Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Double meanings: Lines that can be taken more than one way
Meryl:
--- Quote from: belbbmfan on June 04, 2006, 03:38:03 am ---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.
--- End quote ---
You're right, belbbmfan, it does show Heath's greatness as an actor. But even more, I think this is an example of the greatness of Ang Lee's and the screenwriters' genius in taking something that doesn't exist in the source material and creating a sequence that, when all is said and done, lays the groundwork for everything that follows.
How do you convey to a film audience the exact point where friendship turns into romantic involvement? It's right here that we are shown Ennis's conflict and Jack's anxiety and get a true sense of how much they care about each other, their touching vulnerability. When Ennis sits down next to Jack on the mountain, the suspense is incredible, and it's only completely relieved when he kneels outside the tent that night. Throughout the whole sequence, the music supports the emotional undercurrents superbly. This for me is where Movie Ennis and Jack soar way beyond Story Ennis and Jack and enter another plane entirely.
--- Quote ---In the end, the only thing Ennis can do is give himself over to what he really wants: to be comforted and loved by Jack
--- End quote ---
This is what I love about Movie Ennis and Jack. They don't just treat the sex as recreational, as in the story. There's a silent acknowledgement of its seriousness, as the eye contact and tender kissing in the second tent scene shows. Without this, I know I wouldn't have cared as much about them, cried over them, been haunted by them (and over-analyzed them). I'm just really, really glad Ang Lee knew how important this was and insisted on including it, not to mention the fact that in Heath and Jake we were given actors who could make it all work so beautifully.
--- Quote ---From Mikaela
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.....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.
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Great example, Mikaela. I love the way they tread lightly around each other's personality quirks or flaws. No finger pointing or laughing, snide comments, etc. Ennis is reasonably tactful about Jack's bad shooting/getting thrown by the mare/playing bad harmonica, too. ;)
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: Mikaela on June 04, 2006, 08:30:21 am ---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.......
--- End quote ---
Great example, Mikaela! I don't know if I've heard audiences laugh (the audiences I've seen it with are apparently a pretty somber bunch), but you are exactly right that it goes from being a light, funny line to one with more depth and seriousness and meaning. It's there in Jack's pensive reaction, but also in Ennis' face: that quick half smile, then the long direct "Yeah, I'm serious" look that follows.
I would say that tough/fragile contrast in Ennis is apparent in lots of scenes. Outside Aguirre's trailer, he's simultaneously both the cool iconic Marlboro Man cowboy and a pathologically shy introvert. In the bar with Jack, he starts out pretty taciturn, but you see him gradually warming up, hardly believing that anyone would be interested enough in him to ask about his life and offer sympathy.
--- Quote from: meryl on June 04, 2006, 03:27:20 pm ---This is what I love about Movie Ennis and Jack. They don't just treat the sex as recreational, as in the story. There's a silent acknowledgement of its seriousness, as the eye contact and tender kissing in the second tent scene shows. Without this, I know I wouldn't have cared as much about them, cried over them, been haunted by them (and over-analyzed them). I'm just really, really glad Ang Lee knew how important this was and insisted on including it, not to mention the fact that in Heath and Jake we were given actors who could make it all work so beautifully.
--- End quote ---
Wow, Meryl! You have really nailed it. I am also one of those who loves Movie Ennis and Jack much more than their story counterparts (shhh, don't tell TJ). I've always chalked it up to the movie characters having more depth and complexity and wrestling with more profound issues (particularly, Movie Ennis' internalized homophobia, which changes it from a story about how intolerance obstructs human lives, to a story about how intolerance warps human souls.)
But you are so right -- a big difference is in their attitude toward sex, which in the story seems a basically recreational activity but in the movie becomes a more serious expression of love. (The story may well intend to suggest that, too, but that idea does not come across as powerfully for me.)
Brown Eyes:
--- Quote from: meryl on June 04, 2006, 03:27:20 pm ---This is what I love about Movie Ennis and Jack. They don't just treat the sex as recreational, as in the story. There's a silent acknowledgement of its seriousness, as the eye contact and tender kissing in the second tent scene shows. Without this, I know I wouldn't have cared as much about them, cried over them, been haunted by them (and over-analyzed them). I'm just really, really glad Ang Lee knew how important this was and insisted on including it, not to mention the fact that in Heath and Jake we were given actors who could make it all work so beautifully.
--- End quote ---
Heya,
I'm back from a weekend away... and again I feel like there's sooo much to catch up on here!
