he needed to stay.. to no avail. 



The only time he looks at her for a moment is when he gives her and Jr. a hug and kiss before the "See you Sunday, ladies".



I'm sure he feared his eyes would give away the secret, little did he know...


Thank you Milli!

That was the exact thing I wanted to post here months ago. Then I got distracted, forgot about the thread, and when it came up again, I had forgotten what I wanted to post. ::) :laugh:


Completely agreed with everything you said. I think Ennis not only avoids eye-contact in this scene, but towards the end, when he actually says goodbye (second pic), it's similar to TS1: look, look away quickly, look again, and so on.


It's great that you posted exactly what I wanted to, even down to the picture (the second one). :D