Author Topic: Wood in the bag: a movie question  (Read 9774 times)

Offline MaineWriter

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Wood in the bag: a movie question
« on: April 02, 2006, 09:43:38 pm »
Believe it or not, I think I've seen something that hasn't been discussed (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Early in the movie, when Jack and Ennis are first up on Brokeback, they are setting up their initial camp. Jack puts some logs into a canvas bag, which he then pulls up to be suspended in the air (can't think of what the structure would be called that does the suspending, but it is triangular and made of wood. Looks like a teepee without the canvas).

Anyway, in my limited camping experience out west, you hang the food up high (to keep bears from getting at it).

[I have to be honest here, in my camping experience, we kept the food in the cooler in the trunk of the car, but the rangers told us to hang it in a tree if we were keeping the food outside. We also wore bear bells.]

So why is Jack hanging wood? Anyone noticed this? Thoughts?

Leslie
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Offline cmr107

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2006, 09:45:25 pm »
I noticed that too! I keep thinking maybe I'm just seeing it wrong and that it's not really wood. I have no idea why he does that.

Offline DeeDee

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2006, 09:47:04 pm »
I'll take a guess and say maybe the firewood stays drier off the ground.
Just a stab, I'm a city girl.
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Offline Ray

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2006, 09:49:50 pm »
It was discussed on the main board some time ago, and you're right Deedee, it's to keep the wood drier.  The rain runs off and can still be used to burn even though there is steam, rather than soaking in I understand and renering the timber completly useless.
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Offline Meryl

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2006, 09:50:52 pm »
Hmmm, wood being raised.  Another subtle foreshadowing of the phallic variety?   Gotta love that Ang Lee.  ;D
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Offline DeeDee

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2006, 09:53:18 pm »
Just goes to show you, many lessons can be learned from this movie...

 ;)
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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #6 on: April 02, 2006, 09:59:34 pm »
Are you all really sure that's firewood? When Jack is hauling it up, I've always thought it was a side of heavily smoked bacon. Seriously!
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #7 on: April 02, 2006, 10:02:29 pm »
It really looks like wood to me, Jeff W.
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Offline Lynne

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #8 on: April 02, 2006, 10:12:17 pm »
I haven't been able to tell what's in the bag; I guess I assumed it was food to keep away from bears...but the notion of Jack hoisting something to me implies that he is one who elevates, which jibes with other analyses of Jack being represented by air/wind/sky.

I've seen this theme in some other writing - Walker Percy, The Second Coming, specifically.  This idea can be expanded if you consider how Jack is the idealist, the one who longs for the 'sweet life', the one who manages to lift Ennis out of his 'miserable life', at least from time to time.

Jack always seemed to me as being 'too good/innocent to survive in this world' - I had that sense in the mountains - at least from the Pentecost discussion on...'  His spirit is destined to be raised.

Just my thoughts...
Lynne
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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #9 on: April 02, 2006, 10:12:59 pm »
It really looks like wood to me, Jeff W.

Well, with any luck, I'll get to take another look on Tuesday. 8^)
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline littleguitar

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2006, 10:16:26 pm »
interesting, I always thought it was food as well.... aren't you all excited for the DVD? When someone asks a question like this we can just say, hold on a sec, let me check my DVD... LOL I can't wait!  ::)
‘cause the truth is, I already give him everythin’ I got to give, more than I ever even knew I had; ‘n it all for him, all of it, him who is my brother, my father, my child, my friend, my lover, my heart, my soul; my Ennis.

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2006, 10:27:32 pm »
I'm thinking it is food, it looks like food to me..here I'll post a pic..

Offline littleguitar

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #12 on: April 02, 2006, 10:31:47 pm »
yep, I'm with you, that looks like bacon... those screen caps are coming in handy!
‘cause the truth is, I already give him everythin’ I got to give, more than I ever even knew I had; ‘n it all for him, all of it, him who is my brother, my father, my child, my friend, my lover, my heart, my soul; my Ennis.

-- del Mar Painting, Ch. 48 by b73

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #13 on: April 02, 2006, 10:32:58 pm »
Now the questions turns to, where'n'th hell'd they get bacon? :D

Offline littleguitar

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #14 on: April 02, 2006, 10:34:10 pm »
hey!! you have the laugh icon! Mine mysteriously dissappeared from my icon choices....

yes, where did they get bacon?? I guess nothing better than bacon and beans...  ;D
‘cause the truth is, I already give him everythin’ I got to give, more than I ever even knew I had; ‘n it all for him, all of it, him who is my brother, my father, my child, my friend, my lover, my heart, my soul; my Ennis.

-- del Mar Painting, Ch. 48 by b73

Offline Spooky_Rabbit

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #15 on: April 02, 2006, 10:41:30 pm »
In Story to Screenplay, it says: "JACK hoists food to keep it from bears."

I thought it was firewood till I read that and then looked again and decided it was ribs.

