Finishing the story...with hope

[moremojo]

Greetings to anyone reading this:

I am not usually one for reading fan fiction, feeling that it detracts from the story that the original artist(s) presented, but I have come across a few relating to "Brokeback Mountain" that I have found quite moving and memorable. I even made an attempt along these lines myself, in response to a post on the message board for "Brokeback Mountain" on the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com), in which the OP submitted a different, happier ending for Ennis and Jack's story. I wish to share my response here, verbatim as I originally wrote it; the title of this post was 'Re: Pack Your Bags. I'm Coming To Take You Home.', and I wrote and submitted it on March 17, 2006. Here is what I wrote:

Oh gosh...if only it could have ended like this! God, how I want these two beautiful men to be happy together...but alas, it can never be.

Another scenario might preserve the fact that Jack dies, and Ennis is left bereft of his dear friend. But with the passage of time, as he goes on roundup, sits in the bar, or goes to the store or laundry, he notices some glimmer of Jack's familiar beauty in the faces of other men, some spark of that zestful, boyish charm in the lilt of their voices and laughter. He is at first torn, because he loves Jack so much and feels undying loyalty to his memory. But those occasional smiles from Steve or the gratifying sense of warmth from Karl's handshake awaken some primal need within Ennis's heart, that rises to his consciousness and which he finds more and more difficult to ignore.

Ennis slowly begins to realize that Jack is not only a living presence in his heart, but a living spiritual force in the world around him. Some precious essence of Jack is still to be felt--in the very people that remain tangible to Ennis! He may not overcome the fear that impedes his asking Steve over for a beer, but he cherishes more and more the fact that he desires to do so. He still tends Jack's shirt lovingly, and knows that he will always love that bright, blue boy who melted his heart on Brokeback Mountain. But he is also quietly gladdened that his heart is receptive now, not only to one beautiful soul, but to a whole multitude of souls who are equally his brothers in spirit. Ennis loves...and he weeps to himself in humble, private gratitude.

Sheltering Ennis and Jack in my heart,
Scott

[twistedude]

Are you the one who wrote the haiku that ended "blue boy seeking love" in some long-ago place?

Do you remember the Chiese people's thread in which one young man mentioned an ancient Chinese poet writing a poem that began "Oh, that blue, blue shirt of yours"?--to a man...

[moremojo]

Are you the one who wrote the haiku that ended "blue boy seeking love" in some long-ago place?

Do you remember the Chiese people's thread in which one young man mentioned an ancient Chinese poet writing a poem that began "Oh, that blue, blue shirt of yours"?--to a man...

Yup, that was me with the "blue boy" haiku. Here it is in full:

Little dog in coat
Gray-white sheep seeking mountain
Blue boy seeking love.

I do recall the Chinese thread you mention, and remember finding the reference to "that blue, blue shirt" most striking. Do you happen to recall the name of the poet?  All sorts of evocative nuances to this strange, wondrous thing called "Brokeback Mountain".

Cheers,
Scott

[twistedude]

Scott: I wasn't even notified that you'd answered my post..no, I don't know the name of the poet. I remember several Chinese people had a thread, all of them spoke perfect English, and two or three of them knew the poem that began, "O, that blue, blue shirt of yours," and one said, it was written by a man to another man...all dust and ashes ( like many of our threads...)

Speaking of speaking perfect English, littledarlin foundf this in the "Through the Looking Glass" thread (from a pirated Brokeback Mountain, dubbed into a foreign languasge, and then with Engish subtitoles running below--obviously written by ear by somneone who knew about 200 words of English! He took it as his tagline, where I read it and fell in love with it:

We can hug on November, caress and nice oak...

[magicmountain]

What makes BBM fan fiction special?

What makes BBM fan fiction special derives from what makes the original story and film special. Brokeback Mountain is unique in modern cinema in the power of its tragic vision to deeply affect us. It made us look into the dark abyss of loss and the woundedness which follows on from that loss.

It is remarkable then that we can look into that abyss and still find hope. And this hope finds expression in most BBM fiction. For example, in the face of seemingly hopeless loss, there is hope in the belief that somehow, somewhere Jack and Ennis find each other again and are together forever in this life and/or the next. In other fiction, in the face of seemingly hopeless woundedness, there is hope in the belief that somehow Ennis will find healing with the support of others to help him through. Despite the fact that readers' hopes may focus on different possibilities and there is sometimes vehement disagreement about how events should or would unfold, one theme underlies most responses in fiction – the refusal to lose hope.

The power of the BBM story and the strength of the response reflect the fact that Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar represent more than just two people in a relationship. They represent something primal in our psyche – the desire for wholeness and union – and the power of love to overcome even death. That is why the story of Ennis and Jack has such a powerful grip on our imagination and our emotions.

There is an old biblical saying which states that hope is the anchor of the soul. In one way or another, BBM fan fiction stories allow each of us in our own way to give expression to hope. In their own small way each story expresses our triumph over the dark.
 
 

 

[moremojo]

Thank you for your beautifully expressed thoughts, magicmountain. I think I'm right in perceiving that you suggest a kind of spiritual dimension to Ennis and Jack's story, and I very much agree with this sentiment. I think that is why these characters and this story resonate so deeply for so many--there is an archetypal energy at work here, a power that is linked directly to the core of human existence. This film and story are, quite simply, quiet miracles, and Annie, Ang, and all the rest who brought it so lovingly to life are angels.

I wish to dedicate this meager post to the memory of our recently departed friend Chris, who I so alarmingly read just today had died. As I have felt the impulse to dedicate my life to Jack and Ennis and everything they represent, I now wish to add Chris to my list of heroes and role-models. Chris, you will live on in our hearts and in the heart of God. Thank you for being here.

Loving in quiet strength,
Scott

[RouxB]

Thank you for that Scott...



roux

[cwby30]

Afternoon.  Could you supply the link to the story?  Having a hard time finding it on the Message Board, etc. over there.  Thanks.

[moremojo]

Alas, cwby30, that thread has long since vanished into the internet ether, like so many of the others from that era on the IMDb "Brokeback Mountain" message board. At least during the first two or three months of 2006, that board was probably the most exciting and stimulating (both emotionally and intellectually) in the entire history of the IMDb.

I can tell you the username of the poster to whose story I was responding: bhebbe; I hope that may be of some help or interest.

Best regards,
Scott

[twistedude]

The poet is anonymous, but the poem is found in the Shi Jing, collected by Confucious, 2,500 years ago.

[retropian]

Fortunately, thanks to the dedicated TOoP/Bruce, the thread in questions has been archived here.

http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,11268.msg223458/topicseen.html#msg223458

here is the poem in question:

qing qing zi jin
you you wo xin
zong wo bu wang
zi ning bu si yin?

translated as:

O that blue, blue shirt of yours
Remains with my heart intertwined
Although I cannot visit upon you
Whither a note from you shall I find?

or (with a little embellishment)

O that blue, blue shirt of yours
Remains with my heart intertwined.
Now that you have passed away
I've hummed its elegy till this day.

What elegy?

Jack, I swear