Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
TOTW 03/09: What Was the Attraction?
ohiomyown:
--- Quote from: Katie77 on May 26, 2009, 09:35:32 pm --- but they still could walk away from one another after that, not knowing if they would ever see each other again.
--- End quote ---
No, I cannot agree that they "could walk away from one another". As I saw it they crawled away from one another - in misery.
Ennis with his head down, retching in an alley, his guts feeling like they were being pulled out of him, hand over hand.
Jack driving slowly down the street, unable to look ahead, but could only look in the rearview mirror, hoping Ennis would flag him down
and either go with him or stop him from leaving. They knew - but also knew this was expected of them . . to go forward.
I have never liked or agreed with Annie Proulx giving Ennis the line "took me about a year to figure out I should never a let you outa my sights."
*paraphrased, of course* It's my opinion that he knew it was a mistake to let Jack drive off - but was helpless to even imagine a way to shape a future so far out of society's acceptance - or his own acceptance, for that matter.
BTW, might as well open up this other can of worms . . any normal people who had worked together all summer, and who could stand each other even a little bit would have parted differently than AP had them part. Jack would have offered Ennis a ride to the highway at the very least. They had come down a month early, neither one was expected anywhere in a big hurry, so Jack conceivably could have offered to take him all the way or part way to Riverton. But I think they (Ang, AP) didn't allow that - cause once Ennis was in Jack's truck, they'd have more freedom. They might start thinking creatively (after they had sex 16 times, of course) about their future. Anyone ever think it strange how they parted?
Judy
Ellemeno:
Monika, I love your captioned image series. Love love love it. I would love to figure out a way for it to be stand alone visible for everyone to see.
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: Ellemeno on May 27, 2009, 12:47:37 am ---Monika, I love your captioned image series. Love love love it. I would love to figure out a way for it to be stand alone visible for everyone to see.
--- End quote ---
I know! Monika, you did an amazing job with those. The captions were perfect! Fabulous.
Penthesilea:
--- Quote from: ohiomyown on May 27, 2009, 12:40:14 am ---BTW, might as well open up this other can of worms . . any normal people who had worked together all summer, and who could stand each other even a little bit would have parted differently than AP had them part. Jack would have offered Ennis a ride to the highway at the very least. They had come down a month early, neither one was expected anywhere in a big hurry, so Jack conceivably could have offered to take him all the way or part way to Riverton. But I think they (Ang, AP) didn't allow that - cause once Ennis was in Jack's truck, they'd have more freedom. They might start thinking creatively (after they had sex 16 times, of course) about their future. Anyone ever think it strange how they parted?
Judy
--- End quote ---
Yeah, the "why didn't Jack offer Ennis a ride?" question came up before.
This question works only for the movie, though. In the short story, Ennis had his own truck, and the parting was a bit different:
"Right," said Jack, and they shook hands, hit each other on the shoulder, then there were forty feet of distance between them and nothing to do but drive away in opposite directions.
They did go through the "normal" parting process of two guys who had worked together all summer and liked each other - in the way socially acceptable for two guys: shake hands, give each other a slap on the shoulder. That's about as much affection as two guys can show openly (given the time and setting of the story).
And offering a ride wasn't in the cards, obviously, when both had trucks.
Monika:
The parting scene...it's so hard to say because we only have glimpses of what happened up on Brokeback. But I think that Ennis made it very clear to Jack that it only was a one-shot thing and that's why Jack doesn't push the issue once it's time to part ways, and why he doesn't offer Ennis a ride. Jack knows they are gonna go their separate ways, and wants to do it as painless and quick as possible. And that's also why there are no hugs, or holding of hands. To do that would just be too awkward.
Ennis is, as he is throughout the movie, convinced that "it can't be fixed" whatever feelings he might have for Jack.
I´m glad you liked the pics!
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