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

Smokes and Fire

<< < (5/8) > >>

Mikaela:

--- Quote ---Jack lights up on the steps before he introduces himself to Ennis, doesn't he? (He lights up figuratively, too, with a great open smile during the "Your folks just stop at Ennis?" line.)
--- End quote ---

Great observation. Jack's very good at lighting up figuratively - the further the film progresses the less he does it or has reason to do it. Which perhaps ties into the next comment:


--- Quote ---On Ennis's first night going up to the sheep, Jack is also smoking, isn't he? He stands there, smoking, while Ennis rides away?
--- End quote ---

Yes he does. He's holding a cig, but it's after he's watched Ennis ride off that he takes a mighty puff of smoke. It's as if, having watched the one who makes him light up figuratively ride away, he needs the proxy, the comfort that the small literal fire of the cig gives him.


Another "fire" image I've been thinking of is Jack, trying to place his feet as close as possible to their camp fire without actually sticking his boots directly into the fire. It looks as if he's precariously close to being singed and hurt, never quite finding a good, comfortable position that is close to the fire's heat and light without being dangerously close. That does seem to illustrate his relationship with Ennis......

serious crayons:

--- Quote from: Penthesilea on October 16, 2006, 08:11:14 am ---Ennis getting ready to go up to the sheep the very first time, directly when they switch jobs. He's standing besides his horse twiddling with the saddle bag, cigarette first in left hand, then in his mouth as he mounts the horse.
Don't know if there's any deeper meaning to it, but I love this scene. And Ennis little coughing.
Ennis's whole demeanor is so typical here.
--- End quote ---

I love this scene, too, Penth! And especially the cough. Funny -- I was just thinking about this earlier today, before I read your post.  :D


--- Quote from: nakymaton on October 16, 2006, 10:54:03 am ---Thinking back to that half-smoked cigarette at the beginning of the movie... I've always looked at it as a very subtle way of showing us how poor Ennis is. But to play along with the fire-as-sexuality symbolism here, the fact that Ennis puts out his own cigarette, deliberately, by squashing it between his fingers, could also say something about the way that Ennis has repressed his sexuality. (And then he hides it in his pocket!) Maybe pushing a symbol too far, though. I dunno.
--- End quote ---

Mel, any symbol you can endorse is rock-solid (so to speak), in my book. I think you're absolutely right about this one.


--- Quote from: Mikaela on October 16, 2006, 12:34:33 pm ---Yes he does. He's holding a cig, but it's after he's watched Ennis ride off that he takes a mighty puff of smoke. It's as if, having watched the one who makes him light up figuratively ride away, he needs the proxy, the comfort that the small literal fire of the cig gives him.


Another "fire" image I've been thinking of is Jack, trying to place his feet as close as possible to their camp fire without actually sticking his boots directly into the fire. It looks as if he's precariously close to being singed and hurt, never quite finding a good, comfortable position that is close to the fire's heat and light without being dangerously close. That does seem to illustrate his relationship with Ennis......
--- End quote ---

I love both these, too, Mikaela!

And speaking of proxy smoking, how about when Jack is gazing down from the mountain at night at Ennis' fire. And what about the scene where he doesn't gaze at Ennis (i.e., the bathing scene)?

serious crayons:
Oh, I just thought of another one!

Alma: You oughta get married again, Ennis. Me and the girls worry about you being alone so much.
Ennis: Once burned ...

So of course, he's mainly referring to the bad experience in his first marriage. But at another level, the level at which fire=love, he could be talking about Jack: he's been "burned" once and therefore will never get married.

Going too far? Maybe ...

Front-Ranger:
Nah, never too far, never too far....

Going back to the warshing scene, I was struck last time I saw it how the smoke from Jack's exhalation swirls around the out-of-focus image of naked Ennis in the background, further obscuring him (dang!) just at the time when we hear the swishing of alec the warshrag in the bucket of water. It's a potent image.

nakymaton:
Well, I would be skeptical about reading too much into two guys smoking all the time in the early 60's, except for the whole tradition of post-coital smoking. ;D (Geez, I've never smoked, but all this discussion makes me crave... something... too. ;) )

It's interesting how different smoking in a person's arms can look, though. Ennis smoking while lying in bed with Jack is hot enough to make the whole damn motel spontaneous combust (or  maybe that was just the audience). But Ennis smoking while dancing with Cassie seems like a sign of disinterest.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page