Scene Discussion: Ennis Shaving

[Front-Ranger]

Here is another very interesting scene that I'd like to hear discussion on. Ennis is shaving after coming down from the sheep pastures and Jack is opening cans of beans.

[Penthesilea]

First random thoughts:

Jack literally spills the beans. And with that, he also figuratively spills the beans that it makes him nervous (?, distracted?, agitated?) to have Ennis half naked so nearby, additionally talking about balls the size a apples.

I love that Ennis puts his hat back on as soon as he finishes shaving, and leaves it on later, when he warshes everything he can reach.

When Jack spills the beans, Ennis notices (of course, Jack curses), but ignores it. No mischievous remarks, no teasing about it. Love him for that  .

The coffeepot makes another appearance.

Is Jake left-handed? It's difficult to open a can a beans in that position. But even with this in mind, Jack seems pretty clumsy here, even before he spills them. It's the way he holds the can opener (which he is pretty good with - at least he said so  ). Reminds me of my own difficulties to use some kinds of can openders (and I'm left-handed). Could be on purpose, to show Jack's lack of handy skills, could also be because Jake being left-handed (if he is).

[Mikaela]

Yes, I too consider the clumsiness as showing us several things: Jack's agitated, reacting to Ennis being so close by. And it's a direct follow-up of his "pretty good with a can opener" - once more showing us that Jack's plans and ideas too often don't quite match up with real life.    Also therefore one more instance where Jack goofs up but doesn't let it get him (much) down.

But mostly I've always loved how Jack answers Ennis's "You want some a this hot water?" Jack answers "It's all yours" - though at that point he really could have needed a bit of it to clean up the bean sauce that got splattered on his hands and clothes and that he's trying to shake off. They do show each other kindness in lots of things. And it's not all Ennis doing it, elks and soup notwithstanding. (Though of course, considering what Ennis was planning to warsh, in this instance Jack might be suspected of having some certain ulterior motive in addition to being kind and considerate....)

Like Chrissi I've always also loved how Ennis puts the hat back on and keeps it on.

[Front-Ranger]

LOL, about the hat. As you see, Ennis has the hat perched on the knee furthest from the fire (as we all noticed way back when in the Cowboy Etiquette thread!) while warshing/shaving, and then where to put it while warshing the rest of the body? You just don't put a cowboy hat on the ground, that would be like the flag touching the ground! (Notice how Jack ran to pick up Lureen's hat when it fell on the ground) This also reminds me of the scene at the Childress Fundraising Dinner where all the gents were eating with their hats on because there was no place to put all those hats! So, I always have a hat hanger handy in my house, made from mounted antlers.

[Front-Ranger]

One thing I like about this scene is all the round things to be seen in it. There is the coffeepot, the bean cans, and the hat, but even more importantly, the sieve with all its small round circles within a large circle, and the canteen on Ennis's horse along with the lasso, all neatly coiled up. There is also the round "horn" on the horse's saddle. All of these things seem to remind me of other ideas or echoes in other parts of the movie or in the story or in other stories.

 

[Front-Ranger]

Here is another scene of the camp. Oh, what I wouldn't give to be in that camp!!

[LauraGigs]

A poster on IMDB once pointed out that the moment Ennis asks about the hot water (so he can bathe) — Jack spills the beans.  Jack gets clumsy at that moment because he knows what's coming.
 

This scene also illustrates the almost comical difference in each character's diligence.  In an earlier breakfast scene, Ennis had the food cooked in perfect timing with Jack's arrival at camp.  Here, Ennis has been at camp long enough to dismount, strip down a bit, and wash/shave his face — and Jack is just now opening the cans.  (I find this scene about as funny as Jack's rodeo dance!)

[Front-Ranger]

That is a great point you make, my dear LauraGigs. And here, for your pleasure, is Jack in his rodeo dance!!



Notice how he keeps his ciggie elegantly clutched between two fingers!

[Jeff Wrangler]

Notice how he keeps his ciggie elegantly clutched between two fingers!

