What's with the airplane?
... Just wondering.
shareI'm not the most astute about references in movies, but my take on the airplane was that it was a vintage 1956 jet, which corresponds to the timeframe for the movie. In 1956, the jet would have been one of the newest things under the sun. I think the jet represents the latest invention, just as Olof was viewing his love for his housekeeper as something new. In one of the interludes, you will notice that instead of a jet, it showed a bird wheeling around the sky, just as the jet was. I think this was the film makers way of showing that even though the jet is new, it really is just man's attempt to modernize something that has existed since the dawn of time. This would correspond to Olof's love being the modern expression of an age-old emotion.
shareExcellent insight...I just rented this movie and was wondering what the director was trying to illustrate with the airplane and bird imagery. I was also thinking it might have something to do with "freedom" or "breaking free" as both Olof and Ellen were doing in their own way.
shareSpoiler Alert:
I had not thought of it that way, but that is also an excellent insight. The conventions of Olof as farmer and Ellen as suburban housewife has restricted their growth. Seeing it from this viewpoint shows how important that first step is. In Olof's case it is the placing of the ad for a housekeeper. For Ellen, it is running away from (we think) a loveless marriage.
what I was wondering is that perhaps her husband was a pilot,
fighting in a war.. woman was alone.. saw an ad ... eventually the husband died
and that is ther reason why is she in black when she came back again
what do you think?
I thought the flying theme was odd, but the husband in the plane seems to be reaching a bit.
shareYes, she's in black because she's mourning her husband, that much is obvious. It is the only way she can come back without guilt and give herself to Olaf. But we cannot guess how he died.
As for the airplane and the bird sequences: the common theme is flight. Flight, freedom, conquering nature, imitating nature, soaring for joy in the clouds, etc. Olaf is learning how to "fly" for the first time, and Ellen is flying free. Nice metaphors, in my opinion.
The airplane, despite being a war machine, caused me to have even more exaltation at their love. The silence, the lack of jet sound added so much.
Yet once, the jet was up close and roaring.
What a wonderful and beautiful film! They all seemed to understand H.E. Bates so well.
And who knew as much about love as Mr. Bates?
Belated (5 years later) thanks!
I guess that also relates to the 1956 Ford....