Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Why is the "dozy embrace" in the film?
dly64:
As I was reflecting back on the “dozy embrace”, I started to think about Ennis’ POV. We, the audience, know that this is Jack’s recollection. Whether or not the film negates or supports the suggestion that Ennis holds Jack from behind because he “doesn’t want to see or feel that it Jack he holds” is irrelevant. The only hint I get is from Annie Proulx’s “Getting Movied” essay is when she says (in regards to Ennis) … “…the moment mixed with childhood loss and his refusal to admit he was holding a man.”
What does BBM represent? IMO, it represents a place without constraints, societal conditions and expectations. The mountains, in general, represent freedom … the points reaching up to the sky. It is the grandeur of BBM that transports Jack and Ennis to another place and time … the feeling of invincibility and invisibility. It is just the two of them and nothing else matters.
Back to this very tender and intimate moment. This is one of the few times where Ennis is comforting Jack, not the other way around. (We see a reflection of this during the lake scene in TS3). Does Ennis see Jack’s vulnerability at that moment? Does Ennis know what it means (to Jack) to feel loved, soothed and held? In addition to Ennis’ parents, Jack is the most important person in his life. Is it that, at that moment, Ennis becomes his parents … the comforting mother who sings a lullaby and the homophobic father who could not bare the thought of holding a man?
Just food for thought.
Brown Eyes:
Back to the topic of what Cassie means when she tells Alma Jr. that she "gets her point across"... I agree that I think Cassie is stuck on the "good enough" part of the conversation. My guess is that Cassie thinks that Alma doesn't like her and is nearly insulting her to her face. I don't think Cassie ever figures Ennis out either.
Samrim:
<< If they saw each other more often, maybe Ennis would stop lighting up like a 10,000 watt lightbulb when he saw Jack>>.
I love that nakymaton, ;D Ennis DOES light up everytime he sees his 'friend' (I wanted to use 'lover', or 'beloved' or 'little darlin' there, but like Annie, little is more). Anyway, Alexander's Hephaistion was his 'friend' too in my deeply loved Mary Renault stories.
As an off topic aside I saw 'Alexander' recently, and enjoyed it a lot (our Mr Preato was behind the camera again I gather), but hated the characterization of Hephaistion as an over madeup catamite. In M.R. he was Alexander's alter ego.
Sorry for the diversion! ::)
Front-Ranger:
I think Alma Jr. and her dad were very close. They both didn't speak much but they both were close studies of the human condition. Both of them were very perceptive about others, for the same reason--lack of parental love and attention. Watch and listen as Alma Jr. and Ennis talk in the cab of his truck. They finish each other's sentences, they complete each other's thoughts. Alma Junior is really Ennis Junior. When Alma says "You're good enough" it's really Ennis talking, with the implication "...but you're not Jack."
dly64:
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on July 28, 2006, 04:59:37 pm ---I think Alma Jr. and her dad were very close. They both didn't speak much but they both were close studies of the human condition. Both of them were very perceptive about others, for the same reason--lack of parental love and attention. Watch and listen as Alma Jr. and Ennis talk in the cab of his truck. They finish each other's sentences, they complete each other's thoughts. Alma Junior is really Ennis Junior. When Alma says "You're good enough" it's really Ennis talking, with the implication "...but you're not Jack."
--- End quote ---
That's an interesting thought. A quick question .... even though Alma, Jr. and Ennis complete each others' thoughts and sentences, are you also saying that she (Alma, Jr.) did not get the parental love and attention she needed from Ennis (who she is close to)? If you are saying that Ennis did not give his kids the emotional consideration that they craved, I would agree with that. I would also agree that Ennis did the best he could to show his daughters that he loved them. But, as with Jack, Ennis could not express his feelings of affection for anyone and used work as a way to keep those he cared about at bay. Ennis had a way of unintentionally hurting those who were closest to him.
As for Alma, Jr.’s comment to Cassie …. are you saying that Alma. Jr. knows Ennis is in love with a man (at that moment)? Or that she is just reflecting Ennis’ thought that Cassie is a distraction?
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