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

Hand in glove

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Front-Ranger:
I noticed something interesting about the scene of the last day on the mountain. As Ennis rides into camp, Jack is bent over dismantling the tent and his gloves are prominently seen in his back pocket. But Ennis, as we can easily see when he gets up and walks away, tucking in his shirt, has no gloves. In this scene, Jack seems to have the "upper hand" so to speak, physically striking the camp and even lassoing Ennis by the feet. But then Ennis lashes back at Jack, feeling out of control, and when they are next seen in different shirts, Ennis has the gloves, not Jack. At the bottom of the mountain, Jack says he will go to Lightning Flat to give his daddy "a hand through the winter." Ennis's gloves in his back pocket are visible as he starts the engine on Jack's truck.

Later, the character of Cassie manages to snare Ennis by literally grabbing his hand as he raises it to point at the restroom where he intends to go. She then drags Ennis to the dance floor by the hand. When she asks for a footrub, Cassie literally has Ennis hand and foot.

It was also interesting in the confrontation at the lake scene to see that, while Ennis has his gloves in his pocket again, Jack is holding his gloves in his right hand throughout the scene, even when he has his hand cradling Ennis's head at the end.

moremojo:

--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on September 25, 2006, 05:16:59 pm --- But then Ennis lashes back at Jack, feeling out of control, and when they are next seen in different shirts, Ennis has the gloves, not Jack.
--- End quote ---
The potential symbolism contained in the film seems boundless. Intriguing insights, Lee, to be sure. Your message brought a line from Annie's story to mind (and I'm paraphrasing from memory): "...[Jack] talking about getting up off his pockets and into the control zone." That line has been haunting me lately, and I'm not exactly sure why. It makes me feel sad, in a mysterious way.

Front-Ranger:
Yes that is a haunting phrase, Scott, especially located where it is at the very end of the story as Ennis is reminiscing. Jack almost becomes the man in the moon as he seems to blast off from his pockets into "the control zone" and Ennis, who once felt like he could paw the white out of the moon is left alone with only the can of beans and the spoon handle that looks like a tire iron. Who wouldn't be sad?

More hands: Lureen plays with her infant son Bobby's hands as her parents, with Jack in tow, descend on her to admire the grandchild.

Front-Ranger:
When Cassie grabs Ennis by the hand and drags him onto the dance floor after knowing him for .5 minutes, the song that is playing on the jukebox is "Devil's Right Hand" by Steve Earle.

Ellemeno:
Lee, wasn't "Steve & Earl's Diner" (or something like it) the name of the place you passed on the way to Albuquerque that you wrote about in another thread?

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