Final Letter Reading

A very nice, non-cliched composition indeed -- it must have seemed very avante-garde at the time. The "Justice is blind" symbolism went past me, though I don't doubt you it's there.

Expert cinematographer Arthur Miller filmed Ox-Bow under director Wellman, so there's not a chance that covering Gil's eyes during his reading was a filming error. Whether that was truly symbolism for "Justice is Blind" is up to the audience.

But, there's another haunting filmed "eyes" scene that hasn't yet been mentioned.

Mr. Swanson delivers his "lecture" (during the halted stagecoach scene) to Gil that Miss Mapes is now his wife and that Gil had best forget her. Returning to the stagecoach, Swanson opens the coach door - and just before stepping up into the coach - looks back toward the rear of the coach where Gil is still standing. Through that coach door window, Swanson ends his lecture.

That long conclusion is filmed with only the top of Swanson's head and his menacing eyes visible to Gil - and to us. Not showing his back-lit whole face at night looks like sloppy filming, but Arthur Miller never did sloppy filming.

So, Wellman and Miller wanted it that way. But, why? Watch that scene on the DVD and see what you think.


E pluribus unum

I noticed that Gil's eyes were obscured from view by Art's hat when he was reading the letter. It made for a nice shot but I didn't think much else of it.

Perhaps you're right about the symbolism of it but I didn't see how it could stand for justice is blind. Justice was not carried out in this movie and Martin's words were being read so why would there need to be any further symbolism at that point? I don't get it. Where were the scales of justice?


Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

Yes I noticed that since it was very unusual. I did not think of the justice is blind angle tough.





Schrodinger's cat walks into a bar and doesn't.