Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Annie says Jack's death is a "test"
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: sfericsf on November 09, 2007, 03:27:23 pm ---I was at first offended also when I read this on TOB... I at first thought, oh, because I think Jack was murdered, I'm not comfortable in my sexuality? WTF?
Then I thought about it and read deeper into it, and applied my own experiences and that with my ex-partners views of it being and accident, and have found the thoery/test to be quite interesting...kind of like a pysche test. Optimist vs. Pessismist. Half full vs. half empty. etc.
--- End quote ---
I'm inclined to agree that how we believe Jack died says a lot about us individually, but not about whether or not we are comfortable in our sexuality.
Now, let me add this: From my reading of the comment through the link, I'm taking "sexuality" as used here as a synonym for "sexual orientation." I'm prepared to entertain the idea that how you view Jack's death may say something about how comfortable you are with sex, but not as litmus test of comfort with your sexual orientation.
Artiste:
Wow!
Maybe Annie can explain!
This is like hurt, or an even anti-gay or a gay test??
Hugs!
Shasta542:
I always argued "accident" on IMDb. I knew a man in my hometown who got killed when a tractor tire came off the rim, so I saw Lureen's explanation as realistic and Ennis's feelings as fearfulness.
Artiste -- it's not an anti - gay test.
Brown Eyes:
--- Quote from: Scott on November 09, 2007, 01:43:55 pm ---There's something about this whole exercise that bothers me. I question the psychology she uses. I don't know of anyone who saw the film who thought it was an accident. I have to think on this for a while.
--- End quote ---
Do you think readers of Proulx's story feel that his death is more ambiguous than the way it is portrayed in the film? I mean... do you think she's in any way more successful in conveying a true sense of ambiguity than Ang Lee was in his representation of this issue in the movie?
In any case... This is a great topic! Thanks for bringing this over here Eric! I do agree that to a very casual viewer of BBM (someone who only watches it once and doesn't spend too much time analyzing it) might not quite understand that the visualization of Jack's death is ONLY Ennis's imagination. But, I do think that a careful viewer understands this and the debates that continue to rage over how Jack died seem to bear this out.
I tend to believe Jack was murdered. And I don't know what that says about my own sexuality or self-confidence. But, for me, while it's definitely possible that Jack could have died the way Lureen describes... it always sounds a little too far-fetched to me.
But, I truly believe that we only can know what Ennis *thinks* and what Lureen *says*, so there's no real way to every resolve the debate. It's a very smart element of BBM I think.
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: atz75 on November 09, 2007, 09:29:24 pm ---But, I truly believe that we only can know what Ennis *thinks* and what Lureen *says*, so there's no real way to every resolve the debate. It's a very smart element of BBM I think.
--- End quote ---
Which kind of reminds me of something I've said before: Ultimately, what matters is what Ennis thinks, not what we think. ;) And Ennis thinks it was the tire iron.
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