Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
A Ninth Viewing Observation
nakymaton:
--- Quote from: latjoreme on May 18, 2006, 12:29:24 pm ---I read the story first, but like the movie version better. I find it much more powerful and moving than I did the story, mainly because for me Ennis' internalized homophobia turns it from a drama about the logistical difficulties and very real dangers imposed by a homophobic society into a story about the damage that a homophobic society inflicts on people's souls. (Though Naky, am I understanding your post to suggest that stuff is also in the story, though revealed in a different way?)
--- End quote ---
Well, my post mostly was me trying to understand why both the story and the movie hit me so hard emotionally. But, yes, when I read the story I thought I saw Ennis as a sort of damaged soul. I think.
Here. I'll link to an essay I wrote after I read the story, but before I saw the movie. (I had read some early reviews of the movie, and I had watched the trailer. Ummm, repeatedly. ;D So I was already melding Heath Ledger's portrayal into my impressions from the story. Perhaps.) It's about lying to others and to oneself, and how Jack and Ennis both lie in some ways in the story. But it hints at how I viewed the story characters.
http://community.livejournal.com/wranglers/130591.html
Am I understanding you correctly, Katherine -- you think that the Motel Siesta conversation (and the 'lil darlin) meant that Ennis accepted his sexuality more, but was afraid of the real external dangers that they might face?
I read the "dozy embrace" scene in the story, especially, as implying that story-Ennis also didn't fully accept how he felt about Jack. (The line about Ennis being unwilling to embrace Jack face-to-face is what kills me. Somebody else on LJ speculated that story-Ennis never kissed Jack until the reunion. The story never says, but I think that's a valid interpretation. So the movie gives us the 2nd tent scene (mmmmmmmmmmm ;D), but it takes away the conversation in the motel.)
I'm not arguing that both movie and book necessarily have the same themes. And certainly different people are more taken by one or by the other. But I think they both have a lot of open space for interpretation, and they both are pretty effective at sneaking up on me emotionally. (The language in the story is so unsentimental, especially when describing the characters. The movie is so restrained. The story has descriptions of what the characters are thinking. The movie has those amazing subtle expressions -- Ennis at Lightning Flat, for instance. Story good. Movie good. Both good. ;D)
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: nakymaton on May 18, 2006, 03:26:47 pm ---Am I understanding you correctly, Katherine -- you think that the Motel Siesta conversation (and the 'lil darlin) meant that Ennis accepted his sexuality more, but was afraid of the real external dangers that they might face?
I read the "dozy embrace" scene in the story, especially, as implying that story-Ennis also didn't fully accept how he felt about Jack. (The line about Ennis being unwilling to embrace Jack face-to-face is what kills me. Somebody else on LJ speculated that story-Ennis never kissed Jack until the reunion. The story never says, but I think that's a valid interpretation. So the movie gives us the 2nd tent scene (mmmmmmmmmmm ;D), but it takes away the conversation in the motel.)
I'm not arguing that both movie and book necessarily have the same themes. And certainly different people are more taken by one or by the other. But I think they both have a lot of open space for interpretation, and they both are pretty effective at sneaking up on me emotionally. (The language in the story is so unsentimental, especially when describing the characters. The movie is so restrained. The story has descriptions of what the characters are thinking. The movie has those amazing subtle expressions -- Ennis at Lightning Flat, for instance. Story good. Movie good. Both good. ;D)
--- End quote ---
Well, sure, both are wonderful! And I agree there are strong preferences either way. (I know, for instance, that there's one BetterMost member who, whenever you mention something in the movie, will immediately point out how it differs from the story (howdy, JAD! ;))) I'm speaking for myself only. I liked the story a lot, but more as beautiful prose and an interesting idea than as the gut-wrenching experience that the movie was for me. I'm not entirely sure why, I can think of several possible reasons, but I think the main one is what we're talking about here.
