Author Topic: What is the happiest scene?  (Read 20766 times)

Offline ednbarby

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Re: What is the happiest scene?
« Reply #10 on: May 09, 2006, 09:02:58 am »
Because all these you've mentioned are tinged with sadness, I'm gonna go earlier, and say the "Hell, that's the most I've spoke in a year" scene.  I love the little smile that creeps across Jack's face when he realizes Ennis is opening up to him, and I love Ennis' smile on realizing he's just done that, too.  Passionate love like theirs is painful even at its best.  But falling into that love is ecstasy.
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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: What is the happiest scene?
« Reply #11 on: May 09, 2006, 09:04:22 am »
I'm actually going to go with the "rodeo cowboys is all fuckups" scene, with Jack's goofy little bullriding imitation, and we get the biggest smile out of Ennis we see in the entire film. Just our two boys having fun together, no stress, no angst, nothing bittersweet to taint it--makes me smile just to watch it.
"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 Front-Ranger

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Re: What is the happiest scene?
« Reply #12 on: May 09, 2006, 10:03:14 am »
I have to vote for the reunion scene because there's such a big buildup that it's a tremendous release when they clinch in that embrace. It's choreographed so perfectly! Also, because when they were on the mountain they were deliriously happy but didn't know how happy they were, and in the reunion it was like a bolt of lightning from the mountain that brought all the happiness back in a rush. No one hardly ever gets a second chance like that. Damn Ennis for not following through!

p.s. Chris, read the story! Do you need me to send it to you??
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Offline Penthesilea

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Re: What is the happiest scene?
« Reply #13 on: May 09, 2006, 01:04:09 pm »
Ang Lee is not fair to us and our boys. Every happy scene has the shadow of sadness or doom in it.

  • The reunion: Alma watching and being shocked.
  • The happy tussle: Aguirre watching.
  • Even very early in the movie, in the campfire scene ("the most I've spoke in a year"): look at Jack's face. It's only half-smiling. The other half is kinda sad and tender-hearted, because he outright knows that it's the truth (not literally) what Ennis says.
  • The motel scene: Ennis saying "Me? I don't know" and that there's nothing they can do about it.
  • The prayer of thanks: followed by the story about Earl and Rich and "ain't no reigns on this one".
  • Let alone the flashback.

(Jeez! Are we all masochistic? Why do we love this movie so much?  ;) )

That said I have to vote for the reunion scene, too. I'm pretty good in ignoring Alma's harm in that scene  :)



TJ

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Re: What is the happiest scene?
« Reply #14 on: May 09, 2006, 01:15:22 pm »
When Aguirre observed the boys with his binocuars (at least once), he had done that for 10 minutes and waited until they got dressed before he went to tell Jack about his Uncle Harold having pneumonia.

In the movie, when Aguirre was watching them, the guys were very happy just being themselves as immature teenagers. In the movie, Aguirre certainly waited quite a while before he went to deliver the message from Jack's mother about his uncle. I think that, in a way, Aguirre had some respect for the guys private time together, although it was literally in the open.

From the way that the story goes, Forest Rangers up in the lookout towers belonging to the US Forest Service could have observed what was going on, too. The book does not mention that fact though. But, even when the guys were up on the mountain, at the campsite and with the sheep, they could see the lights of vehicles on the highway down below.

slayers_creek_oth

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Re: What is the happiest scene?
« Reply #15 on: May 09, 2006, 02:26:13 pm »
p.s. Chris, read the story! Do you need me to send it to you??

If you wouldn't mind.....PM me...

Offline littleguitar

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Re: What is the happiest scene?
« Reply #16 on: May 09, 2006, 05:03:17 pm »
My happiest scene is actually the second tent scene, that first time they kiss... there is so much desire and hesitation and I'm so happy Ennis gives in and lets himself feel that kind of intimacy with Jack.

That scene is followed closely by the "I'm tired of your dumb ass missin'" elk scene... the WOOWEE, YEAH! then the look of surprise and laugh on Jack's face after Ennis pushes him... I love it!  ;D
‘cause the truth is, I already give him everythin’ I got to give, more than I ever even knew I had; ‘n it all for him, all of it, him who is my brother, my father, my child, my friend, my lover, my heart, my soul; my Ennis.

-- del Mar Painting, Ch. 48 by b73

TJ

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Re: What is the happiest scene?
« Reply #17 on: May 09, 2006, 09:37:36 pm »
I think the first happiest scene which Ennis ever had in his life was on the first evening after he and Jack had switched places.

I like what Annie Proulx wrote about why and how Ennis felt on the way back to spend the 2nd night with the sheep.

Quote
They had a high-time supper by the fire, a can of beans each, fried potatoes and a quart of whiskey on shares, sat with their backs against a log, boot soles and copper jeans rivets hot, swapping the bottle while the lavender sky emptied of color and the chill air drained down, drinking, smoking cigarettes, getting up every now and then to piss, firelight throwing a sparkle in the arched stream, tossing sticks on the fire to keep the talk going, talking horses and rodeo, roughstock events, wrecks and injuries sustained, the submarine Thresher lost two months earlier with all hands and how it must have been in the last doomed minutes, dogs each had owned and known, the draft, Jack's home ranch where his father and mother held on, Ennis's family place folded years ago after his folks died, the older brother in Signal and a married sister in Casper. Jack said his father had been a pretty well known bullrider years back but kept his secrets to himself, never gave Jack a word of advice, never came once to see Jack ride, though he had put him on the woolies when he was a little kid. Ennis said the kind of riding that interested him lasted longer than eight seconds and had some point to it. Money's a good point, said Jack, and Ennis had to agree. They were respectful of each other's opinions, each glad to have a companion where none had been expected. Ennis, riding against the wind back to the sheep in the treacherous, drunken light, thought he'd never had such a good time, felt he could paw the white out of the moon.


I get happily teared up whenever I read that last sentence.


Offline Ellemeno

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Re: What is the happiest scene?
« Reply #18 on: May 10, 2006, 02:11:20 am »
I think we really needed one or two scenes of unadulterated happiness before they came down off Brokeback...
-Lynne

There were a few scenes that ended happily - the elk-shooting scene (ended happily for everyone except the elk); the "rodeo cowboys are fuckups" scene; the "tent don't look right" scene; the "I ain't yet had the opportunity" scene.

But yeah, the happiest scenes in the movie have such sharp pain skewered through them: the motel scene when Ennis's face changes, "I reckon there's nothing we can do", the "sending up a prayer of thanks" scene, when Ennis sits up, shakes his head, and puts on his hat, "two guys livin' together - no way;" And Alma's world cracking apart during the blissful union of the reunion scene.


Offline serious crayons

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Re: What is the happiest scene?
« Reply #19 on: May 10, 2006, 08:25:43 am »
There were a few scenes that ended happily - the elk-shooting scene (ended happily for everyone except the elk); the "rodeo cowboys are fuckups" scene; the "tent don't look right" scene; the "I ain't yet had the opportunity" scene.

But yeah, the happiest scenes in the movie have such sharp pain skewered through them: the motel scene when Ennis's face changes, "I reckon there's nothing we can do", the "sending up a prayer of thanks" scene, when Ennis sits up, shakes his head, and puts on his hat, "two guys livin' together - no way;" And Alma's world cracking apart during the blissful union of the reunion scene.

I notice all the happy-ending scenes take place on Brokeback, and all the pain-skewered scenes (good phrase, Elle), take place post-Broke.