There are a lot of prop problems in the film. There are also a lot of incredibly accurate moments. Jack & Lurren's home was so on the mark, it made me want to gag in memory of the style of the period. The homes of Ennis and Alma also feel like homes, no matter how poor. I really wish Dana was still hanging around. He could give us a better idea of when, if ever, the rural electric reached certain places in Wyoming. If you notice where Ennis is living when Jack makes the trip after hearing about Ennis's divorce, there's an old wind powered electric generator still setting on top of it's mill. It would not surprise me to find there are isolated spots even today that depend on such alternate forms of energy.
In accuracy, if you want to go back to the beginning of the film, that old rusty white GMC, we see setting off in the well mowed grass as Jack makes his entrance, it would have been nearly new, if not a year newer, than 1963. Jack's blue Ford had rust streaks from under the camper shell. I strongly suspect the reason we keep seeing the same 1960's cars recycled in the film, is the way too tight budget such a period movie needs to make it fully believable. And still, Brokeback Mountain' is a masterpiece that will be examined, taught, and talked about for decades to come.
The Twist house does feel overly stark. I tend to agree though, that Ang Lee did this on purpose. And yes, that ice box should at the very least been a gas or propane fired fridge. I'd say the house's starkness bothers me more by not giving us much feeling of Mrs. Twist's presence. Like at my grandparents old place. A bit of old wall paper, those old black and white pictures of long dead relatives, Then the only thing we see on the Twist place that would have been modern, was the old Man's pickup truck. Speaking to the old man's priorities in life perhaps? And, just how much his persona tried to crush Jack's spirit... and most certainly that of his wife.
Then, there is another possibility. From what I've read, the scene at the Twists was the last one shot. With that side step into the lost hippy rescue scene, it's possible they were running short on funds by the time they got down to that last location. I would guess, Focus Features now wishes they had put more than the fourteen million into shooting the film than they did.
Ohhh... Lardy... Shakes was over at Yahoo back when I was!!!
I will say the make up around Heath's eyes from after Ennis finds out about Jack's death is a bit much. At certain points, it looked to me like it was trying to peel off his face.
I'd have to go dig out the short story, but I was thinking the commuting line is in there as well... Now where did I put the book so I wouldn't lose it?
You know... did they have a continuity director on this film? Or did budget restraints mean, Ang Lee had to wear two dozen caps?
Yeah, Ennis not getting the hood on the truck shut, and then it being closed when Jack walks back around his truck, that's another... awww come on moment for me too. And yeah, I know the dialog would have been hard to film, but you don't shut off an old truck just after you got it started after setting a couple of months.
Hmmm... wonder what part of Jake they shaved to make those burns?
