Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
TOTW 03/09: What Was the Attraction?
optom3:
I always felt that Ennis knew what he was feeling for Jack once they came down from BBM. hence the alley scene.It gives more away in the S.S as it is described as," Ennis felt like someone was pulling his guts out, hand over hand a yard at a time."
Later on at the reunion scene, he tels Jack it took him a year to figure out that he should never gave let Jack out of his sights. Then comes for me one of the saddest lines in the S.S. 'too late then by a long, long while"
It is so devastating to hear Ennis in effect admit to what he was feeling, I wanted to jump up and down for joy, and run round saying, Oh yes, oH yes , he gets it !!
Then my heart dropped like a brick when he says it was already too late then. I sometimes scream at both the book and film at those points. In the alley scene in the film I'm shouting run after him you idiot, you will never get this chance again.
In the S.S, reunion scene, I want to scream at him when Jack says we got to figure what to do, and Ennis responds, "I doubt there's nothin now we can do " Yes there is you idiot, grab what you both have and run as if the devil himself was on your heels.
I read the S.S first and I just knew then, there was going to be no happy ending. I also knew that they were both not only in love with each other, but that Jack's ever present optimism would not save the day. I remember listening to coldplay, fix you and thinking how appropriate the words are. " when you love someone but it goes to waste, could it be worse"
So what was the original attraction,maybe it was simply the fact that Jack liked to talk and found a listener with Ennis. Then as time progressed Ennis, naturally taciturn slowly discovers that it is quite refreshing for a change to do some talking himself. The both drew things out of each other, allowing each the time to slowly blossom and become, particularly Ennis,more rounded beings.Ennis admits he has talked more than he has in the past year. There is no recrimination there, it is an admission of fact and even surprise that he actually enjoys talking.
In the film I am sure looks played some part in the attraction, although I am not convinced that at the time Ennis had the slightest clue what was happening,but the look J ack gives Ennis when he firsts sees him is IMO definitely one of attraction.Ennis seems more to be checking out this guy who he is going to be spending the summer with.
In the S.S I love the way that mention is made of the fact that less and less time is spent with the sheep and more with each other, this even before TS1. It almost resembles a courtship dance, nothing admitted, yet at the same time an unspoken desire to spend more time with each other, and less doing their job. For me the S.S is more illuminating than the film, where after TS1 it says " without saying anything about it both knew how it would go for the rest of the summer, sheep be damned"
Interesting too is the use of the word damned, with all its connotations, particularly for Ennis.
It always seems to come back to the same thing though, that opposite attracts, and when attraction and love grab you, most people are poweless to resist, no matter how hard they may try.
As the words "there aint no reins on this one" so powerfully indicates. It is a force which is out of control and at the same time uncontrollable. You can turn your back, you can run a million miles, but you will not escape, indeed how could you ever, that love is now internalised, it is part of the very fabric that is you, it adds a new dimension to you and therefore in part defines you.
To try and run from it, is as futile as thinking if you run far enough and fast enough you will escape from yourself.
Katie77:
Regarding the line....It took me a year to figure out........
I think that has to do with his marriage to Alma, and the feelings he had with her, compared to the feelings he felt being with Jack. When he left Jack after Brokeback, he had his plans to marry Alma, that is why he did not think of anything happening again with Jack. Obviously, not long into the marriage, he realized that he did not feel the same about Alma as he did about Jack, but by then Alma Jnr was on the way, or born, and it was too late.
Front-Ranger:
I also have enjoyed reading the responses here, especially the many responses from new people. I'm so glad you all have been inspired to write! A related question could be "was it love at first sight?" I for one believe that it was. I believe in love at first sight, because it has happened to me. I think there is something instinctive that helps us recognize a person who would be an ideal partner. Think about it...we go through our daily lives interacting with many people and then, one day, someone comes along who knocks us off our feet. What is it about that one person? It may be the sound of their voice, their smell, or the way they look. It could be a subliminal something. But, maybe I'm overthinking it. I look at Jack and Ennis and think, what's not to be attracted to??
sel:
Buffymon,
I enjoyed the picture-story very much.
This thread, for me, has brought back a "tsunami" of emotions, it felt like when I watched BbM for the first time, and didn't know what the hell was happening to me.
Since I watched the movie the first time and read the SS (after seeing the movie) other Brokies'point of view have helped me in getting a better understanding of Jack's and Ennis's feelings.
This is my point of view as it stands now.
I agree with Fiona on:
--- Quote from: optom3 on May 27, 2009, 12:08:40 pm ---In the S.S I love the way that mention is made of the fact that less and less time is spent with the sheep and more with each other, this even before TS1. It almost resembles a courtship dance, nothing admitted, yet at the same time an unspoken desire to spend more time with each other, and less doing their job. For me the S.S is more illuminating than the film, where after TS1 it says " without saying anything about it both knew how it would go for the rest of the summer, sheep be damned"
--- End quote ---
I will add:
"They were respectful of each other's opinions, each glad to have a companion where none had been expected. Ennis riding against the wind to the sheep in the treacherous, drunken light, thought he's never had such good time, felt he could paw the white out of the moon".
From that I have always got the impression that Ennis up to that moment had never been that happy in his life, by Jack he was accepted the way he was, taciturn and reserved.
IMO for Jack it was more of a love at first sight, whereas for Ennis the falling in love was gradual, Ennis learnt to appreciate Jack as a person and the way Jack treated him.
When it comes to TSN1 I have always felt that Ennis wasn't that unprepared at all. Annie Proulx writes ".... nothing he'd done before but no instruction manual needed". I have always interpreted that as "They were 19, had their sexual fantasies, Ennis might have tried to push a certain type of fantasy right at the back of his mind but not so successfully. When TSN1 happened he grabbed it, he knew what to do, never mind that later he said to Jack he was a one shot thing. By TSN1 they were in love."
loreen:
Great topic!
I believe that Ennis looked upon Jack, his easy way, talking , dreams, singing... everything seemed so easy for Jack. I believe that impressed Ennis... OK; besides other things... ::)
Jack, on the other side, wanted to pull out the beauty of Ennis's soul, which he believed was hidden deep inside his fears and childhood trauma.
I know that it is a simple way of seeing it, and I'd add the freedom of the mountain, the fact that they only had each other, the physical attraction, their youth and many other things. Still fro Jack was a certain thrill of chase, and for Ennis an admiration for his new friend who accepted him so naturally and easy.
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