Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
"I was supposed to control the weather"... Jack and the Wind
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: starboardlight on May 21, 2006, 01:27:36 pm ---What's the coffee pot metaphor?
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Somewhere around here there is a thread discussing this. It started with buckets. The poster (damn, I hate not being able to give proper credit but as usual I can't remember who posted this brilliant observation) noticed that buckets keep appearing at key points throughout the movie. While setting up camp, Jack carries buckets overflowing with water (i.e., their relationship) and sets them down by Ennis. Ennis knocks over a bucket on his way into the tent in TS1. Later, he angrily kicks one when he's fighting with Alma -- and the bucket's full of ashes. He drops a bucket when Jack suggests he move to Texas. I think there are others. If you missed that one, I'll see if I can find it for you, because it was great.
So that led to a discussion of coffee pots, with people noticing that the coffee pot seems to represent Jack, while the bucket represents Ennis. Ennis is washing out a coffee pot in that early scene when he's standing in the river and worriedly watches Jack ride up the mountain. The morning after TS1, he opens the tent flap and the first objects in view are a coffee pot and bucket (now uprighted). In the dozy embrace scene, the coffee pot and bucket are standing cozily side-by-side on the grill. Jack's mom serves Ennis coffee. In Ennis' trailer, there's a coffee pot on the stove, and he serves Alma Jr. coffee. There are probably others I'm not remembering.
--- Quote ---It also serves to explain why the sad flashback to Ennis's childhood appears to take place in the most arid and desert-like landscape of the entire movie, a contrast to the rushing waters of Brokeback Mountain and all that they symbolize.
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Hey yeah, Mikaela! Good one. And while we're on that subject, the last time I watched I noticed the ominous music we hear in that flashback scene sounds a lot like the ominous music when Ennis finds the dead sheep.
serious crayons:
Hey starboardlight, I just found the thread I was referring to. In fact, it's still active on this very board. It's called "on buckets, eagles, impatience and ..."
http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php?topic=569.0
Now I can properly credit Front-Ranger for her brilliant discovery of the bucket motif. Here is one of her really good observations:
--- Quote ---The last time I saw the bucket, my heart sank. Jack and Ennis were camping beside a stream and for the last time Jack suggested that Ennis leave Riverton and come and live near him in Texas. Ennis responds angrily and while he is berating Jack, a bucket starts to float down the stream. Silently I cried out, Ennis, your life and all your chances for happiness are floating away! But Ennis just kept grousing about how Jack was a big thinker (dreamer). Jack F**king Twist.
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And further on, Amanda lists all the bucket and coffee pot references. A good one she spotted that I'd forgotten about is where Ennis says "the only traveling I've ever done is around a coffee pot looking for the handle."
Brown Eyes:
Hooray for buckets and coffeepots!
OK, so now I've been thinking a bit about dialogue and parallel and/ or wierd moments when the same of similar lines of dialogue are repeated. I started thinking about this because of the August observation above. At the end of the first summer Ennis is angry at the idea that Aguirre wants them to leave early and exclaims "but it's the middle of August"... and at the end in the argument (as has been noted above) Jack asks "what the hell ever happened to August?" So, it's not exactly the same, but a really noticeable and important parallel. Another example... The fact that Jack's Dad uses Jack's catch phrase, "tell you what..." also seems important as an indication of family ties and habits and as a sad reminder to Ennis of Jack.
So, here's the one that I just noticed last night and I have no idea what to make of this (it's OT as it doesn't seem to have much to do with wind or water). When Aguirre comes to tell Jack about his uncle in the hospital as Jack's chopping wood, Aguirre says "your Ma sent me to tell you so here I am." When Jack comes to Wyoming for the surprise visit to Ennis in the post-divorce scene he uses the exact same phrase... "I got you card about the divorce... so here I am." He even says that phrase in a very similar way to how Aguirre said it. Why would this phrase be repeated in these two contexts? The scenes seem to have little to do with one another. Any thoughts?
twistedude:
Don't know (like Randall, '
Don't know."), but Jack never controlled anything, except the soul of the nman he loved, by dying...
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: atz75 on May 21, 2006, 07:30:59 pm --- Another example... The fact that Jack's Dad uses Jack's catch phrase, "tell you what..." also seems important as an indication of family ties and habits and as a sad reminder to Ennis of Jack.
So, here's the one that I just noticed last night and I have no idea what to make of this (it's OT as it doesn't seem to have much to do with wind or water). When Aguirre comes to tell Jack about his uncle in the hospital as Jack's chopping wood, Aguirre says "your Ma sent me to tell you so here I am." When Jack comes to Wyoming for the surprise visit to Ennis in the post-divorce scene he uses the exact same phrase... "I got you card about the divorce... so here I am." He even says that phrase in a very similar way to how Aguirre said it. Why would this phrase be repeated in these two contexts? The scenes seem to have little to do with one another. Any thoughts?
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I don't have the answer to this. But Amanda, these verbal repetitions could almost be a whole new thread. I certainly have noticed the "Tell you what." I'll try to see if I can think of any others. ...
... OK, here's one. It's not hugely original, because we've talked about it before. But anyway: "What's your name?" "Ennis ... Del Mar." (And I love, in the Cassie scene, that odd little half-smile Ennis gives after saying that.) Oh, and another example of this line is the cute funny way (despite the sad context) he signs his last postcard with his whole name. Like if he just said "Ennis," Jack might be left wondering which Ennis it could be.
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