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

Why was the Dozy Embrace so sad?

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serious crayons:

--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on April 04, 2007, 08:57:26 am ---I've often wondered about the potential of the flashback to confuse people who were not familiar with the story, since it momentarily confused me, and I've known the story since it was first published in The New Yorker in 1997.
--- End quote ---

There are lots of people, maybe more on imdb than here, who thought at first it was a blooper that Jack suddenly appeared without a moustache!  :laugh:


--- Quote from: RossInIllinois on April 03, 2007, 07:52:47 pm --- As I recall Heath Ledger did not like the fact that the scene was written in a way that made him look like the sheep were more important than Jack. He didn't like the fact that he just turns away and rides off to the sheep camp,
--- End quote ---

How sweet that he thought that! Happy birthday again, Heath!  :D

However, I think Ennis' behavior in the flashback is totally in character -- there's always that conflict between wanting to be with Jack and at the same time feeling it's his "responsibility" to ride away.

I believe this scene happened, chronologically, the night before the snowstorm that ended their time on the mountain, for reasons of symmetry and symbolism. When Ennis says "See you in the morning," then turns around and leaves, he assumes he WILL see Jack in the morning. And technically, he does -- but in a figurative way, he doesn't. In the morning there is snow, and when he next sees Jack he's tearing down the tent and their summer is effectively over and things are no longer the same between them (until the reunion).

The dozy embrace is mirrored in the lake scene, when Ennis is again driving away (apparently without looking back), and Jack is again gazing after him. Again, there is snow: snow on the mountains, snow in Jack's prediction the night before and implicitly in his complaints about the cold. Again, Ennis fully expects to see Jack "in the morning" -- that is, in November, the next time they're scheduled to get together. But this time he doesn't. After that, things will never be the same again.

To me, that elevates the phrase "see you in the morning" to a higher level of meaning. See you in the next life? See you someday in a world where homophobia won't keep us apart? I'm not saying it's meant to be literal. But it resonates so much more to think of if as the last words they exchange before not seeing each other again.

Phillip Dampier:

--- Quote from: RossInIllinois on April 03, 2007, 05:27:34 pm ---I'm under the impression that it was to be shortly after the first love making scene right before the "first snow" scene to show how the relationship was going from awkward to loving and tender. We also spent almost a week on a scene with them rescuing a bunch of Hippies that got there flower power van stuck in a creek bed on one of there rendezvous. It was totally cut but was an afterthought written by one of the Producers and Ang hated the scene but shot it anyway and obviously never included it in his final cut.
--- End quote ---

Oh God... the Mystery Machine & Scooby Doo on Brokeback Mountain.  :)  Jinkies....

Of course, all of this stuff never showed up on the "collector's edition" DVD which was essentially pointless.  Considering the amount of time people here spend on reviewing every single frame of this film, having a deleted scenes reel to contemplate would have been an amazing gift to the community.  One thing that I noticed is that outside of Aguirre that first year, nobody ever intruded on their mountain time together.

As an aside, the very first time I saw the film, I didn't realize it -was- a flashback to that first year, but I was numb by that point in the film anyway.

Phillip Dampier:
Pulled temporarily because the wrong revision got posted... it'll be back shortly.

southendmd:
Thanks, Phillip.  I have a question:  I can make out Ennis humming "Cowboy's Lament/Street of Laredo" just before he comes on the bear.  I assumed that was what was being credited.  Did you hear Ennis humming the same in the dozy embrace?  I could never make it out, especially with the swelling soundtrack.

BTW, I learned "Streets of Laredo" in Catholic school in Massachusetts!  They didn't change it to the "Streets of Lowell". LOL

Paul

Front-Ranger:
What? You grew up in Lowell?? That is Jack Kerouac's hometown!! Wow!!

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