If that's not a sign that he's gay, nothing is.     

[Delmardeb]

Thanks Front Ranger for that info. about hat ettiquette.

[Front-Ranger]

Yr welcome DelMarDeb. Nice ta meet you. Your folks just stop at DelMarDeb?

As you can see from my avatar, I don't always follow hat etiquette. There I am catchin hailstones in my hat!!

[Delmardeb]

Front-Ranger

LOL. I have seen your avatar, but never noticed what exactly you were doing with your hat....

My folks just really stopped at Debra D.    D for Delmar??

[Front-Ranger]

Here is another scene of the camp. Oh, what I wouldn't give to be in that camp!!

One thing I would do if I were there is grab that ax and sling it into the canyon! But notice in this picture how the set decorators had to reposition the ax so it would still be pointing at his haid??

[Mikaela]

This scene also illustrates the almost comical difference in each character's diligence.  In an earlier breakfast scene, Ennis had the food cooked in perfect timing with Jack's arrival at camp.  Here, Ennis has been at camp long enough to dismount, strip down a bit, and wash/shave his face — and Jack is just now opening the cans. 

I think you're right in this illustrating the difference in their characters. But it could also be taken to show how relaxed they've become with one another. Or it could well be that this is hinting about how they (consciously or subconsciously) are finding ways to stay together more and for longer periods of time, even when appearing to just be attending strictly to business as usual. Perhaps Ennis rode down to camp super-early, knowing that Jack wouldn't have breakfast ready yet. Or Jack dawdled more than usual on purpose. And none of them complaining! At least not about that. 

---------

All the "J&E alone in camp" scenes have managed to imprint on my mind a strong and enduring impression that what we see is the truth of it; - that Jack and Ennis were really once all alone out there, on a mountain, far away from other people.

So though of course I *know* about the filmmaking process and all the crew and equipment it takes to make the smallest scene, still I feel a bit surprised when I see pics like the one below, from one of the other early scenes. Seeing images like that never fails to reinforce my admiration for the actors, admiration and wonder that they are able to stay in character, and to give us these two wonderful completely believable cowboys, with all that stuff and all those people hanging over their heads. 

[Penthesilea]

So though of course I *know* about the filmmaking process and all the crew and equipment it takes to make the smallest scene, still I feel a bit surprised when I see pics like the one below, from one of the other early scenes. Seeing images like that never fails to reinforce my admiration for the actors, admiration and wonder that they are able to stay in character, and to give us these two wonderful completely believable cowboys, with all that stuff and all those people hanging over their heads. 

My thoughts exactly when I looked at those pics yesterday. It's astonishing, isn't it?

[LauraGigs]

I think you're right in this illustrating the difference in their characters. But it could also be taken to show how relaxed they've become with one another. Or it could well be that this is hinting about how they (consciously or subconsciously) are finding ways to stay together more and for longer periods of time, even when appearing to just be attending strictly to business as usual. Perhaps Ennis rode down to camp super-early, knowing that Jack wouldn't have breakfast ready yet. Or Jack dawdled more than usual on purpose. And none of them complaining!

These are great points, Mikaela — I shoulda realized all this.  It kind of reinforces what the story said, too, about Ennis' hours away from the sheep (how they "stretched out and out").

[serious crayons]

So though of course I *know* about the filmmaking process and all the crew and equipment it takes to make the smallest scene, still I feel a bit surprised when I see pics like the one below, from one of the other early scenes. Seeing images like that never fails to reinforce my admiration for the actors, admiration and wonder that they are able to stay in character, and to give us these two wonderful completely believable cowboys, with all that stuff and all those people hanging over their heads. 

I'm always amazed by that, too, when I stop to think about it! You'd never know there are mobs of people and tons of equipment just a few feet away. What powers of concentration and focus they must have.

[Noviani]

wow, this image is shocking..!

and i respect heath and jake even more, for giving birth to jack and ennis among all those unromantic, technically-design and equipped surrounding