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

Double meanings: Lines that can be taken more than one way

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tiawahcowboy:
In the movie, Ennis was on his way to the men's room when Cassie dragged him in the opposite direction to the dance floor. It would have been typical for a polite cowboy not tell a woman whom he did not personally know that he had to go to the restroom.

If he REALLY had to go to the restroom to get rid of the beer overflow and he didn't, he would have ended up with Levi's with a rather big dampt spot that had no connection with "the clear slick."

Oh, back in the 1960s, I knew a gal who went to state college to get herself a MRS. degree. But, she was as plain or plainer than Alma was portrayed in the movie; and she was just an average student grade point wise. I forget the name of the guy whom she married; but, his nickname was "Grasshopper" and he was from her home town and was never a college student. He looked more like the AP Ennis.

nakymaton:

--- Quote from: latjoreme on June 01, 2006, 01:20:58 pm ---I'd like to think one of the effects of that transformation is that society has a bit less influence on him now than it had for the previous 20 years.

--- End quote ---

I'm a bit hesitant to talk about the references to religion in the movie. But, well... I think that the whole business about going to the Methodist church (Jenny singing, Monroe catering, etc etc) touches on society's influence on Ennis.

Let's see if I can trace this out. I think that the references to the Methodist church (none of which are in the story, I know ;) ) both serve to paint a realistic picture of the relationship between community and religion in a small town, and serve as a metaphor for Ennis's guilt about his sexuality.

The references that I can remember...

"You might be a sinner, but I ain't yet had the opportunity," which came right after Ennis's first reference to his parents being Methodists. Yes, there are plenty of other things that might be regarded as sins, but given that the first tent scene happens later that night, I read the line as reflecting Ennis's views of his own sexual desires.

The Lord's Prayer in the wedding scene, when the camera focuses on Ennis during "...and lead us not into temptation..." The message, to me, is that Ennis is desperately hoping to avoid slipping back into what he considers "sinning."

Before the 2nd fishing trip shown, when Ennis's daughters ask if he'll be back in time for the church picnic. Ennis doesn't want to sing. He's teasing the girls, and given the reputation of Methodists for singing, the line rings true to me. (My parents, they was Methodists... ;) ) But Ennis is also pulling away from the social life of the church. It's as if he doesn't entirely buy into the whole "sex with Jack is sinning" business... though he hasn't come to terms with his feelings about it, either.

Then there's the line about "that fire-and-brimstone crowd" that Mikaela brought up earlier in this thread. By that point, Ennis has pulled away from the social life entirely. It's as if he knows that society doesn't approve, but he doesn't feel that it's wrong, not in the same way that he used to. But he still cares what society thinks, enough to withdraw from society entirely.

Ennis plans to pick up Alma Jr. after church between the last two fishing scenes. I don't have an interpretation for this, except maybe that Ennis is fully withdrawn from the social life at this point.

And then, at the end of the movie, Ennis doesn't want to go to the wedding... but he eventually decides to brave it. As if, like you said, Katherine, Ennis no longer cares what society thinks about him. Not in the same way.

Maybe.

tiawahcowboy:
It is interesting how the screenplay writers and the movie's final cut took the following comment even related to religion from the short story and really made a big deal of it.


--- Quote ---Jack tried a Carl Perkins song, bawling "what I say-ay-ay," but he favored a sad hymn, "Water-Walking Jesus," learned from his mother who believed in the Pentecost, that he sang at dirge slowness, setting off distant coyote yips.
--- End quote ---

While an overwhelming majority of Pentecostals do believe that "hell" and/or the eternal place of punishment, aka "the lake of fire," exist, believing that is not even required for a person to be a Pentecostal or just merely believe in the Pentecost.

Every Believer who is called "Christian" by others or self-identifies with that name believes in the Pentecost.

As far as United Methodist Church people being a "fire and brimstone crowd" is concerned, I seriously doubt that. It is Pentecostals and Southern Baptists, more so the latter, who preach about fire and brimstone.

Back in the fall of 1965, I went to a Sunday evening service at the local UMC where I was teaching. The worship leader said they were going to learn a new song and it was "How Great Thou Art." I found that funny since Baptist and Pentecostals had been singing the song for more than 15 years.

serious crayons:

--- Quote from: nakymaton on June 01, 2006, 01:53:55 pm ---I'm a bit hesitant to talk about the references to religion in the movie. But, well... I think that the whole business about going to the Methodist church (Jenny singing, Monroe catering, etc etc) touches on society's influence on Ennis.
--- End quote ---

Hmmm! Really interesting analysis, Mel. I've always wondered about all those church references, too. And I think you've found a good way to interpret them.

You catalogued the church references in Ennis' family well, (though I would also include the one where he tells his daughters "I wasn't no angel like you and Jenny here, didn't have no wings"). But also, what about the scene at the Twist ranch? That one seems heavy with religious implications, too.

When I mentioned Ennis' redemption at the end I wasn't thinking of it in the specifically religious sense, but maybe there's some religious symbolism going on in it, too. Others have noted that Mrs. Twist is the only character identified as strongly Christian. Yet Mrs. Twist is also the only one who knows about Jack and Ennis and accepts them. So maybe her acceptance, her hand on Ennis' shoulder, the cross on the wall behind her back when she talks to him, the sort of hallowed ambience in the house -- maybe all those signs of both her religious authority and her sympathy are also, in part, a signal of Ennis' redemption. Does that make sense? (My parents wasn't Methodists or any kind of Christian, so I'm kind of winging it here.)

nakymaton:

--- Quote from: latjoreme on June 01, 2006, 04:02:51 pm ---You catalogued the church references in Ennis' family well, (though I would also include the one where he tells his daughters "I wasn't no angel like you and Jenny here, didn't have no wings"). But also, what about the scene at the Twist ranch? That one seems heavy with religious implications, too.
--- End quote ---

I think the "ain't no angel like you and Jenny here" fits in with the examples I gave. I, at least, would leave out the Twist ranch scene (or maybe discuss it in a different sort of discussion of religion). I'm thinking of church, and the church Ennis grew up in, as a sort of metaphor for community or society. (Well, not entirely metaphorical, I guess -- I mean, in a small town, the churches are a huge part of the culture, of the social glue. It's both a strength and a weakness -- church communities help people in times of need, and give people a way to connect to one another. But they also reinforce the sort of, hmmm, cultural sameness, maybe, that is a weakness of rural communities. Rural communities in particular have both a reputation for taking care of their own, and for isolating anyone who seems different.) So I see Ennis's willingness (or unwillingness) to participate in church activities as a measure of how he's relating to his society as a whole. First he's a part of it, and feels as his attraction to Jack is a sin. Then he withdraws from it, partly hinting that there's something wrong with him ("I ain't no angel"), but also partly hinting that there's something wrong with society ("that fire-and-brimstone crowd"). And then with his daughter's wedding, he's simply going to participate -- there aren't any references to sin or guilt. But he's going to be part of the community, in some sort of way.

I can't speak to Christian symbolism at the Twist ranch at all -- it doesn't resonate with me personally. Not saying that it isn't there, but that I'm not the right person to make sense of it.

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