Or side of bacon, I guess.  Or is that the same thing?   ???
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EnnisDelMar

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #16 on: April 02, 2006, 10:42:48 pm »
Well I believe bacon is from pigs and ribs are from cows..but pigs have ribs too so it could..oh hell I dunno lol

Offline littleguitar

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #17 on: April 02, 2006, 10:46:08 pm »
yeah I think you can get pork ribs... I don't know what part bacon comes from but I'm about 2 seconds away from becoming a vegetarian most days of my life so I don't like to think about it LOL
‘cause the truth is, I already give him everythin’ I got to give, more than I ever even knew I had; ‘n it all for him, all of it, him who is my brother, my father, my child, my friend, my lover, my heart, my soul; my Ennis.

-- del Mar Painting, Ch. 48 by b73

Offline cmr107

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #18 on: April 02, 2006, 10:46:35 pm »
Ah, ok, I'm changing my vote. It doesn't really look like wood in that pic at all, does it?

I remember reading that in the screenplay Spook and thinking "hmm, that's strange, I only remember Jack hoisting wood..."

Offline Spooky_Rabbit

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #19 on: April 02, 2006, 10:48:18 pm »
Courtney! You only remember Jack hoisting wood!!   ;D

I really remember Ennis hoisting wood!!

Sorry, couldn't resist.................   :angel:
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Offline MaineWriter

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #20 on: April 02, 2006, 10:49:47 pm »
Folks--

I really think it looks like wood, not pork ribs, beef ribs, bacon or something else! LOL
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Offline cmr107

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #21 on: April 02, 2006, 10:51:24 pm »
 :D Spook!

Offline monimm18

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #22 on: April 02, 2006, 11:19:59 pm »
Well I believe bacon is from pigs and ribs are from cows..but pigs have ribs too so it could..oh hell I dunno lol

By what I remember from my lovely childhood in the country with the farm animals (don't go there  ;)), looks totally like smoked bacon to me.

OK... not meaning to get pedantic on y'all, but I wanted to specify that ribs are eaten from both pigs and cows, and bacon comes from the back and the sides of the pig.

Ih, now that I wrote all that I am considering again becoming a vegetarian. Bring that tofu around...
« Last Edit: April 02, 2006, 11:22:52 pm by monimm18 »
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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #23 on: April 02, 2006, 11:41:13 pm »
Courtney! You only remember Jack hoisting wood!!   ;D

I really remember Ennis hoisting wood!!

Sorry, couldn't resist.................   :angel:

Good one, Spooky! I laughed out loud at that one!
BTW, does being a "hottie" pay well? ;^)
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Offline YaadPyar

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #24 on: April 02, 2006, 11:43:50 pm »
Hey folks - I think we've got a new question for Pierre!
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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #25 on: April 02, 2006, 11:45:49 pm »
BTW, does being a "hottie" pay well? ;^)

I second that question  :)

Offline Spooky_Rabbit

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #26 on: April 02, 2006, 11:46:29 pm »
hehehe.... couldn't resist, Jeff...

Ah, hmm.... Er, ah, hmmm...  No one's been offering me much money lately...   ???   Maybe I need a new angle?  ;D

(And yes ~ pork ribs and beef ribs, both...  and rack of lamb?  cat and dog ribs are ill-advised...)
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Offline delalluvia

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #27 on: April 02, 2006, 11:55:06 pm »
It ain't wood.  If people want to keep a woodpile dry, they stack it off the ground and throw a tarp over it.  They don't put it in a canvas bag and leave it out under open sky.

I'm for slabs of smoked bacon.  It's smoked and dried and it'll keep so long as the critters stay out of it.

I always assumed that it was a bear bag, to keep the bears out of their fresh food, but someone on the big board said it wasn't high enough, black bears could climb a tree a hundred feet high, and that those little thin poles weren't about to keep a bear out.

But then again, the camp tender was never going to leave camp, so it's not like the campsite would ever be left unsupervised.

I vote bear bag.

P.S.  When hiking in grizzly bear country, we too, wore bear bells to warn the bears we were coming.  Of course, our trail guide said bears already knew humans could be sources of food - human and otherwise - and sometimes the bear bells just attracted bears.  It was like ringing the dinner bell.  :(
« Last Edit: April 02, 2006, 11:57:01 pm by delalluvia »

EnnisDelMar

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #28 on: April 02, 2006, 11:56:11 pm »
Thanks for clearing that up lol

Offline littleguitar

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #29 on: April 02, 2006, 11:58:14 pm »
>>>Of course, our trail guide said bears already knew humans could be sources of food - human and otherwise - and sometimes the bear bells just attracted bears.  It was like ringing the dinner bell. 


that sounds pretty terrifying  :o
‘cause the truth is, I already give him everythin’ I got to give, more than I ever even knew I had; ‘n it all for him, all of it, him who is my brother, my father, my child, my friend, my lover, my heart, my soul; my Ennis.

-- del Mar Painting, Ch. 48 by b73

Offline delalluvia

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Re: Wood in the bag: a movie question
« Reply #30 on: April 03, 2006, 12:00:22 am »
>>>Of course, our trail guide said bears already knew humans could be sources of food - human and otherwise - and sometimes the bear bells just attracted bears.  It was like ringing the dinner bell. 


that sounds pretty terrifying  :o

Let's just say we kept a close eye out and slept very lightly.