Author Topic: Why do you think it's called "The Wings?"  (Read 11276 times)

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Why do you think it's called "The Wings?"
« Reply #10 on: September 12, 2006, 11:47:01 pm »
Barbara, also, when Jack says, "I don't give a flying f**k". See my reference to it in "Why the Lie?"
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Offline JT

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Re: Why do you think it's called "The Wings?"
« Reply #11 on: October 03, 2006, 12:51:22 am »
"The Wings".  I don't know.  I don't know why they call it "The Wings".  I guess they both wanted to fly away together but something keep holding they down.  But in the end, Jack was finally able to fly.  I don't know, but to me, I see this as Jack and Ennis' theme.  You only hear it twice in the movie.

You guys have great insites regarding the title of this song.  Some were very moving.

Offline bbm_stitchbuffyfan

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Re: Why do you think it's called "The Wings?"
« Reply #12 on: October 23, 2006, 11:55:31 am »
moremojo, thank you for the birthday wish! I wish I could have gotten around to replying sooner, but I've been caught up lately.

Anyway, these responses are great insights! Thanks for the replies.
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Offline fernly

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Re: Why do you think it's called "The Wings?"
« Reply #13 on: December 28, 2006, 10:01:05 am »
On the front wall of Alma and Monroe's house (most clearly visible to Jr.'s left when she's waiting for Ennis, though it's visible at Thanksgiving, too) is an eagle (?) sculpture. Looks like the wings are raised up, talons extended. Call back to the eagle feather? Another of the Ennis/Jack 'reminders' that are a current (conscious and subconscious) in each others' lives?
And Jr.'s wearing those bluebird earrings.
Two sides of Jack? - one angry, hard, pushed/nailed to the wall (ok, maybe getting carried away here with the symboligizing ) and the other still hopeful, gentle, able to sing/love ?

And another possible resonance to the wild columbine?
A columbarium is "a sepulchral vault or other structure with recesses in the walls to receive the ashes of the dead". 

And it's always struck me (and I do mean struck), that in the story they could see, past the hawk's back, "the crawling lights of the vehicles on the plain below" - they weren't that far away from the plains and all that implies. But in the film, I don't get any sense that they could see the plains or crawling lights.
« Last Edit: December 28, 2006, 10:34:22 am by fernly »
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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Why do you think it's called "The Wings?"
« Reply #14 on: December 28, 2006, 12:52:36 pm »
Probably beside the point, but, of course, this title always makes me think of "Wind Beneath My Wings." Jack always was the wind beneath Ennis's wings, and poor Ennis didn't realize it until it was too late.  :-\
"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 coffeecat33

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Re: Why do you think it's called "The Wings?"
« Reply #15 on: December 28, 2006, 07:48:48 pm »
Wings also refers to the side areas of a stage that are out of sight of the audience. You "wait in the wings" for your cue to go on. A wing can be side scenery on the stage, too.

Why is it called, The Wings, instead of just Wings? Does that change the definition?


Offline Phillip Dampier

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Re: Why do you think it's called "The Wings?"
« Reply #16 on: December 30, 2006, 06:09:47 pm »
Probably beside the point, but, of course, this title always makes me think of "Wind Beneath My Wings." Jack always was the wind beneath Ennis's wings, and poor Ennis didn't realize it until it was too late.  :-\

Hmmm... the lyrics for the song seem to work quite well....  Everyone can share the experience (and I get to test the new Divshare file storage and sharing service -- see User Services for more on that!):

DivShare File - 13_-_Bette_Midler_-_Wind_Beneath_My_Wings.mp3
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Offline Shakesthecoffecan

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Re: Why do you think it's called "The Wings?"
« Reply #17 on: December 30, 2006, 11:00:03 pm »
...and the line in the movie when, thanksgiving, Ennis nuzzels Jenny's ear like Jack nuzzel his once and said "I didn't have no wings."

I have heard too, as Lee spoke of, the two different parts of the music in synch, representing Jack and Ennis, and the untimate divinty Jack acheives for his sacrifices.

(Thank you Clarissa and Lynne for helping me understand this.)
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Offline nakymaton

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Re: Why do you think it's called "The Wings?"
« Reply #18 on: December 31, 2006, 12:40:10 am »
I think it was Clarissa who pointed out last night that "The Wings" is also the theme for "if you can't fix it, you gotta stand it." It plays at the end of the reunion camping trip (and through the next montage)... and it stands in for the line at the end of the story.

I have no idea what standing has to do with wings, though. One would think that if one had wings, one wouldn't stand... one would fly.
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Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Why do you think it's called "The Wings?"
« Reply #19 on: December 31, 2006, 12:57:03 am »
Yes, but remember Ennis was the stander, Jack the fixer. And at the end of the movie, Ennis was left standing while Jack, who flew off to Mexico, Randall, and parts unknown, was like Icarus, who flew too close to the sun with his wings created out of wax, which melted, so he plunged into the sea.
  :'(

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