Topic: Clouds

[pierralex]

There is one thing that stroke me since the first viewing, it's the clouds.
When they're in Brokeback Mountain, there are always big black clouds upon them, with sometimes thunder.
As if it was a bad sign for their future relationship, knowing that they would never be able to be happy under a beautiful sunny sky.
I know that the clouds have been added with numeric effects, so it is obviously intentionally.
It hurts me each time I see BBM.

Did anyone notice it too?

[Miss Nice]

Yes. I've noticed. I think Ang Lee works very much with these effects.. I love poetry and BBM is a poethic film. The clouds say so much!

[ethan]

There is one thing that stroke me since the first viewing, it's the clouds.
When they're in Brokeback Mountain, there are always big black clouds upon them, with sometimes thunder.
As if it was a bad sign for their future relationship, knowing that they would never be able to be happy under a beautiful sunny sky.
I know that the clouds have been added with numeric effects, so it is obviously intentionally.
It hurts me each time I see BBM.

Did anyone notice it too?

Great observation! pierralex. Just to think how long they had to wait to shoot these clouds.

[Mars]

Pierralex, I guess Ang Lee has wanted to describe the force of Nature and the great West
in every side.Nature is our mother but a hard one. You are right to describe an hostility
against the two men; like all little men, they are also subjected to her violences.Mountain's
ambience is very much harder for human beings than the peaceful planes. It's there which
burst their love like a violent storm up on the mountains. There are relaxing phases too(when
they separete the herd and Jack afterwords plays harmonica or after the snowfall and during their fight).

[tpe]

I love the most the sequence when Jack is shown asleep and you see rainclouds and hear/see thunder at a distance.  Then, you see Ennis in the tent sheltered from the rain.

The two are far apart.  But they are soon to be connected by the storm. You can interpret this metaphorically, if you wish...

[Mars]

I love the most the sequence when Jack is shown asleep and you see rainclouds and hear/see thunder at a distance.  Then, you see Ennis in the tent sheltered from the rain.

The two are far apart.  But they are soon to be connected by the storm. You can interpret this metaphorically, if you wish...

Yes, Tpe. Ennis' look beyond the tent, outside, towards Jack.
Powerful....

[tpe]

I love the most the sequence when Jack is shown asleep and you see rainclouds and hear/see thunder at a distance.  Then, you see Ennis in the tent sheltered from the rain.

The two are far apart.  But they are soon to be connected by the storm. You can interpret this metaphorically, if you wish...

Yes, Tpe. Ennis' look beyond the tent, outside, towards Jack.
Powerful....

And the music is so apt..., so poetic...  I do think this is one of the most beautiful sequences in the movie.  Thanks Mars. 

[Petter Gusten]

maybe OT but notice the moon - I've read somewhere that in Asian culture the moon is a symbol for contact between two persons who are on different places, "I'm looking at the moon, and I know that my friend is doing that too".

the moon is something very romantic in this story...

[tpe]

maybe OT but notice the moon - I've read somewhere that in Asian culture the moon is a symbol for contact between two persons who are on different places, "I'm looking at the moon, and I know that my friend is doing that too".

the moon is something very romantic in this story...

PetterG, I urge you to start a new thread about the moon images.  Excellent!!!  OOT here, but this must be discussed.  I had thought about this many times, and it is great that you brought this up!


 

[Mars]

maybe OT but notice the moon - I've read somewhere that in Asian culture the moon is a symbol for contact between two persons who are on different places, "I'm looking at the moon, and I know that my friend is doing that too".

the moon is something very romantic in this story...

Not so completely O.T. PetterG!
There are moon and clouds together,do you remember?
"Mater pallida" pale mother which breaks out their unrestrainable passion, the moon
which joins the yin and the yang , two parts of the same destiny.
What's a beauty

[coguaro]

Climate seems to be unstable in Brokeback mountain and always in movement... clouds, rain, storm, wind, snow... that's of course a part of local weather but also it gives a persistent feeling of instability, of "a changing situation" such as Ennis and Jack lives was.
I have the impression that unexpected external events may change everything in a short time... natural elements may symbolize that and give force to the idea of the fragility of humanity condition.

[Sunflower79]

I never thought about the clouds before or the force of the nature in the movie..with the rain, snow, thunder..but it does make sense now that I think about it ...hard things, conflicts, wanting, needing, finding..maybe with the rain its the tears that fall for a love wants to grow and such or sadness..or sometimes people look at rain as clensing and purfying ..cleaning the world of the dirty and grim..or the thunder loud and passionate..as thier passion was for each other. the storm would be the trouble, the hardships and sorrow they to deal with...umm very interesting..the snow cold, and white and pure..The nature aspect defently fits the movie very well..cool idea

[Mars]

Yes, Coguaro I appreciate very much your hint about human fragility
in front of the unforeseeable power of Nature.
Before her we,the men, lose our arrogance and presumption.
"Pulvis et umbra sumus".Clouds, storms, skies, Luna our moon, we'll
come back there. Our instability is our life, a crossing to come back
to the Mother.These symbols are so extraordinary strong, Ang Lee
had to utilize them.
I love very much this topic.

