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eye contact

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nakymaton:
Who makes more eye contact, Jack or Ennis?

I would have said "Jack" without hesitating, except that I just finished watching the DVD all the way through (made it to the end for the first time since buying the DVD, and started crying at the second tent scene, dammit). And it struck me that, although Jack makes a lot of eye contact when he's not talking (or leaving things implied; see the post-divorce scene, or when Jack is trying to pick up Jimbo the rodeo clown), that he usually looks away from Ennis when Jack is saying something that's really important to him. (Examples: Jack looks off at nothing, face as impassive as he can make it, when he proposes the cow and calf operation. And he doesn't look at Ennis when he tells Ennis that sometimes he misses Ennis so much he can't stand it.)

The big exception is in the fight scene at the lake... there both Jack and Ennis look straight at one another. And then Jack says what's on his mind. (Though they break eye contact during Jack's big speech.)

Ennis avoids looking at people as much as he can, it seems. But when he wants to make a point, especially with Jack, Ennis looks right at him. I think. But I can't remember the examples now.

Anyway. That just struck me.

RouxB:
Oh, I sooo disagree with that. Ennis does indeed make eye contact, even in difficult situations. In all the scenes with Alma, and most of them are ugly, he looks her in the eye. With Cassie, even in the bus station scene, he looks her in the eye when he says he wasn't much fun. He doesn't avoid the loud bikers or his kids. When the boys are becoming friends and he becomes more comfortable with Jack, he always looks him in the eye, at at least at him if Jack is looking in another direction. Tent scenes one. tent scene two when he finally gives in to his feelings, not to mention reunion scene

Ennis is a pretty straight forward, if repressed, person. He takes his lumps.

 O0

nakymaton:
Oh, yes, I agree about Ennis. I was having trouble putting my thoughts about Ennis together, so I went to bed instead.

I think my first reaction was based, to a huge extent, on the first scene, where Jack looks at Ennis and Ennis looks away. But then Ennis makes more and more eye contact with Jack as Ennis opens up to Jack.

And, yes, Ennis doesn't shy away from looking at people in difficult situations. It's like, when Ennis really wants to make a point, he makes eye contact as well. (Whereas Jack avoids eye contact when he's saying something that's really important to him.)

Ennis takes his lumps. That's a good way to put it.

serious crayons:
And in the first scene, Ennis looks away only because he's so shy. Back then, he could barely introduce himself or hold a normal conversation -- even after Jack says "pleased to know you" he looks away and says nothing. It's indicative of what his social life must have been like up to that point; hard to imagine how he and Alma ever met or got engaged (mostly Alma's doing, I suppose). But as the movie goes on, he becomes less shy, even with people he doesn't know well, like Monroe or the Twists. I think Jack's friendly attention boosted his self-confidence.

Jack, on the other hand, looks away with an impassive face when he's making an important declaration and is nervous about how Ennis is going to react. It's like he's holding his breath.

j.U.d.E.:
There a SO many 'eye-contact' (or missed ones) or 'looks' scenes in this film!! I love them all! Some are totally subtle, but very telling! The combination of 'silent communication' and the eyes has a big part in making this a beautiful, romantic (to answer the question on the other thread) film, IMHO.

~ j U d E

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