When Jack falls in love... and lets Ennis go

[saucycobblers]

Here's my theory...

The moments when Jack falls in love with Ennis and later lets him go are connected by two almost identical shots of Jack's face in the final meeting scene. We cut to the flashback of Ennis holding Jack, and the look on Jack's face when Ennis rides away really feels to me like the moment when Jack realises he's fallen in love with him (in the book this is the moment when Jack feels closest to him). We then cut to the almost identical shot of a very different Jack's face watching Ennis leaving once more. This time Jack has realised that he and Ennis will never be together in the way that Jack craves. I feel that it's the moment he begins to let Ennis go  .

Later, Pa Twist tells Ennis that Jack had been talking about bringing Randall up to the ranch the year before, but I don't think this signals his letting go of Ennis, since they've spent their entire lives being with other people whilst in love with each other. It's the moment of their last parting that is the moment of letting go, or final acceptance.

Any thoughts?

[opinionista]

Here's my theory...

The moments when Jack falls in love with Ennis and later lets him go are connected by two almost identical shots of Jack's face in the final meeting scene. We cut to the flashback of Ennis holding Jack, and the look on Jack's face when Ennis rides away really feels to me like the moment when Jack realises he's fallen in love with him (in the book this is the moment when Jack feels closest to him). We then cut to the almost identical shot of a very different Jack's face watching Ennis leaving once more. This time Jack has realised that he and Ennis will never be together in the way that Jack craves. I feel that it's the moment he begins to let Ennis go  .

Later, Pa Twist tells Ennis that Jack had been talking about bringing Randall up to the ranch the year before, but I don't think this signals his letting go of Ennis, since they've spent their entire lives being with other people whilst in love with each other. It's the moment of their last parting that is the moment of letting go, or final acceptance.

Any thoughts?

I agree, but I don't think Jack lets Ennis go. Ennis ran away. Ennis was always running away from Jack. In fact, that shot is actually shown three times in the movie. The first one happens the morning after they have sex for the first time, when Ennis hops on his horse and runs away without saying a word, leaving Jack sad and confused behind.

I think the last shot of Jack in the movie shows the moment in which he finally realizes or accepts that Ennis will always be running away from him, and that there was nothing he could do about it.

[Luvlylittlewing]

I don't think Jack let Ennis go.  Actually, I don't think anything really changed between them, but I could be wrong.  In the short story, and I'm not saying the movie has to parallel the story in every sense, but Annie P. says, and I paraphrase,

They torqued things to where they had been, for what was said was nothing new.  Nothing ended, nothing begun, nothing resolved.

I think if anything, Jack gave up the will to live.  I truly believe that Jack didn't care whether he lived or died when he realized that Ennis would never build a life with him.

[SFEnnisSF]

I think if anything, Jack gave up the will to live.  I truly believe that Jack didn't care whether he lived or died when he realized that Ennis would never build a life with him.

          

[Jane]

Yes I agree with that statement completly. He just looked so desolate.  Oh btw I dont know if anyone else has read this on LJ, but there is a story called  "an imperfect life" about Jack and Ennis, and Jack has just left Ennis!!!!!!!!!!!!  

[OldeSoul]

I think if anything, Jack gave up the will to live.  I truly believe that Jack didn't care whether he lived or died when he realized that Ennis would never build a life with him.

I agree- I always see the post-divorce scene where Jack gets the (wrong) message that Ennis sends as a turning point; the point where Jack really dies (i.e. his spirit).

I have heard it said, though, that if you love someone you let them go. And I think that even though Jack kept prodding Ennis to live that "sweet life" with him, he ultimately understood that this was the way Ennis always would be- running away from him and coming back. Jack lets him go, Ennis always returns. Ennis even tried to come back that November.

[Midnight24]

I don't think Jack let Ennis go.  Actually, I don't think anything really changed between them, but I could be wrong.  In the short story, and I'm not saying the movie has to parallel the story in every sense, but Annie P. says, and I paraphrase,

They torqued things to where they had been, for what was said was nothing new.  Nothing ended, nothing begun, nothing resolved.

