I've watched the DVD through a number of times by now, I'm not sure how many. I think this is the first time and the first film that has thoroughly given me problems in picking certain scenes that I'd like to watch more than others. (Though I admit to having seen the reunion and the NITs some additional times). Still, when I've gone straight to a scene it's nearly always been in order to verify something that happens there, or the look of something etc, mostly for discussion purposes. For instance, I just braved a slow-mo viewing of the bashing scene in the middle of Ennis's telephone conversation with Lureen for discussion clarification purpose.
But otherwise I do watch it from the beginning - and I recently gave the following long-winded (light-hearted, but sincere) explanation as to why that is:
Well, I feel you *have* to start with the first scene, because how can you possibly *not* want to see Jack against the truck, and Jack glowering inside Aguirre's trailer, and Jack and Ennis being so completely adorable in the bar, and.... Then you *have* to see all of "life in camp" as the DVD calls it, because every little subtle part of their courtship counts. Plus, all the sheep-carrying and sheep-dragging that Jake did - can't let the poor guy have done it all for nothing.
Then there are both those tent nights that are the very core of the matter for any serious Brokaholic, and the sad descent from the mountain and the goodbye.
**meep**. The getting on with life all goes so fast and suddenly it's the reunion
**sigh** and the motel
**sigh** and the never-to-be cow and calf operation
**sigh** - and there might be a scene or two after that which could be skipped in a pinch, but they're so few and far between, so why bother?
And anyway those scenes either lead up to the post-divorce meeting, or they lead you on away from it while you're still in an utter daze from it. Then there's the whole painful last meeting, - can't ever not see that, - though some of it sure *does* make you want to kick Ennis's horrible father where it hurts.
The scene at Jack's parents is even more painful than that, but it's *got* to be one of the most perfect film scenes ever made; such simple means and that spartan location and only 3 actors speaking so few actual words; it's absolutely and totally unmissable, a movie landmark if ever there was one. Once you've gotten to Ennis finding the shirts you're pretty much a wreck unable to move, and you might as well sit through his wedding talk with Junior anyway because there's a sorely needed glint of hope there, and otherwise you'd not get to see the shirts again in their closet and not seeing them is surely never going to be an option....