Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum

Joe Aguirre: what do you think of this character as portrayed in the movie?

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Front-Ranger:
Something just reminded me of what I can't stand about Aguirre and it applies to Lureen as well. Aguirre and Lureen were perfectly happy to have Jack as an employee or a husband and didn't really care if he was gay or straight, as long as he served their purposes. But when he did anything that was outside their comfort level or cost them something, then all of a sudden they condemned him. In my mind, they killed him just as much as those killer mechanics did by their apathy, judgmental attitude, and self-centerdness.

serious crayons:

--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on December 18, 2007, 11:53:41 am ---Something just reminded me of what I can't stand about Aguirre and it applies to Lureen as well. Aguirre and Lureen were perfectly happy to have Jack as an employee or a husband and didn't really care if he was gay or straight, as long as he served their purposes. But when he did anything that was outside their comfort level or cost them something, then all of a sudden they condemned him. In my mind, they killed him just as much as those killer mechanics did by their apathy, judgmental attitude, and self-centerdness.
--- End quote ---

Well, in Aguirre's case I would say that not caring if Jack is gay or straight as long as he did his job is a GOOD thing. That seems like just what you would want in an employer. As a boss, Aguirre's pretty entitled to expect Jack to serve his purpose -- that is, to do his job. And if what Jack did that was outside Aguirre's comfort level was not perform his job well, thereby costing Aguirre sheep/money, then Aguirre seems within his rights to object. I don't see how that's the equivalent of killing him.

As for Lureen, I think she DID care if her husband was gay or straight. And as his wife, she's entitled to care. She expected him to be straight, and when it turned out he wasn't, then she was no longer happy. But I don't think she condemned him; she put up with him, albeit turning her focus on her work and away from her frustrating marriage. I guess I don't see that as the equivalent of killing him, either.

brokeplex:
I read in one of the essays in "Reading Brokeback Mountain" that the expression on Aguirre's (Quaid to be exact)  face in the film was more of pain rather than disgust when he espied Ennis and Jack roiling in the dust. Does anyone else see that?

 I think that Aguirre should have chewed Jack's ass out left and right when he came down to tell him about Uncle Harold. He chose not too do so, he simply scowled. Jack was messing around with Ennis, when Ennis should have been TENDING TO THE SHEEP! Aguirre is in business, and basically the boys were letting the coyotes eat the sheep while they played around. I am amazed at how patient Aguirre was with Jack. I wouldn't have had that type of patience with Jack. I chewed out a straight engineer last weekend for giving me bad data logs on a well, that costs me money to have bad logs.

Aguirre was more patient than me! It is not homophobia, or heterophobia to expect an employee to do finish their tasks.

Now to the comment Aguirre made in the trailer in 1964 when Jack came back for a new job. Essentially, Aguirre was willing to let Jack leave without mentioning his knowledge that Ennis and Jack's affair created an inattention to the sheep. This negligence contributed to the unacceptable financial losses Aguirre suffered that year. Of course Aguirre wasn't going to hire him again! But he didn't bring up his knowledge of their 'affair'.... UNTIL, Jack tried to use Aguirre as a dating service!

" Ennis del Mar ain't been around, has he?"  Wow, what cheek!! I might not have used such a cute euphemism as "stemming the rose" if I had addressed Jack under those circumstances where he lost me money. From the standpoint of Aguirre, Ennis and Jack were simply irresponsible and failed in their tasks.

moremojo:

--- Quote from: brokeplex on December 18, 2007, 03:56:14 pm --- From the standpoint of Aguirre, Ennis and Jack were simply irresponsible and failed in their tasks.
--- End quote ---
Ah, but they succeeded in something much, much more important.

Front-Ranger:
I was reading in True West Magazine that the main reason two sheepherders were sent up the mountain together was so that they could, er, keep each other company through the long summer. Even for the most staunchly straight guy, a whole summer without the companionship of anything but sheep and dogs was just too much to ask.

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