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

TOTW 28/08: All them things unsaid...

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Penthesilea:
Hi BetterMostians,

„Like vast clouds of steam from thermal springs in winter the years of things unsaid and now unsayable – admissions, declarations, shames, guilts, fears, - rose around them.“


What a sentence, isn't it? I think it flows beautifully. Once again, Proulx uses nature as a metaphor. It's also very direct with the insertion, almost romantic. It's this short || of using the word love  (admissions, declarations). But it's also about the impending side (shames, guilts, fears) and a bit hopeless (and now unsayable). In this way, it encapsulates their whole relationship.

But I partly digress. This week's topic is about all them things unsaid, be it from story or movie. Where are moments you feel that things are unsaid, should be said or are short of being said?
There are some well-known examples we've already discussed several times (heck, we have a whole thread about Ennis's „I swear...“), but also less obvious instances.

The topic is not limited to the relationship between Ennis and Jack. To me, for example, it always seems Alma is short of saying something (nothing nice for sure) when Ennis talks about his rodeo experiences at the Thanksgiving scene. She forces a smile, but seems to retain a snide remark.

Another thought: would it have done any good if some of the things indeed had been said?

Let's talk about



All them things unsaid

underdown:
I don't recall anyone saying, anywhere in BBM, 'I love you.'

optom3:
I agree, the big tragedy is no one says I love you.How much guilt does that leave .Never mind Jack and Ennis, what about Ennis and Alma, or Ennis to his daughters, Jack to his son.Even LD newsome to Lureen. How can whole generations of families, never utter those 3 little words ? It seems inconceivable to me.

For me, it would have been heaven to hear Jack say I love you to Ennis, even had there been no response.The reunion kiss, would have been the ideal situation.Or even God I have missed you these 4 years. It kills me that Ennis never says the words,little darlin to Jack, as he does in the SS. I think Jack would have had something more concrete to cling on to. He would I feel immediately have known the importance of those 2 little words from someone as internalised and taciturn as Ennis.

I cry every time I read that part of the SS. He loves Jack, and that is the moment it becomes blindingly clear.

Katie77:
Although the words "I love you" were NOT said, there were many many times that it was shown between them, where the words were not necessary.

The reunion scene, to me being the major one. Those crushing bodies together, chests, arms, hands, faces, lips, heads..........that was far stronger than the unspoken three little words.

Even when Ennis stood at the top of the stairs and said "Jack fuckin Twist".....the look, the smile, the excitement and the complete enormity of the moment, he might as well be saying "I love you".

The did say it many times, they just didnt use the "i love you" words.

Katie77:
I think one of the main things that was unspoken between the two of them was admitting to one another and themselves (especially Ennis), was the fact that they were in a homosexual relationship and preferred that relationship to any other.

When they sat on the mountain after TS1, and said "I aint queer" and "neither am I"...they set a precedent for the next 20years together.

Jack tried to change that scenario, with "It could be like this always", but Ennis stood his ground. For him to go off with Jack permanently, would diffuse the idea, that he "aint queer".

When they sat talking on one of their "fishing trips",Ennis telling Jack about Cassy, it was like he was reinforcing to him, still,  that he "aint queer". Then Jack saying it was the "rancher's wife" he was not only covering up that he was two timing Ennis, he was also trying to convince Ennis, again,  that "neither was he" queer.

It was as if, they had to continue the charade of not beeing "queer" to justify what they were doing, was ok.

Or maybe, especially in Ennis's case, If he thought he wasn't "queer" then no one else would either.

Then in the final lake scene, when Jack admitted he had gone to Mexico, that finally, he was admitting that HE WAS.....and then Ennis broke down, and he too finally admitted the pain and agony he too had been feeling.....in his own way, he was admitting too, finally that HE WAS.

Unfortunately, we never saw them together again, after these admissions.

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