Author Topic: Seeing Him Ride  (Read 2844 times)

Offline Brown Eyes

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • BetterMost Moderator
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 10,377
Seeing Him Ride
« on: November 08, 2006, 11:30:51 pm »
Why is Lureen the only significant character that we know sees Jack ride in a rodeo?  The filmmakers seem to dwell on Lureen in her red hat amongst the crowd of white-hat-wearing men in the stands at the rodeo. 

How does this relate (if at all) to Ennis's discussion of the rodeo he at Thanksgiving and his mention of Jack rodeoing upon the arrival of the first postcard?  Do we get the sense that Ennis sort of dreams of watching Jack ride in a rodeo as time goes on?  In his initial conversation with Jack about the rodeo (where Jack complains that his Daddy never once came to see him ride), clearly Ennis makes fun of rodeo cowboys.  But, in these two later references to the rodeo, I've always gotten the sense that Ennis might be slightly proud of Jack in this regard.  You can almost sense that he might be itching to be able to brag about Jack in that Thanksgiving conversation.  Of course he never would, but maybe deep down he'd really like to mention it.  I wonder if this is a moment where he's fighting to repress the evocation of Jack that the conversation brings up.  He's probably also extremely nervous because he knows that Alma also knows that Jack is a rodeo cowboy.

Further, what's Ennis's reaction to Jack's mention of the rodeo and his Daddy (once again) in the motel?  For a long time I thought that Ennis was just humoring Jack by saying "no" and comiserating with him over the rodeo not being the same as it was in the past... just sort of enjoying listening to Jack talk.  But, I wonder if his general reaction to the topic of the rodeo has shifted by now (following on the heals of his mention of Jack rodeoing when the first postcard comes)... By now maybe the rodeo has become something extremely romantic since it's so associated with Jack for him.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2006, 11:34:09 pm by atz75 »
the world was asleep to our latent fuss - bowie

Offline serious crayons

  • Moderator
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 22,712
Re: Seeing Him Ride
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2006, 12:17:29 pm »
What I've always thought interesting about all these conversations is that rodeoin practically seems like the default -- like, it's almost expected that you would do it unless there's a reason not to. Jack's initial question of Ennis suggests that he thinks there's a good chance of Ennis saying "yes," he does rodeo. Ennis says his dad didn't rodeo "much," even though he was a fine roper, because he thought rodeoers were f'ups, as though if Mr. Del Mar hadn't happened to hold this prejudice then, sure, of course he would have rodeoed.

I would have thought rodeoin might be the equivalent of, let's see, maybe playing minor league baseball -- something that only unusually talented young men would do. But they talk about it as though, for young men in that culture, rodeoin is more like, say, playing high-school football or snowboarding or running marathons. Not everyone has done it, but it's not unusual.

And come to think of it, I guess that makes sense.




Offline coffeecat33

  • BetterMost 1000+ Posts Club
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,352
Re: Seeing Him Ride
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2006, 12:31:25 am »
I did a little bit of research on rodeoin' for a fan fic that I wrote. Bronc riding doesn't take as much strength as it does a sense of balance. Bull riding takes "twist," extra strength in the thighs and butt. If I remember right, bronc riding was the most elite event. Barrel racing was only for women. I never noticed if Ennis seemed proud of Jack's riding or not. Even though Ennis wasn't much of a talker, I'm sure he wanted to talk about Jack. Jack does talk about Ennis, to his daddy and to Lureen.

Offline Front-Ranger

  • BetterMost Moderator
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 30,288
  • Brokeback got us good.
Re: Seeing Him Ride
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2006, 05:56:38 pm »
This is interesting because it might explain why Jack is not quite with it on a horse as opposed to a bull. If they are truly different events that require different skills, it might explain why that filly got lucky enough to crow-hop and ultimately throw him.
"chewing gum and duct tape"

Offline twistedude

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • BetterMost 1000+ Posts Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,430
  • "It's nobody's business but ours."
    • "every sort of organized noise"
Re: Seeing Him Ride
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2006, 12:33:17 am »
"Seeing him ride" is a wonderful haiku, even if it's 13 syllables short.
« Last Edit: November 27, 2006, 12:42:08 am by twistedude »
"We're each of us alone, to be sure. What can you do but hold your hand out in the dark?" --"Nine Lives," by Ursula K. Le Guin, from The Wind's Twelve Quarters

Offline brokebackjack

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • Brokeback Got Me Good
  • *****
  • Posts: 817
Re: Seeing Him Ride
« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2006, 06:29:27 am »
Jack was a pretty good rider: if he got thrown by a horse with a low startle point, by a horse which crow-hopped, that's par for the course. He handled that crow-hopping horse very well, up on Brokeback. EVERYBODY gets thrown eventually. I say i'm a good rider, but i'm not, I just try very hard--my first horse here in CO was a trickster, he had this knack of looking behind at me, turning his head. if he did that i knew he was goin a either rear up or buck. Forewarned, i didn't get thrown...until one day i was looking at the view, didn't see him turn and there i am lololol flyin through the air without wings.

This past week i was riding Archie out in California, he is the most stubborn horse alive. i was kicking his side, pulling reigns and hehe refused to move and then ...walked backwards. His whole attitude was no way dude. Go Walk.

On the other hand, I got so ticked off i rode Melissa, who does not like to be ridden by men. She crow-hopped, i stayed on and we had a chat, she stopped crow hopping. It was NOT easy to stay in that saddle and when i did my fiance's cousin was quite impressed.. So i think we shortchange Jack--or at leastshortchange JAK: even if AP says he was marginally skilled, the man was at least good on a horse. But that's about it.
"I couldn't stand it no more so i fixed it"