Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Importance of the Jimbo Scene
Brown Eyes:
I think that during these 4 years before the reunion that Jack was trying to find an Ennis replacement. I doubt he had much of an inkling that the relationship with Ennis would be rekindled during most of those 4 years.
In the past there's been discussion about Jimbo being somewhat similar to Ennis in appearance (he wears a white cowboy hat, wears an Ennis-type shirt, has a similar build, etc.)... which to me signals that Jack was looking for a substitute Ennis. Similarly, in the Mexico scene when he walks down the alley way, he's in fact following another man who could be seen as a pale substitute for Ennis (the other man has a white hat on, pale clothing, etc.). His motivation at the time of the Mexico scene I think is much different than the Jimbo scene. In the Jimbo scene Jack probably feels that he's mostly completely autonomous and independent. In the Mexico and in the Randall scenes he knows he's embroiled in a complicated relationship with Ennis.
In the Jimbo scene, I don't think it at all trying to be "just one of the boys" hanging out for a beer. I think that he was trying his hardest to flirt and to try to pick Jimbo up under the uncomfortable glare of the bartender watching. To me it looks like Jake Gyllenhaal is working his eyes for all they're worth in that scene to try to convey the idea of flirting.
mariez:
--- Quote from: atz75 on August 18, 2008, 11:49:11 pm ---... But, I feel like this aspect of the scene... the frustration over finding a partner... hasn't been discussed so much in this context.)
--- End quote ---
Thank you for this very thoughtful post, Amanda. You've given me an additional perspective, and I always like that! I'd always thought of the "Jimbo scene" as the screenwriters' way of inserting the information we get from this little bit of conversation from the reunion as written in the short story:
...You do it with other guys? Jack?”
“Shit no,” said Jack, who had been riding more than bulls, not rolling his own.
Of course, this brings to my mind one of the differences between the ss and the film. Jack struck out with Jimbo in the film. According to ss, he didn't always strike out, but if someone hadn't read the story, I'm not sure they would get that impression from the film alone.
Marie
Mandy21:
I always interpreted that scene as an act of humiliation from "society" towards Jack. A judgment on him. And he left, feeling lower than low. And then the next night he goes back, and it's an entirely different game, and all of a sudden, he's the star quarterback, so to speak, and the prom queen is all over him. I thought that the point of those two scenes was the dichotomy of how your life can change, from hell to heaven, in the blink of an eye. Even though it wasn't exactly hell, and even though she didn't turn out to be heaven for him. It was just like meeting Ennis. Jack was just plodding along, scraping by, living without real love day after day after day, and then -- BOOM -- Ennis comes into view. And everything Jack ever knew before all his life, has changed irrevocably.
rlh03:
I often wondered, too, about this scene. Ennis was gone, Jack wasn't sure where; but I think he knew how much he loved Ennis, even then. He was heartsick, being alone, always thinking of Ennis, Ennis, Ennis. Maybe he was trying to get luchy in the Jimbo scene, and there were probably other scenes the same. but I think he was really in the throes of despair. These others, when they were, satisfied a physical thing, but also let him feel and imagine for just those brief moments, that he was again with his Ennis. And once it was over and he was alone again, he was alone still.
Katie77:
Maybe its just an explanation showing, that he was not having much luck with the boys, and why he finally ended up with a woman.
He had probably taken the Jimbo thing as how it was always gonna be, if he wanted a man.....it was all too hard..(excuse the pun)....so when Laureen started flirting, and it was so much easier, he fell into it.
Two such different nights....one of rejection and almost humiiliation with Jimbo.......the next night, handed to him on a platter.
As he danced with Laureen, and the song was playing "No ones gonna love you like me".....Jack was daydreaming about someone else, another time, another place, but realized that in the real world, this is what was expected and this was how it was gonna have to be.....
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