I find myself being drawn to both movie and s.s Ennis in different ways. When I first readthe s.s, which I did before seeing the film, I just sobbed. The sentence right at the very end of the s.s. where it says, "he would awake sometimes in grief, sometimes with the old sense of joy and release, the pillow sometimes wet, sometimes the sheets.
That sentence has me in pieces, it is so unbearably sad. Also the sentence "the huge sadness of the northern planes rolled down on him" In each case so few words, so much pathos.
It makes me cry all over again. Ennis is completely thrown by the postcard he receives with deceased stamped on it, he tries to convince himself it is a mistake, he will ring Jack and he will answer the phone and everything will be fine. Only it isn't.
Yet again I find Ennis of the story more tender. It is not that movie Ennis is not tender, he is,but in different ways. I am drawn into the film pretty early on, by the shuffling Ennis outside Aguirre's office. I am completely bowled over by him in TS2. So maybe I have just argued myself full circle !!!
The movie Ennis is more one of gestures and little subtelties. The s.s Ennis is more verbal. When I think about it sensible, those differences are largely due to the different media.
Certainly both have the same effect on me. A sobbing, emotional wreck. I feel as if I have been put through a mangle several times over.