Yes, I do think Story Ennis accepted his sexuality more and was mainly concerned about the external dangers (rightly so, as it turns out). Not just the "lil darlin," but the "but Jesus H. it aint nothing like this," and the "sure wrang it out a hundred times" and the "should have never let you out of my sight." The only instance I can think of (correct me if I'm wrong, though) in which SE expresses that sort of internalized homophobia is in the dozy embrace, which I always thought was incongruous with the rest of the story, especially because clearly SE doesn't feel that way at the reunion. Jeff Wrangler has advanced the theory that Ennis had simply matured by then, so maybe that's it. Or maybe SE was so happy he forgot that hangup for a moment. Conversely, I DON'T think that's why Movie Ennis embraces Jack from behind. Clearly from tent scene 2 ME had no trouble with that. And yes, I'll take TS2 over "lil darlin" any day -- especially if it means also getting rid of Ennis' reluctance to embrace Jack from the front. I hate that part in the story.
So I think of Movie Ennis as a bit more in touch with his emotions -- why did it take Story Ennis a YEAR to figure out why he puked? I'm sure Movie Ennis knew right then and there -- but paradoxically more uptight about expressing them, due to his damaged childhood and internalized homophobia.
Naky, I didn't get a chance to look up your essay before posting this but I look forward to reading it.
silkncense:
Latjoreme -
As I read your last post, I was thinking "I agree completely!" esp the
--- Quote --- a story about the damage that a homophobic society inflicts on people's souls
--- End quote ---
. Beyond Ennis, there are other types of damage that society (and family) inflict(s) on people which is why I believe there was such a universal impact from the movie. It is a movie all about letting fear (in whatever form) lead to a life of regret.
And a total aside, does anyone else think the reason Ennis did not
--- Quote ---answer Jack's "sometimes I miss you so much"
--- End quote ---
was that he'd been worrying all week about how to break the news about November & that statement was just going to make it harder?
Aussie Chris:
--- Quote from: nakymaton on May 18, 2006, 03:26:47 pm ---Here. I'll link to an essay I wrote after I read the story, but before I saw the movie. (I had read some early reviews of the movie, and I had watched the trailer. Ummm, repeatedly. ;D So I was already melding Heath Ledger's portrayal into my impressions from the story. Perhaps.) It's about lying to others and to oneself, and how Jack and Ennis both lie in some ways in the story. But it hints at how I viewed the story characters.
http://community.livejournal.com/wranglers/130591.html]=http://community.livejournal.com/wranglers/130591.html]http://community.livejournal.com/wranglers/130591.html
--- End quote ---
Good stuff nakymaton, Katherine, JAD, and Barb! And your essay was top-notch nakymaton. I really enjoyed reading your interpretations esp since it came post-book but pre-film. Having seen the film first myself, reading the book always conjures images from the film for me, so I can't tell if my book interpretation is necessarily "independent". Now that I am re-reading the story and giving it more thought, the book is starting to stand on its own more and yielding different ideas.
Penthesilea:
Wow, what a great threat. Very insightful thoughts by everyone.
It's somehow confusing: on the one hand, story Ennis seems much more aware about his feelings towards Jack, he is able to verbally express himself better (esp. motel scene), he answers Jack's "miss you so much" directly with pulling him close - in short: I don't think story Ennis needs 20 years to become aware what he has in Jack, what they do have together (a relationship, LOVE) and therefore, that he is in fact, queer. I think for story Ennis this is relatively clear at the reunion, latest. He can't act on this feelings because of the circumsatances, because he fears the reactions of society.
On the other hand, I think Katherine is right with the scene of Ennis's breakdown in the alley: story Ennis needs a year to figure out WHY he had those gut cramps, but from the movie I do have the feeling, movie Ennis knows what is happening and why.
This leads me to the question: how much is movie Ennis in denial for those 20 years? I've seen many posts on IMDB and here, where people stated that Ennis is completely in denial about their relationship ("this thing") for the whole time and some even think, Ennis starts changing not until after Jack's death.
I can't share this POV. I think, movie Ennis knows, but is even more scared than story Ennis. Katherine puts it this way and I can't express it in a better way, so I simply quote her:
--- Quote ----- but paradoxically more uptight about expressing them, due to his damaged childhood and internalized homophobia.
--- End quote ---
Bottom line: I believe both, movie Ennis and story Ennis, are aware about their relationship with Jack (that it is love what they do have together), but movie Ennis is even less able to express it, let alone to live it out, than story Ennis is.
Does that make any sense now? Anyway, that's how the thoughts came floating through my mind and I'll just post it.
...still confused...
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