Saw the Hand Holdin'.

[Ellemeno]

Well, I've been through that scene like the Zapruder film, frame by frame, but my DVD is so dark.  I mean my DVDs are so dark, the full screen a little lighter.  So then I looked at the YouTube, so much brighter than mine!  How come?  And I think I see the places/moments you all are talking about, but it's not definitely handholding to me, it's a lumpy blur.  Are you guys really positive, can you see it crystal clear?

[Sheyne]

Definitely, Elle.  Its there.  I was skeptical at first but I've seen it.  You've gotta know where to look though.  Jack jerks his hand away from Ennis's to pound it on the ground and then as soon as he's pounded, cast your eyes down to the bottom left hand corner of the screen. Its pretty quick but its definitely there.  I found it easier when I was looking for Ennis's arm.  If you'll notice, the whole time Ennis is... err.. "going at it", his right arm is down holding Jack's hand and he's leaning over Jack's body to do this.  Jack pounds on the ground and then Ennis grabs his hand again. Just before they cut to the shot outside the tent, you see it clear as a bell - Jack is kinda up on his haunches and you can see him holding Ennis's hand just across his crotch region - as Ennis "finishes", Jack's OTHER hand comes up to grab Ennis's as well and then they fall forward.  The You Tube video of "4 nights in 20 years" shows it very well.

[serious crayons]

What would we do without YouTube, hunh? (Aside from, in my case, getting MUCH more work done over the past few months.)

And Elle, I love your Zapruder film reference. Do you think the Warren Commission gave their subject anywhere near as much scrutiny as the people on this board have ours?

My favorite thing about Ennis and the hand-holding in the first tent scene (and the way he clings- really rather sweetly- to Jack's head while they're both kneeling up) is that throughout the movie the primary way that Ennis expresses love/affection is physically.  And so here in their first encounter, he's already displaying love and concern (in addition to the explosive sexual release).  He just radiates love in the 2nd tent scene, in the flashback, reunion kiss, etc... and in all those instances the expression of love is physical.  It goes without saying that Ennis is more comfortable with physical things than with verbal things.  Also, in the motel... when Jack says "Brokeback got us good" Ennis replies by stroking Jack's arm instead of saying anything out loud...  It's nice to be able to see the first tent scene in a more complex way too.

So funny, Amanda! I just finished posting something on the "Ennis' non-vomiting" thread about the very issue of Ennis' verbal vs. nonverbal emotional expression! Check it out; sounds like you and I closely agree on this point (so what else is new?).

[Ellemeno]

>> And Elle, I love your Zapruder film reference. Do you think the Warren Commission gave their subject anywhere near as much scrutiny as the people on this board have ours?

Doubt it.  They didn't WANT to find all the missing pieces.  We could all start a forensics business - as long as what the client wanted was for us to investigate something BBM-associated.

[Brown Eyes]

just bumping!
 

[vkm91941]

The Story Ennis had an erection of his own the first night in the tent and the evidence of the "clear slick" was also proof that he was sexually attracted to Jack. In the book, before Jack and Ennis had sex, they had deepened intimacy before Ennis had his left hand siezed by Jack to be put on Jack's erection.

Excellent point Joe Allen, Ennis had to have been seriously aroused for "clear slick" to have even present to assist him with his lubrication.  That's a point I haven't heard anyone make in along time.  Also you are correct.  Anne P tells us they shared the Bedroll and the intimacy deepened considerably....I can very well imagine it did since it had been obvious for sometime they were attracted to each other.  Nature simply took it course and the alcohol had removed enough Ennis's inhibitions for him to act on nature.

[Aussie Chris]

If a man says, "I'm not homosexual, but I am sexually attracted to you" to another man, he is unwittingly admitting that he is at least a bisexual.

Those men who are exclusively heterosexual in their sexual orientation do not experience below-the-belt, behind-the-pubic-bone, in-the-area-of-the-prostated physiological sexual attraction feelings directed toward another man. The Story Ennis had an erection of his own the first night in the tent and the evidence of the "clear slick" was also proof that he was sexually attracted to Jack. In the book, before Jack and Ennis had sex, they had deepened intimacy before Ennis had his left hand siezed by Jack to be put on Jack's erection.

This is very interesting JAD, I missed the clear slick in my first read of the book.  I was reading it again today though, and I want to ask you a question about the "deepened intimacy" sequence in the book.  You've mentioned a couple of times that there was deepened intimacy before they had sex, and I think you mean that there was a level of intimacy between the time Ennis enters the tent but before the sex.  Say, stolen glances or an "accidental" brush of a leg?  When I read this sequence again today I asked myself was AP really suggesting that something else happened here to deepen the intimacy (something that was not filmed), or did the "deepened intimacy" simply refer to the sex itself?  Read it again and tell me what you think/mean by deepened intimacy.

[twistedude]

Ennis is in fact looking down to avoid Jack's mouth, and Jack is looking at his mouth, whiCh he'd like to kiss, but isn't gping to msakeTOO  a big deal out of just now. It is Jack who grabs Ennis's hand, twiCe. FiRst. his wrist (you can clearly see the bluie cuff on the grabbing hand), and then, right before his head collapses on the tent foor, he brings his other hand across his body, and grabs the back of Ennis's hand with that hand as well. Ennis never grabs a hand. You might make out a case for the first grab being for balance, but--the second one?

I have spoken!

[Aussie Chris]

I have spoken!

Wow Julie, assertive-much!

[Sheyne]

Something tells me Ennis is reaching down for Jack's hand while they're going at it..

Jack may grab Ennis's hand after the pounding, but Ennis reaches down after he puts lil Ennis - ahem - in.