What's with the nose thing??

hahahahahahaha! i hadn't noticed that!. or maybe it's got something to do with the homosexy thing.

In 19th century America, a common southern insult was to "give someone the nose". This is comparable to today's concept of "giving someone the bird". It was a very personal insult, and often lead to duels in an attempt to keep one's honor. I don't know if that was the director's intention, but it makes sense.

I don't think it was meant to communicate anything. Matt was raised by Tom and acquired many of his habits and behaviors. I think it was to show they had father/son connection. "Like father, like son" type of thing.

Although Montgomery Clift was never really a 'Method' actor. Method acting allows the actor to become more natural on screen. For example if they had an itch they would itch it. Perhaps both actors had itchy noses? I wonder if there were any pollen or something lurking around near the set?...

Yeah, whenever I scratch my nose, it's not because I have an itch. I want to express a deeper meaning, which I would be unable to otherwise.

The nose scratching, at least that which I noticed in watching the film, seemed to occur at moments of tension and to be a slightly menacing gesture, in concert with the look on his face at the time. I don't think this is entirely random as some have suggested. I think it may be intended as a way to display the free gun hand without actually reaching for the gun. Thus, it signals the readiness to fight without accidentally triggering a duel prematurely. Now, whether this is meant to be a conscious signal or an unconscious habit learned from his surrogate father, I couldn't guess.

the script called for actual nose-picking but had to be modified due to censorship standards in force in the late 1940's.