I think if anything, Jack gave up the will to live.  I truly believe that Jack didn't care whether he lived or died when he realized that Ennis would never build a life with him.

I absolutely agree with saying that Jack did not care if he lived or died once he realized he could never build a life with Ennis.

[RouxB]

I agree-and disagree.

I agree that the relationship did not significantly change at the lake-Neither said anything that wasn't already known and they did indeed "torque" things almost back to how they had been. I think Ennis' statement "Jack, I can't stand this no more" was very meaningful in showing his frame of mind. Ennis, who is completely black or white, either fixes it or stands it. What happens when he can no longer stand it? Does he try to fix it? This is the direction in which I see him heading (the open space between what he knew and what he tried to believe) and had Jack not died-and not given up on him-Ennis would have made that journey.

I disagree that Jack gave up the will to live. I read that face as frustration, sadness, and awareness that what he had with Ennis was what he had with Ennis. It would never be what he wanted yet he was completely trapped by his love. I too see this as moment of letting go-of the dream-and final acceptance of the reality.

 

[saucycobblers]

 

*Sniff* *Blows nose*

Seriously... reading these made me a bit tearful... and it's not even 'that' time of the month! 

This is the direction in which I see him heading (the open space between what he knew and what he tried to believe) and had Jack not died-and not given up on him-Ennis would have made that journey.

Gotta disagree with you RouxB. I don't think Ennis would have ever made that journey if they'd both lived to be 80. The fact that Jack dies just as Alma Jr is getting married and becoming independent of her parents, and presumably Jenny / Francine is coming up to 18 since they were born close together - thereby freeing Ennis of his financial obligations to them - might be significant, but even if there were no financial barriers to Jack & Ennis setting up home together I don't think Ennis would. I think it'd be a step too far for him emotionally in 'leaving' his daughters (product and signifier of his heterosexual family) - as signified in the place of Alma Jr's sweater above Jack's shirt in Ennis's wardrobe. Ennis gives his daughters as a reason for not moving to Texas, but I think it's more than a geographical move he can't make - it's also an emotional one.

[Luvlylittlewing]

To Saucycobblers, I agree with you.  However, I do believe Ennis would have made some changes for Jack.  One step in that direction was breaking up with Cassie, IMO.  I don't know, I think Ennis would have tried to see Jack more, be more available to him, but I don't think he would have lived openly with Jack, as Jack wanted.

[ZouBEini]

I agree with you, Littlewing. I think Ennis would have tried to spend more time with Jack, but would not have been able to escape his homophobic upbringing enough to live with Jack.

~Larz

[Luvlylittlewing]

Hey, Zou!  No, I don't think Ennis would ever get to that point, setting up a home with Jack!  He was simply too damaged, too messed up to even consider such a thing.  Furthermmore, Ennis probably felt he didn't deserve such happiness!

[ZouBEini]

Hi Littlewing! 

At least subconsciously, I believe he felt he didn't deserve happiness.  Amazing what effects subtle (and even unintentional) brainwashing can have, eh?


Here's a quarter for your thoughts. *flips quarter*   

~Larz

[Amber]

Ahhh, the "Nothing ended, nothing begun, nothing resolved" line ... one of the saddest I think from the book. 

And I think you guys are right that Jack didn't let Ennis go (I don't think he ever really could) and that Ennis ran away.  I'm am however always torn by the thoughts of whether Ennis would live with Jack had things gone differently or if he would have always denied true love.  It depends on the day and on my mood as to how I answer that question.

As far as that "dozy embrace" - I think that's how Jack always pictured his love with Ennis.  I think when he looked back and thought of Ennis this was the memory that always popped to the front.  Whether it was the exact moment he knew he loved him or not I'm not for sure - but I certainly think that, that moment his how Jack always choose to remember their relationship.

