Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Double meanings: Lines that can be taken more than one way
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: Mikaela on June 03, 2006, 08:08:19 am ---
As to what everyone (Jack, Cassie, Alma) sees in Ennis; - I think they see or sense his *strength*. Not only the visible physical one, but his immense mental strength - coupled with strong *passion*. The guy is a veritable volcano of passion and emotions waiting to erupt, as he demonstrates in that one scene where it initially is Jack who holds back, not knowing how far he'll be allowed to go...... The ones who love Ennis are the ones who actually sense all of this, and probably think they can find the means to unlock his strength enough for it to also encompass them, to support them, to make them strong by extension. And they hope to find the means to unlock his emotional side aw well, something that only Jack actually manages to do, having the "right key to turn the lock tumblers". That's such an unbelievably apt image. All that passion Ennis keeps under lock and key.........
Unfortunately for everyone, Ennis uses nearly all his immense strength not on opening up and giving, but on keeping himself tightly in check, tying himself into knots, keeping his nature and passions repressed and out of sight away from everyone including himself, under such pressure that the eruptions are few but very spectacular.
--- End quote ---
Extremely well put, Mikaela. You've really captured his appeal. There was a similar discussion here a while back about why Jack and others would see in Ennis. To me it's obvious (and I'm not just talking about his appearance, though there is that, too). In fact, I was kind of amazed that anybody would question it. Yes, he's repressed and difficult, but his underlying passion is so evident that his difficult traits only add to his mystique.
Your use of the phrase "tying himself into knots" made me think of a double meaning to Jack's line, "Let's get, unless you want to sit around tying knots all day." That sort of summarizes their future relationship too, doesn't it?
Meryl:
Your use of the phrase "tying himself into knots" made me think of a double meaning to Jack's line, "Let's get, unless you want to sit around tying knots all day." That sort of summarizes their future relationship too, doesn't it?
Wow, that's a great observation, Katherine! 8)
The ones who love Ennis are the ones who actually sense all of this, and probably think they can find the means to unlock his strength enough for it to also encompass them, to support them, to make them strong by extension.
As usual, you hit the nail on the head, Mikaela. There's monumental strength in Ennis, and who wouldn't want to be encompassed by it? But as so often happens in a really great character, the opposite quality is also present--fragility--and I think that makes those who love Ennis want to reach out to him, much as they would to a hurt child, and be a comfort and help to him. What a powerful combination! Heath achieves this so superbly, too: you can just see him clapping a lid on Ennis's fear and anger, clenching his jaw and putting on a hard or stoicly indifferent face; but suddenly there is the most beautiful soft, benevolent, cherishing look that comes into his eyes, coupled with a blindingly beautiful smile. He makes this seemingly nondescript man infinitely desirable, to those with eyes to see.
His struggle is more with his own personal internalized homophobia and childhood demons, and that struggle has thankfully been put to rest there in the final scene. However by not making him rail against society’s homophobia at all, the message of the film becomes all the more heartbreaking...
That's so true! And it makes me think of another line with a double meaning: "I think my Dad was right." :'(
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: meryl on June 03, 2006, 12:48:41 pm --- But as so often happens in a really great character, the opposite quality is also present--fragility--and I think that makes those who love Ennis want to reach out to him, much as they would to a hurt child, and be a comfort and help to him. What a powerful combination!
--- End quote ---
Meryl, this description is wonderful, too! That tough/fragile combination is really irresistable. That's why I find the scenes of emotional or vulnerable Ennis (the second tent scene, the alley, the Twist ranch, etc.) particularly compelling. Yet his emotions are usually at least partly hidden from everyone but us, the viewers.
belbbmfan:
--- Quote from: meryl on June 03, 2006, 12:48:41 pm ---Heath achieves this so superbly, too: you can just see him clapping a lid on Ennis's fear and anger, clenching his jaw and putting on a hard or stoicly indifferent face; but suddenly there is the most beautiful soft, benevolent, cherishing look that comes into his eyes, coupled with a blindingly beautiful smile. He makes this seemingly nondescript man infinitely desirable, to those with eyes to see.
--- End quote ---
Meryl, I couldn't agree more. I think the transformation from 'stoic' to 'desirable' in the scenes between the first and second tent scene shows what a great actor Heath Ledger is. Despite the storm of negative emotions he must have gone through (confusion, guilt, shame) after leaving Jack in the morning and going back to the sheep, iint the end, the only thing Ennis can do is give himself over to what he really wants: to be comforted and loved by Jack. And all of this accompanied by the beautiful music by Santaolalla. Truly wonderful.
Mikaela:
--- Quote ---From Katherine
Your use of the phrase "tying himself into knots" made me think of a double meaning to Jack's line, "Let's get, unless you want to sit around tying knots all day." That sort of summarizes their future relationship too, doesn't it?
--- End quote ---
Yes it does - it's a double meaning line if there ever was one. Wonderful observation. :)
I think my using the "tying himself in knots" line bears testament to how all these double meaning lines actuallly work their subtle ways on the viewers. That is not an expression I use very often - and it just seemed so appropriate there. No doubt Jack's line and its deeper significance helped me along though I'm not sure I was consciously aware of that at the time!
--- Quote ---From Meryl
But as so often happens in a really great character, the opposite quality is also present--fragility--and I think that makes those who love Ennis want to reach out to him, much as they would to a hurt child, and be a comfort and help to him. [ ] ....suddenly there is the most beautiful soft, benevolent, cherishing look that comes into his eyes, coupled with a blindingly beautiful smile.
--- End quote ---
**Takes time out for a mini Ennis swoon**
Meryl, what a lovely, perceptive post. :)
Oh, the fragility - the fear of not measuring up, the loneliness, the self-doubt, - not to use stronger words....
I do wonder though whether Cassie and Alma realizes there's that fragile side of Ennis. He doesn't consciously *let* them see it, but female intuition and all....they should sense it. Somehow I don't think they ever see the depth of it, though.
But Jack certainly sees it, has seen it all the while since their first meeting. And just as importantly, as time goes by, Ennis *allows* Jack to see it. That stricken look of Ennis's after he's related the story of Rich and Earl - those little puffs of breath as he exhales after having kept himself tightly in check during that dreadful tale..... Jack reaching out gently to stroke his cheek...... still leaving Ennis space, but understanding, and showing he understands. Meep.
After all this time and so much discussion, this is still immensely powerful.
There's another scene and line where that fragility is apparent, where the double meaning stands out epecially because of the different reactions from the movie audience and the listener in the film: When Ennis says "Hell, that's the most I've spoke in a year", the cinema audiences have never failed to laugh heartily whenever I've seen the film. Heartily, but not long. It's a funny comeback, and there haven't been too many of those! Ordinarily, you'd expect the listener in the movie to laugh as well, because it's a joke, right? Ennis made a joke - wooo-wee! Or...did he? Jack's reaction, contrary to the audience's, is pensive, serious, compassionate, fond..... he knows that there's too much truth to what Ennis says, and that's not something to laugh about. He senses the overwhelming loneliness in the line. Because of that difference in reactions, the truth about the "joke" hits the audience quickly, and the laughter dies.......
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