Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Comparison between '03 to '05 screenplay: would we still be discussing this film
jpwagoneer1964:
--- Quote from: latjoreme on September 26, 2006, 03:08:19 pm --- .
Back to "one-shot thing." When Jack says it in the story, it seems like "it's nobody's business but ours" -- a reassurance for Ennis. When Ennis says it to Jack, it seems like a setting of the ground rules.
To me, it's a prolonged, more complex dramatization of the story's "without saying anything about it both knew how it would go for the rest of the summer."
--- End quote ---
Well put. You notice how up with the sheep after "You know i ain't...." Jack and Ennis just sit there close just a few inches apart, to me it's so important how that scene is held. I don't think they hardly said a word until we see Ennis by the tent, but I'll bet they rode down together, and fixed supper, barley inches apart the whole time.
dly64:
--- Quote from: latjoreme on September 26, 2006, 03:08:19 pm ---Back to "one-shot thing." When Jack says it in the story, it seems like "it's nobody's business but ours" -- a reassurance for Ennis. When Ennis says it to Jack, it seems like a setting of the ground rules.
The way I interpret it is, after leaving the camp Ennis rides along mulling over the night before. The death music sounds ominous, but Ennis seems less disturbed than thoughtful. Then the dead sheep -- a warning. But he kills the coyote, as if vanquishing the bad omen. He thinks about the situation all day before Jack shows up, deciding this is an opportunity. He might as well take his "one shot" at living the way he'd secretly like to.
To me, it's a prolonged, more complex dramatization of the story's "without saying anything about it both knew how it would go for the rest of the summer."
--- End quote ---
I understand your rationale … it makes sense. The story definitely follows this logic. The biggest thing that holds me back with that explanation for the film, however, is right before TS2. I mentioned this before. Help me to understand your POV…. The 2005 screenplay states:
Ennis, pensive, glances over towards the tent. Decides. Gets up. Goes to the tent.
If they were setting the “ground rules” (which is what they do in the story), what would Ennis have to decide? Why is he thinking before going into the tent? It seems to me that he knows if he goes into that tent (which he wants to do, but is scared) they will continue what had begun the night before. Isn’t that his decision? To continue what has begun, or to stop it?
serious crayons:
I see what you are saying about the "decides." Setting that aside just for a moment, what it appears to me that he's doing when he's sitting by the fire is gathering up his courage. He's nervous but excited, maybe thinking something along the lines of, "OK, here we go. Am I ready for this? I hope so." Meanwhile Jack, inside the tent, looks like he anticipates Ennis coming in and is getting undressed in preparation. When Ennis does go in, they both look like that's exactly what they expected to happen.
So what about the "decides"? I guess from this perspective it means either that he decides that OK, here I go, now's the time, or maybe that he is still harboring some tiny bit of doubt and decides to ignore that and go for it. Or maybe it's just one of those stage directions that fell by the wayside, like the one about Ennis sending Carl a murderous look.
In any case, even if the "decides" just doesn't make sense under this interpretation, to me it makes no less sense than Ennis' open-ended verbs in "this is a one shot thing we got goin on" under the other interpretation. That is, either way you look at it, you have to ignore something incongruous. But if I have to ignore something I guess I'd rather have it be in the screenplay than the movie itself.
dly64:
--- Quote from: latjoreme on September 26, 2006, 07:55:38 pm ---I see what you are saying about the "decides." Setting that aside just for a moment, what it appears to me that he's doing when he's sitting by the fire is gathering up his courage. He's nervous but excited, maybe thinking something along the lines of, "OK, here we go. Am I ready for this? I hope so." Meanwhile Jack, inside the tent, looks like he anticipates Ennis coming in and is getting undressed in preparation. When Ennis does go in, they both look like that's exactly what they expected to happen.
--- End quote ---
OMG, Katherine! I never thought of it that way at all ... but I love the interpretation. Hmmmmm ..... guess I'll just have to watch it tonight with that in mind! ::)
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: dly64 on September 27, 2006, 10:05:31 am ---OMG, Katherine! I never thought of it that way at all ... but I love the interpretation. Hmmmmm ..... guess I'll just have to watch it tonight with that in mind! ::)
--- End quote ---
That's very dedicated of you to make that commitment in the name of research! ;)
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