Then the heartbreaking moment when that camera flashes back to the present and there is Jack standing alone, watching the only love of his life drive off after once again denying them a future together.  What I see in his eyes is sadness and longing for what could have been.  Ok ... now I'm entirely depressed.  *sighs*

[welliwont]

bump for more discussion,   

[jpwagoneer1964]

To Saucycobblers, I agree with you.  However, I do believe Ennis would have made some changes for Jack.  One step in that direction was breaking up with Cassie, IMO.  I don't know, I think Ennis would have tried to see Jack more, be more available to him, but I don't think he would have lived openly with Jack, as Jack wanted.

I'm not sure Ennis would live with  Jack either although I would hope so. Unfortunatally his fears were not unfounded and in WY it wasn't and may still be not a safe place to be out.

[Marge_Innavera]

I have heard it said, though, that if you love someone you let them go. And I think that even though Jack kept prodding Ennis to live that "sweet life" with him, he ultimately understood that this was the way Ennis always would be- running away from him and coming back. Jack lets him go, Ennis always returns. Ennis even tried to come back that November.

IMO, if Jack had lived that would have been decided in November. Jack would never have wanted to let Ennis go and would not have if Ennis could have brought himself to agree to even a compromise. But if not, he was weighing alternatives for what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. In the movie, his relationship with Randall is an open space to be filled in by the viewer: would Randall have divorced his wife to be with Jack? In the one scene where he appears, he doesn't appear to be too happy with her and her seemingly bubble-headed chatter is often rather disrespectful of him, especially since she's talking with two people they've just met.

Not that Randall could ever have "replaced" Jack; as if any person can ever been replaced. But I've heard people say so many times, after a divorce or some other event where they've put someone out of their life: "I love this person so much and always will but I just couldn't cope with them anymore."  Or had run out of energy, or hope, or just time in the sense of getting older. Jack was close to 40, an age where he would have started realizing that this romance in a wilderness ghetto wasn't something he could build the rest of his life on.

[Marge_Innavera]

One step in that direction was breaking up with Cassie, IMO.  I don't know, I think Ennis would have tried to see Jack more, be more available to him, but I don't think he would have lived openly with Jack, as Jack wanted.

There were a number of in-between compromises available all along. One might have been for Jack to get a divorce, get a job in Casper (about 125 miles from Riverton) and let Ennis know he was available. Ennis would have resisted at first, but IMO they would have ended up spending an average of a week a month together; no way Ennis could resist Jack just a two-hours drive away in an anonymous big (to him!) city for long.

The fact that Jack never makes any kind of geographical move himself might indicate that Ennis wasn't the only person putting obstacles up. Jack had wanted so much to escape the poverty-stricken life in Lightning Flat: he would apparently have been willing to forego that if Ennis had been willing to go the whole route and live with him but giving up the lifestyle he'd become accustomed to for something less wasn't something he was willing and/or able to undertake.

[serious crayons]

no way Ennis could resist Jack just a two-hours drive away in an anonymous big (to him!) city for long.

He'd have to worry about running into his sister, though!

But you're right, that would have been a good idea.

[twistedude]

Heath says Jack died "the minute he couldn't be with Ennis anymore."

[saucycobblers]

Heath says Jack died "the minute he couldn't be with Ennis anymore."

 

**Sniffs loudly...**

[malina]

There were a number of in-between compromises available all along. One might have been for Jack to get a divorce, get a job in Casper (about 125 miles from Riverton) and let Ennis know he was available. Ennis would have resisted at first, but IMO they would have ended up spending an average of a week a month together; no way Ennis could resist Jack just a two-hours drive away in an anonymous big (to him!) city for long.

I never thought of something like this. I wish it could have happened. It really would've been good problem solving on Jack's part. No 'all or nothing'. Still, maybe it falls under the rough category of hindsight being 20/20?

I love the idea, though. I want to see a fanfic about this!

[serious crayons]

Hi malina, I notice this is your first post. Welcome to BetterMost!  (Are you malina-5 on imdb?)

[malina]

Thanks for the welcome, latjoreme. Yes, I am. 

[serious crayons]

Well, then you are especially welcome.