[tpe]

What fascinates me about the shots showing the moon and clouds is that it reminded me (on 4th viewing, I think) of the famous opening shot of the Dali-Buņuel classic 'Un chien andalou'.  In both instances, I think the image of the moon emerging from cloud cover is used to evoke a human eye or a vision that is about to be revealed.  Why I think this is because these moon-cloud scenes in BBM are shown at critical junctures, specifically:

1.  When Ennis and Jack are about to make love in the 1st tent scene.

2.  In the first reunion up in the mountains, before Jack's proposal, and Ennis' refusal (w/ the Earl and Rich story.)

There is a symbolic intent behind the moon and cloud sequences.  Of this I feel strongly about.  They go beyond beautiful cinematography. IMO.



   

[coguaro]

Yes.. the moon.. is always lovers protecting..

[pierralex]

Yes, each time see the moon-clouds, we imediately see Jake and Ennis together in the tent...

But I wonder, each time the moon is full. Would it means something? I know by a psychiatrist that when the moon is full people are slightly more nervous than the others days. But maybe is there another explainaition, more philosophical...

[tpe]

Yes, each time see the moon-clouds, we imediately see Jake and Ennis together in the tent...

But I wonder, each time the moon is full. Would it means something? I know by a psychiatrist that when the moon is full people are slightly more nervous than the others days. But maybe is there another explainaition, more philosophical...

Perhaps a form of 'lunacy' (i.e., losing control)?  The luna pallida, as Mars described it.

[Tom]

I like this scene of clouds and the moon so much I have used it in some of my music videos and I now have it as my screensaver. It is one of the first scenes that really stood out for me on first viewing



Thanks to Kenny for his Screen captures from the DVD we can also see this wonderful misty/cloudy scene



And this one, the weather indeed plays an integral part of this movie



See the scene at the Twist farm. The sky and clouds seem so rich and beautiful in compariosn with the dried up arid poor farm.

[ethan]

Full moon symbolizes union, according to chinese tradition.

There is a big holiday called mid-autumn festival which is always on the day of full moon in August. It is a day of reunion or becoming one.

We seen the full moon right after the FNIT?

[tpe]

Full moon symbolizes union, according to chinese tradition.

There is a big holiday called mid-autumn festival which is always on the day of full moon in August. It is a day of reunion or becoming one.

We seen the full moon right after the FNIT?

This is probably close to what Ang Lee had in mind...  It also appears in numerous traditions, as with the star vega (i.e., the reunion of 2 stars/lovers).

[*Froggy*]

Full moon symbolizes union, according to chinese tradition.

There is a big holiday called mid-autumn festival which is always on the day of full moon in August. It is a day of reunion or becoming one.

We seen the full moon right after the FNIT?

Interesting...

[pierralex]

We see the full moon with clouds (just this) two times in BBM.
The first time just before the first tent scene.
The second just before Jack asks "what's up there in heaven?" (I thought it was before the last tent scene but I was wrong we don't see the moon).

I also noticed that in mexico there is no moon nor clouds in the sky. Just one star (maybe Venus).

[ethan]

Here are some threads on the clouds

http://www.ennisjack.com/index.php?topic=1546.0 (The clouds are spelling love)
http://www.ennisjack.com/index.php?topic=1955.0 (The clouds in the scene when Jack and Ennis first met)

[BBBOY]

My ex who was a mountian climber of some note in his time told me about a time he spent on a mountain top in the Wind River Range or maybe the Sierras, I don't remember which. But what he told me about was a lightening storm and how scared he was, strikes hitting all around him. He swore he'd never put himself in that situation again. He put the fear of God in me that night as he told his story.

[Mars]

Yes BBBoy, as I previously told we are little "ants" in front of the powerful strenght
of Nature. We "appreciate"  this strenght particuarly in top of the mountains where
land and sky both meet closer.

[Cllau]

I like very much this topic. It's very interesting.

It's true that clouds are always present. They seem to cover Ennis and Jack's lifes and only them !!!  It seems to me that Ennis and Jack  are wrapped  as if they couln'd go out. A blanket of clouds.  I remark that clouds are always motionless unless when they move in front of  the moon. I have had an impression of increasingly fast rate, as  what was going to happen under the tent, the first night of love. All was accelerated suddenly, even clouds.
 Nature is the witness of this story, the only witness ( I remember the scene where the litte tent is isolated, lost in  mountains, in a complete solitude having only for witnesses river, moon, trees and clouds.
 For me, clouds are as "characters" : so silent, but telling so much.

Thanks Pierralex for this topic ; it was hard for me to translate exactly what I wanted to say...

[tpe]

For me, clouds are as "characters" : so silent, but telling so much.

With these words, you have succeeded in translating all that needs to be said.

[pierralex]

Thanks Pierralex for this topic ; it was hard for me to translate exactly what I wanted to say...

Well I think you did it perfectly! Very beautiful    :'(
It's really a great post. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Cllau 

[*Froggy*]

But you did a fantastic job Cllau!

[Mars]

Congratulations Cllau, you're very convincing!
Bravo