Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
The mettle of a man
Front-Ranger:
Jack is pictured in the movie with metal implements often. In one of the first scenes of the movie, he is looking at Ennis in a MIRROR while holding a metal RAZOR, knocking it against a TIN cup. Later in the movie, he is often pictured with his trusty HARMONICA. Still later, he is depicted as the seller of big farm equipment made of tons of metal.
Front-Ranger:
Let us not forget the flashy metal rodeo belt buckle and the lovely clink clink noise as Jack flicks it, setting off the wonderful series of events that follows!!
:D
Front-Ranger:
Then, later, Jack is burdened down with metal watches and his wedding ring that enchains him. This is a heartbreaking shot from the post-divorce scene, where he is actually fingering the wedding ring, while wearing the rodeo belt buckle.
Lynne:
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on March 15, 2007, 03:13:35 pm ---Listening to RodneyFL reading Brokeback Mountain, the phrase "rusty but still useable" lept out at me. Metal appears in the dozy embrace scene, as it should. The rusty phrase is "Time to hit the hay" from Ennis's childhood, said by his mother.
--- End quote ---
Lee - I listened to Rodney's reading today on the way to work and this leapt out at me too - there must be something about the way Rodney says it - I *love* it, btw - way better than the audiobook version, IMO. I scribbled it on an envelope, so I could check this thread, see if it had already been mentioned. There were a few other phrases that I 'heard' differently than I ever have before, so I'm off to look for related posts. :)
Lynne:
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on November 03, 2006, 02:16:14 pm ---There were metal things in Jack's room. The most heartbreaking was the bronzed shoes. There was also a lamp sconce on the wall in the shape of an anchor.
So, we see that Jack had metal things all around them but either he bungled manipulating them (harmonica, truck, farm equipment, rodeo belt, can opener) or was done in by them (tire iron). Was it that Jack's "mettal" was not sufficient for him to survive or that he didn't have the hardness or armour that Ennis did? Or?
--- End quote ---
I knew someone HAD to have discovered the anchor before me! And sure enough I found Lee's post! :D
Tonight at the Castro viewing was the first time I noticed the anchor sconce, and I'm left wondering what it means - so I hope some folks with some sharp analytical skills can help out.
My first impression was that the anchor reference relates to Jack's role in relation to Ennis - that in some sense, Ennis, man of the earth, serves to anchor Jack, who we sometimes interpret as spiritual, air, ephemeral. It's interesting to note that we see the anchor not long before I think Ennis perhaps feels Jack's presence beckoning him to look into the closet nook. Jack's earthly, corporeal presence is no longer able to provide a fixed point for Ennis. Ennis now is left to set his own course - no longer 'anchored' by his relationship with Jack. That the discovery of the shirts in some sense hoists the anchor leaving Ennis the choices of being adrift or setting his own course.
OK - I know I'm flailing about here. What do others think??
-Lynne
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