[i]In many of the key scenes, the camera only shows Ennis from behind his shoulder . . .[/i]-The "You know I ain't queer" scene.-When he breaks down during Jack's "could've had a life together" speech. -When he reads DECEASED on the postcard.-When he shuts the closet door at the end of the movie.What does everyone think ?
It almost seems (to me) that he is turning his back on the truth about himself.He doesn't want to admit he's "queer".He can't bring himself to have a life with Jack.He ends up turning his back on the the most important place and person to him when closes the closet door and leaves.
I love a nice bit of symbolism - even see symbolism in symbols....
Quote from: greenfrog on Aug 17, 2006, 11:23 PMIt almost seems (to me) that he is turning his back on the truth about himself.He doesn't want to admit he's "queer".He can't bring himself to have a life with Jack.He ends up turning his back on the the most important place and person to him when closes the closet door and leaves.Very good observations Greenfrog! I also think that it's movie Ennis' way of not even letting us see him fully. Always hiding himself away.
This is most powerful to me during the argument between Jack and Ennis. Ennis has his back turned to Jack and Jack cannot see that Ennis is CRYING and tells Ennis "You're too much for me Ennis, you son of a whoreson b**ch." He doesn't seem to think that Ennis is really listening to him. It's only later in the scene that Jack realizes he had really gotten through to Ennis.
When Ennis says his "one shot thing" and "I ain't queer" lines, he is facing away from the camera he's effectively rendering himself "faceless" by maintaining this straight facade.This suggests to me he's in deep denial. Jack, in contrast, is shown full-face when he replies "nobody's business but ours" and "me neither" . His little facials tics suggest he's lying to keep in Ennis' good graces, but also suggesting that even in "dishonesty", Jack is more "open" than Ennis
Yes, the more I think about it, the more I'm impressed that Ang Lee chose to shoot this scene in this way. It really tells us a lot about their relationship to one another: they can't yet face each other (or their growing love for one another), and they certainly can't make it public (as perhaps facing the camera would suggest), so they sit side-by-side, backs to the camera, barely able to look at one another. They don't touch and speak only 25 words total. Yet we understand--and share--the tension of their unexpressed longing. As the sun goes down across from their mountain, so their attraction for one another grows.
In fact now that I think of it, he's a living representation of the "Macbeth" quotation - "I am cabinn'd, cribb'd, confin'd, bound in To saucy doubts and fears."That's Ennis.
