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

Jack's and Ennis' gaydar

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fernly:

--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler ---I wish we had more evidence to go on for Jack, although presumably he wasn't alone on that mountain the previous summer. ...

--- End quote ---

There's one line in the story that implies maybe Jack was alone the previous summer, or at least that if he wasn't, there wasn't much of any kind of anything going on with the other sheepherder:
"each glad to have a companion where none had been expected."

Midnight24:
I was at first confused about how Jack was coming onto Ennis without really knowing how he was going to react, but before the first tent scene I've noticed that after watching it a few times there are small hints of flirting and hints of what might happen. I think some parts show that Jack is a little gay before the first tent scene, but I really don't know how he figured it would be alright to come onto Ennis in that tent that night.  ;)

Jeff Wrangler:

--- Quote from: fernly on June 30, 2006, 02:39:10 am ---There's one line in the story that implies maybe Jack was alone the previous summer, or at least that if he wasn't, there wasn't much of any kind of anything going on with the other sheepherder:
"each glad to have a companion where none had been expected."

--- End quote ---

That's a good point, Fern, and I admit it slipped my mind previously. I've kind of explained that line to myself as meaning that they were both pleased to be paired up with another guy of the same age who turned out to be fun to hang out with, a real, well, companion--I'm thinking in particular of Annie's description of the night Ennis simply had so much fun hanging around the fire with Jack, talking and drinking, that he thought he could paw the white out of the moon. Maybe the year before Jack had been paired with some cranky old Basque who had nothing in common with an 18-year-old ranch kid, so even before he fell in love with Ennis, he could have been mighty happy to be working with a guy his own age, from a similar background.

As for much of Film Ennis's behavior in those early scenes at Aguirre's office, for myself, without any really good evidence to fall back on, I just chalk it up to Ennis's being shy. I've said that before. Again, nothing I can really point to as "proof" that Ennis is shy, it's just one shy person (me) thinking he recognizes another.

dly64:

--- Quote from: julie01 on June 30, 2006, 03:12:04 am ---I don't kniow if Jack was picked up one night by a sailor, or spent a month with a man cremating sheep (as in my story), or had a friend at home, but he sure ain't no virgin. There are about 50 signs before the first tent scene that he is after Ennis...if I have to enumerate them, I will.

To compare Jack's initial action in the first tent scene with Ennis's FIVE MINUTES LATER is ridiculous. All this time, Jack has been workng very hard.

Not only is Ennis a virgin, he has no sense of sex. This is of course pretty rare for a 19-year-old boy. (It may have to do with what his father did to him when he was 9, probably so, since he seems perefectly healthy sesually later; probably his shyness is part of the same package.)  Jack realiazes this, and that making Ennis feel like his friend isn't going to move Ennis into sexuality. Ennis could spend the whole summer sitting around yakking with jack, perfectly happy. It isn't an accident that Ennis is three times as drunk as Jack the night of the first tent scene. Something has to be done.

Jack's work is never doine,..until he dies. That finally does it...yeah, great timing.

Well, that's my take.
--- End quote ---

I respect your opinion, but I completely disagree with everything you have said.

In the short story .... "each glad to have a companion where none had been expected." ... I agree with Jeff_Wrangler's response:


--- Quote ---I've kind of explained that line to myself as meaning that they were both pleased to be paired up with another guy of the same age who turned out to be fun to hang out with, a real, well, companion--I'm thinking in particular of Annie's description of the night Ennis simply had so much fun hanging around the fire with Jack, talking and drinking, that he thought he could paw the white out of the moon. Maybe the year before Jack had been paired with some cranky old Basque who had nothing in common with an 18-year-old ranch kid, so even before he fell in love with Ennis, he could have been mighty happy to be working with a guy his own age, from a similar background.
--- End quote ---

I don't think either one of them saw themselves as gay (while up on BBM). In an interview with Jake Gyllenhaal, he says: (I am the queen of quotes ... it is one of my many faux pas ... so bear with me):

"And this movie was like, it has no bounds. Like, these aren't, in my belief, these aren't two, like gay guys. These are two people who fall in love. And, you know, from the environment that they're in, which is incredibly lonely, and, you know, they find each other."

http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s1459509.htm

In another interview:

... Your character is quite gregarious, especially compared to Heath's character, Ennis.

"Yeah. I think there's a part of him that wants to progress and wants to change and wants things to move forward, and is constantly kind of pushing Ennis to come out of his shell. But it's that dance between the two of them that I think makes the two of them fall in love."

http://movies.radiofree.com/interviews/brokebac_jake_gyllenhaal.shtml

As for Ennis having no sense of sex, I heartedly disagree. Ennis knew what he was doing FNIT. The short story says that "no manual was needed." Yes, Ennis was a virgin, Jack was not. However, IMO, it was both Ennis' and Jack's first time with a man. I think that if they both would have been sober this would have never happened. Both of their inhabitions were down.

Lastly, (I swear ....  ;)) here is part of an interview from Heath that talks about the FNIT et.al.:

Question: How did you prepare on an emotional level for the big tent scene?

Heath Ledger: The way we looked it and the way it is is that there are not actually love scenes for the sake of doing a love scene. There are actually stories within each of those moments. The first moment for Ennis was very poignant because it had to be rough; it had to be fighting. He was almost ready to punch him. Once that all settled it had to be this innate passionate adrenaline. It just takes over him. There's another moment in the tent where it was really important to show a glimpse of Ennis in a vulnerable state. It is true intimate love they have for each other. It has to set up the tragedy for the story. It set up the freedom of Brokeback Mountain.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news05/brokeback1.php

So, to make a short comment long, IMO, neither of them expected to find this kind of relationship on BBM, but they did. It was a surprise to them as well as to the audience.

Jeff Wrangler:
Diane,


--- Quote ---(I am the queen of quotes ... it is one of my many faux pas ... so bear with me):
--- End quote ---

Don't apologize for the quotes, "little darlin'." I envy you your ability to track down these things.  :D

Jeff

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