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

TOTW 03/09: What Was the Attraction?

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ohiomyown:

--- Quote from: HerrKaiser on May 26, 2009, 07:52:59 pm ---Even waterboarding wouldn't get that out of me!  ;D

--- End quote ---

Oh shoot!

Kerry:
This is such a fascinating topic and I have very much enjoyed reading all the different points of view expressed. I particularly enjoyed Buffymon's photo montage. Thank you Buffymon. I've been trying to clarify my own thoughts on this. And try as I might, I just can't seem to do it. It's very difficult to define what exactly happens when two people fall in love. It's a mysterious thing. Indefinable. A feeling in the gut, not in the intellect. And certainly not in the vocabulary. I'm not saying that it's totally impossible to describe, just that I personally am incapable of doing so. I remember when I saw my George for the first time. It was then that I realized what the expression "butterflies in the stomach" meant. How can one define such a mysterious, irrational phenomenon? Anyone who has ever fallen in love will know what I'm trying to rattle on about. I suspect that neither Jack nor Ennis had any idea of what was happening to them. And by the time they did, it was too late. They were "each glad to have a companion where none had been expected."  They were hooked. They were in love.

Marina:
What a great topic!  I've thought about this a lot too - what attracted them in the first place. 

They were "each glad to have a companion where none had been expected." 

This came to my mind as well - they were both sort of thrown together for the summer, whether they liked each other or not, just the two of them in that beautiful but isolated environment, and having to rely on each other, so I always think they grew to love each other over time.    If it had been in another time, another place, it might not have happened.

When they first meet each other waiting at the trailer, Ennis is just so closed off, fidgeting, almost intimidated.   Jack is more outgoing and curious about this other guy he'll be working with, but I think he had a little bit of fear as well, only where Ennis pushes his feeling down and inward, Jack's are more outward, a lot of showy swagger and bravado, but they each share the same feeling, I think, both 19 years old, unsure of themselves, lonely, especially Ennis, trying to make their way in the world and already having received a few hard knocks in life.    Ennis I think found Jack curious in the beginning, and is pleasantly confused by Jack's being so talkative, and Jack brings Ennis out of himself.   It's such a huge turning point when he says "That's more 'n I spoke in a year."  I don't wonder if Jack had another same sex experience or two before they met, because he seems a lot more comfortable with his feelings than Ennis does, or maybe he's just one of those people who goes with what he feels, even in such a repressive time.   But he certainly brought out deep, strong emotions in Ennis, not just the intensity of their sexual feelings, but other emotions, like love.   I think everyone can identify with that kind of youthful love, when it's given so freely, nothing you've ever felt before, and as Judy said above, they complemented each other too.   I always think of a line from a song "a strong heart flows over, and empty heart fills."   Just my opinion.  :)

Katie77:
You know, maybe they didn't realize it was actual LOVE until they saw each other at their reunion.

There is no doubt they were attracted, playful, comfortable and sexual with one another on the mountain, but they still could walk away from one another after that, not knowing if they would ever see each other again.

The reunion scene was such an awakening of outward emotion, that once they locked together, they both knew that they were never ever not going to have each other in their life.

Monika:

--- Quote from: Katie77 on May 26, 2009, 09:35:32 pm ---You know, maybe they didn't realize it was actual LOVE until they saw each other at their reunion.


--- End quote ---
That´s how I think about it. I think it was first then that they realised how strong their bond was, that´s it indeed wasn´t a one shot thing.

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