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

Were Jack and Ennis Lucky?

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Brown Eyes:
When you think about Jack and Ennis and their relationship, do you perceive them as having been lucky... in having found one another and in the experience of great passion/ love (even if unspoken) for one another?  Even with all the flaws and tragedies that we see them experience through the course of their relationship... in the end were they lucky for the experiences they did share together?

Way back in the beginning of my Brokie experience, I recall one of my first reactions to seeing BBM in the theater was about how lucky I felt Jack and Ennis were to have had the passion for one another that we see (again, even despite all the tragedy and heartache).  I wonder how our own personal life experiences might color how we respond to this question.  For me personally, I've never experienced the kind of longstanding great romance that we see Jack and Ennis grapple with, so I'm sure this impacts how I respond to their love story.

BelAir:
maybe in the sense of "better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all"...

somedays I understand that sentiment quite well, other days, I'm like, what a load of horse sh*t.

lucky to have known love with each other perhaps.

but no, I don't think 'lucky' is a general word I would use for them. because I can think of so many ways they could have been 'luckier.'

 :-\

and yes, I think you are right that our own experiences with love color our perceptions...

optom3:
I have to say, my own view is that the worst thing possible is to have loved and lost.This is of course based on my own experience. Sometimes for me the phrase, waht you've never had you never miss, seems more apt.
To love and lose, aprticularly if it is down to your own actions, is the worst feeling ever. Some of the SS is soooo  true, when it is mentoned that Ennis " is suffused with a sense of pleasurebecause Jack Twist was in his dream"
I know that feeling far too well.Sometimes I will even try t go back to sleep to see if I can recapture the dream. I am so reluctant to move an inch as I just want to hang on to the remnants of the dream for as long as possible.

So I guess I do not think Jack and Ennis were ultimately lucky.In fact I think they were bloodied beaten and just worn down by it all.That si what I think the final scene bythe lake was trying to portray.They both come across at that point as broken men.

Brown Eyes:

I understand what you're saying about the pain of frustration, regret and loss, which we clearly see both Ennis and Jack go through in their own ways.  But, I keep coming back to the idea that... at least from my perspective, they were tremendously lucky to have had such a passionate experience together.  If they hadn't had their relationship, it seems to me that both of them might have gone through life sort of numb or living dull, mundane, passionless lives. If Jack only had Lureen and the Newsomes in his life and if Ennis only had the mundane marriage with Alma it seems to me that their lives would be much less full (maybe that's sort of an obvious observation).  And to me, I think I would chose a difficult and passionate relationship over a dull and maybe easier existence.

pnwDUDE:

--- Quote from: atz75 on July 12, 2008, 10:52:18 pm ---When you think about Jack and Ennis and their relationship, do you perceive them as having been lucky... in having found one another and in the experience of great passion/ love (even if unspoken) for one another?  Even with all the flaws and tragedies that we see them experience through the course of their relationship... in the end were they lucky for the experiences they did share together?
--- End quote ---
Given the era, I think they were very lucky. All the circumstances were right and they got to experience not just the man/man interaction, but falling in love. That which is missing even today.


--- Quote ---Way back in the beginning of my Brokie experience, I recall one of my first reactions to seeing BBM in the theater was about how lucky I felt Jack and Ennis were to have had the passion for one another that we see (again, even despite all the tragedy and heartache).  I wonder how our own personal life experiences might color how we respond to this question.  For me personally, I've never experienced the kind of longstanding great romance that we see Jack and Ennis grapple with, so I'm sure this impacts how I respond to their love story.
--- End quote ---
I think many wish they had what Jack and Ennis had, even if it was "every four fuckin' years?"  :)
This is the common denominator ala Brokeback Mountain. What makes it different than the usual love story is the homosexual component. It also beautifully bridges that gap between homosexuality and hetrosexuality. We can and do fall in love the same way.

Brad

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