MovieChat Forums > Carnivàle (2003) Discussion > OMG. The tarring...

OMG. The tarring...

posted 13 years ago by pastaandcake
16 replies | jump to latest

This is the third time i have seen it and it makes me queezy every time. Ugh. When they put it in is mouth and the steamy sounds. YIKES. What horror. Imagine peopl really did that. How disgusting.

[–] CyberGhostface-1 13 years ago

Yeah it's one of the hardest things to watch on the show IMO.

[–] CognacJacquet 13 years ago

I think the only tarring & feathering I had seen prior to this was in an old comedy. I never really thought about the fact that the tar would have to boiling to remain in a liquid state. That scene was horrendous.

[–] cockeye991 13 years ago

Which made the healing even more satisfying and moving... damn i love that scene.

- Jesus Christ !
- ... on a bike...

[–] mirta1 13 years ago

I only ever saw it on a chidren's version of Huckleberry Finn they showed on BBC - people being moved in the distance after the tarring and you didn't think about it. This showed the true horror of it - a terrible way to kill someone (not that there is a good way.)

[–] Bel_Zedar 13 years ago

Regrettably, it's very true.

It used to be the standard punishment in Northern Ireland in the late 60s, early 70s, for Catholic girls who went out with Protestants.

EDIT: Forgot to mention they went the extra yard - and shaved her head.

[–] Marionj2 13 years ago

Horrifying scene - followed by one of the best scenes ever on TV, as Jonesy realizes his knee has been healed as well.

[–] hbh-2 8 years ago

There's a good tarring scene in Hells on Wheels too, though recorded some years later...

[–] fuchsiasattic 12 years ago

Augh, I know. I didn't realize until recently, when a character was tarred and feathered in a movie, how absolutely horrible that is.
I think I've seen a lot of messed up scenes in movies, but seeing him getting tarred and feathered in "Carnivale"...aughg. I gasped really loudly and flinched when the tar went in his mouth. It's been a while since something in a movie (or show) made me react like that!

[–] genetics_freakk 11 years ago

ME TOO. It was horrible. I thought there were going to stop at his chest but nope, they put it in down his mouth!! OH my gosh!! I would have fainted/blacked out if I was Libby...I would not have been able to handle someone that I love get all tarred up like that.

I suppose it was "worth it" because Ben healing him was such an amazing/beautiful scene. I was ECSTATIC and getting teary eyed for Jonesy

[–] ChristmasTiger 11 years ago

Oh my God yes. I honestly think that the tarring scene and the following healing scene were one of the most heart-breaking, moving and powerful scenes I've seen on television in a while.

Which kind of makes me even more irked that he then gets shot by Sophie in the end. And now Libby has to go through thinking he ran away or left her. I wish they hadn't killed Jonesy in that last scene.

[–] kyussnz 9 years ago

yes
where did such a heinous act come from in human history, is this originally an american slave hate thing ?

[–] Zuider_Zee 9 years ago

No. The practice began in Europe and was brought to the Americas by the British.

[–] ptuk-1 9 years ago

If you look it up on Wikipedia tar and feathering was actually non lethal, it was used to cause psychological shame, the type of tar used was different to the hot tar depicted in the show, the "tar" used in reality was pine tar, a completely different substance, with a much lower melting point, the fact they went with hot tar made it that much worse and when Libby tried to pull it off only to remove his flesh, it was a pretty horrible scene.

[–] kurt7825 8 years ago

i just read that to

[–] Dejay 8 years ago

Thank you for pointing that out! I can sleep much better now lol.

[–] musicmankb 8 years ago

I completely agree. I'm usually pretty numb to violence on screen but damn! This actually made me feel sick and overwhelmingly sad at the same time. What a absolutely brutal scene! But the payoff was pretty great.