I'll second what Katherine said about this observation, Meryl. I agree, that Lee goes a long way towards making their relationship (physical and otherwise) seem profoundly serious (even in the lighthearted moments... which are often hardly lighthearted once you stop and think about them). I've/ we've noted before that the flashback scene seems much improved in the movie by Ennis straining to try to look at Jack in the face (in profile) during the hug, whereas in the book Ennis avoids looking at Jack's face. In fact, all the deep eye contact especially in the 2nd tent scene cements the seriousness of what they're doing I think. Eye contact is a huge factor in their initial bonding too. I think it's very smart to point out Jack's sympathetic look towards Ennis as Ennis half-jokes about "that's the most I've spoke in a year." Ennis notices the eye contact and responds to it. Seeing that sweet look on Jack's face I'm sure went a long way towards Ennis feeling even more comfortable opening up further to Jack.
This issue of "lighthearted" moments that really aren't so lighthearted afterall is interesting in relation to the topic of this thread I think. Even Jack goofing around and mimicking what it's like to ride a bull contains a nugget of saddness in it. First of all, he's responding to some serious teasing from Ennis. Ennis glances in a sly way over his cup at Jack after he says the thing about his Dad thinking rodeo cowboys were f*** ups. Ennis here is insulting something that's deeply important to Jack... yet instead of really getting angry (as he could have done), Jack sort of swallows the insult and takes the opportunity to draw Ennis out more (to make him laugh). But, we all know also that Jack isn't really the most skilled rodeo cowboy... and so his joke about the hitting the dashboard is a bit of sad self-awareness maybe. And the fact that he falls down even in pretending to ride a bull, I think signals Jack's general struggles as an "underdog" figure plagued by disappointment. As Jake has said, Jack seems to be trying all the time to make things work (in bull riding, in his relationship with Ennis's etc.) and in most cases his efforts aren't rewarded in quite the ways that he hopes. I mean, as far as Ennis goes, his efforts are certainly rewarded in some ways (he knows Ennis loves him and they manage to have their strained relationship as we've seen), but he doesn't really get the commitment he wanted (well, until after he died). And with the rodeo, well, we see him win one rodeo so sometimes it works out. But, like a lot of other things in his life, you get the sense that the rodeo just turns into yet another disappointment.
"The rodeo ain't what it was in my Daddy's day."
Brown Eyes:
OK... new double meaning line (forgive me if this has been hashed out already, but it's been on my mind lately).
"This is a one shot thing we got goin' on here."
Does Ennis mean (at this precise moment when he says it) that he doesn't intend to have sex with Jack again. As in- "that was the only time that will happen"- i.e. "It was a mistake and I was drunk." Or, does he mean "you're the only man I'll have sex with (this is an anomaly in my life)." Or, does he mean "we'll only do this up here on Brokeback and once the summer is over, we're over." ??
???
Most importantly... how does Jack hear this line? It's unclear to me. He changes the topic a bit with the "nobody's business but ours" line. Our boys are often changing the topic in coversations with one another (in the motel, etc.). Does this conversation lead to some of the confusion at the end of the Brokeback summer?
And perhaps most confusingly... the screenwriters give the "one shot" line to Ennis, but in Proulx's story Jack says it.
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: atz75 on June 05, 2006, 08:02:43 pm ---Does Ennis mean (at this precise moment when he says it) that he doesn't intend to have sex with Jack again. As in- "that was the only time that will happen"- i.e. "It was a mistake and I was drunk." Or, does he mean "you're the only man I'll have sex with (this is an anomaly in my life)." Or, does he mean "we'll only do this up here on Brokeback and once the summer is over, we're over." ??
--- End quote ---
I pick C, it's just for the summer. He does intend to continue the thing for now, though. He knows how he feels about Jack and realizes that this is a big chance for him (Ennis) to be 19 and do what he wants. But he's also cognizant of his upcoming marriage, and believes that once they descend back into society that's all over, "this thing" can't work.
--- Quote ---Most importantly... how does Jack hear this line? It's unclear to me. He changes the topic a bit with the "nobody's business but ours" line.
--- End quote ---
Hmm. A little less clearcut, but I am guessing Jack is being very careful to tread lightly here and not hit that startle point. Hence the "Me neither." So while maybe he doesn't want to acquiesce too readily to a summer-only agreement, possibly holding out hope for beyond that, he certainly can't risk saying so. Best to change the subject.
--- Quote ---And perhaps most confusingly... the screenwriters give the "one shot" line to Ennis, but in Proulx's story Jack says it.
--- End quote ---
IMO, some of those changes came from a decision that I suspect the filmmakers made to make Jack's and Ennis' characters more distinct. In the story, they seem more distinguished by their actions than their personalities (Jack wants to live together, Ennis doesn't). But in the film, they're immediately recognizable as very different people. I think outlining those differences led to rearranging some of the lines.
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