Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
"Jack, I swear..." What do you think Ennis meant by that?
UntamedFriesian:
I think what Ennis meant by that line was that if he had it to do all over again he wouldn't have been so afraid to commit to Jack and he would have started that life with him and been happy. I think when he was talking to his daughter about her upcoming marriage he realized then that life is what you make it and he'd made a big mistake by not committing to the one person in his life he really truly loved and now it was too late.
--Friesian
HerrKaiser:
--- Quote from: Ladyeve on January 28, 2007, 08:06:37 am ---It was the closest Ennis could come in making any kind of declaration of his love for Jack.
--- End quote ---
to me, 20 years of making very difficult time commitments to meet and the obvious desire to be with Jack moreso than his wife, as well as his apparent monogamous relationship with Jack (no other men), is quite a declaration of love. It seems many people like or need to see headlines and fireworks in order to believe what another person is feeling. Parenthetically, consider the rampant need by the media and public and politicians to get "apologies" for errors in judgment people make; it is never enough to know by body language, actions, changes in course, etc, that a person is repentant...people want the graveling, the 'on your knees and apologize' thing. Likewise, it seems that our pop culture has difficulty accepting a man like Ennis who is not a grandstanding, overt, love-exhibitionist type person. He is inward; his actions, movements, expressions, demonstrate his love for Jack. Witness his picking up Jack's saddle gear, unasked, and loading it into the pickup (last scene together). Then his nervous rubbing of the chrome, knowing his announcement of having to miss the August meeting would set Jack off. Ennis is insightful, caring, doing, helpful, commited and loving. It did not take Jack's death to make him realize what he had; yes, he did realize what he lost because Jack was gone, and his "I swear", again in my brain, is his commitment to continue his love and cherishing of Jack forever. Ennis will not be going to Mexico or the nearest gay bar for companionship; Jack will remain his man until his own end.
Rayn:
to me, 20 years of making very difficult time commitments to meet and the obvious desire to be with Jack more so than his wife, as well as his apparent monogamous relationship with Jack (no other men), is quite a declaration of love.
Ennis who is not a grandstanding, overt, love-exhibitionist type person. He is inward; his actions, movements, expressions, demonstrate his love for Jack. "
Yes, this is very true and the rest you've written is very well said and insightful. I agree with most of it, but still think, through no fault of his own, Ennis just had too many "irons in the fire of love" to see clearly that his best shot was Jack and when considering him, I am always drawn back to the knowledge of his intense fear of actually living with another man, that fear, hammered into him as a boy, crippled his chances for a comfortable love relationship with any man. While Jack's death is terribly tragic, Ennis's fear is a great tragedy too. Had Ennis never be traumatized by his father, he might have been able to work something better out with Jack where both were happier.
Peace,
Rayn
HerrKaiser:
thanks Rayn, your points are interesting and I enjoy your insights.
But, we have to remember that even Jack said to Ennis, "why haven't you found anybody to marry". Alma did this as well, even though both knew perfectly well where Ennis' desires were focused. Such a set of mixed-messages can be confusing to anyone, particularly if he is living in the pre-out of the closet period, and definitely in a part of the country that is still limited in its open-armed acceptance of gay relationships. Ennis was being pulled in several directions and for a non verbal person, his responses to such would appropriately be silence, to a large extent. Had, after all their time together, I been Ennis, my response to Jack's query about getting married again would have been "what are you talking about? You b- -tch and moan about the time we don't spend together and now you're wondering why I don't get remarried?"
Remember also Jack never divorced his wife; while he claimed their marriage could be done "on the phone", he said he would hook up with Ennis but he never really put his money where his mouth was. Hence, Ennis, as insightful and feeling as he was, and not a mind reader or able to predict the future, used the data he had to make a very comfortable, workable, and enjoyable long term relationship.
Plus the 'actually living with another man' was, to me, a semi-permeable road block to what they may have had, but not a deal breaker. I do not think Ennis ever said that is what he wanted; rather he said it was what could get them in trouble. Very different.
Peace Rayn! and a great day!
moremojo:
--- Quote from: HerrKaiser on February 14, 2007, 12:01:40 pm ---Remember also Jack never divorced his wife; while he claimed their marriage could be done "on the phone", he said he would hook up with Ennis but he never really put his money where his mouth was.
--- End quote ---
I think Jack very clearly would have left Lureen if he had a guarantee that Ennis would be there to pick up the pieces, and we have evidence in two scenes: at the campfire, post-reunion, when Jack states with aplomb that they could start up the "sweet life" with money that L.D. would likely give Jack for divorcing his daughter, and post-divorce, when Jack redlines it to Riverton with only Ennis's terse postcard to fuel his happiness that their moment has arrived.
I think Jack stayed with Lureen for the same reason he married her--for the material rewards and protection that the union afforded him. But he would have chucked it all if Ennis had shown any willingness to forge the kind of life that Jack really wanted for the both of them.
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