"Jack, I swear..." What do you think Ennis meant by that?

[brokebackjack]

If that's what you think that's what it is, but that's the one thing which never entered my head.

Thanks artiste!

[Artiste]

Thanks brokenbackjack!

Ennis knew about Jack getting sex with the Mexican!

Ennis knew about Jack and Randall!! Before Jack's death?

Hugs!!

[brokeplex]

Something I have noticed which has made the "Jack I swear.." scene much more important to me.
I listened very carefully to the scene that takes place with Ennis in Jack's closet in the old Twist house in Lightening Flat. I am delighted to say that the Ennis character does speak the 3 little words: "I love you". I confirmed this by carefully watching the scene with the volume way up and I repeated it several times. After Ennis presses the two shirts into his face, he takes a deep breath and quietly mouths the words, "I love you". It is hard to catch, but I lip read fairly well and to me it is clear that Heath is saying "I love you". Interestingly, this line does not appear in either the short story or the published screen play. The fact that Heath uses the line shows the genius of Ang Lee.
For deeply personal reasons it was important for me to hear the Ennis character vocalize his love for Jack, even if it is too late for Jack to hear. I believe that at this moment of grief and revelation, Ennis crosses over a boundary into self-awareness that allows him to finally verbally express his love for Jack.
For me, this scene makes the final "Jack I swear" scene so much more important.
I am now convinced that the Ennis character would be able to use the transformative power of his love for Jack to experience what I called in an earlier thread an "epiphany". By an epiphany, I mean to say that he has a new insight of self-awareness that will allow him to bond more closely with those who love him, such as his daughters, and allows him to love and finally accept himself.
From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank the Bettermostians who brought this interpretation to my attention. Seeing Heath Ledger use the "3 little words" meant a great deal to me, and it resolves an important unanswered question in my mind about the movie version of the Ennis character.

[loneleeb3]

I looked and listened for the I Love You at the Castro but I missed it.
I'm gonna go home and watch the DVD and see if I can catch it.
I always knew he felt it though he just couldn't say it.

[Artiste]

That is great brokeplex!

It may be that the actor playing Ennis, take the LIBERTY to say: I LOVE YOU; then and there in that scene?

What dou think loneleeb3, and others??

Hugs!!

[loneleeb3]

That is great brokeplex!

It may be that the actor playing Ennis, take the LIBERTY to say: I LOVE YOU; then and there in that scene?

What dou think loneleeb3, and others??

Hugs!!

I think it's probably the case.
Iknow it was heaths Idea to have the shirts one inside the other.
I think he lovingly and respectfully acted out the Character of Ennis to the T.

[Artiste]

Yes! it could very well be his idea!!

Can we find out?

Hugs!

[brokebackjack]

These are such great comments, loneleed, plex, everybody!

I just want to say Artiste, there is no definite answer.

Annie Proulx  worked hard on that book, she was changing things up until the morning it went to press. I think she said her last change was the last line, at 2AM.

Jack I sawear was deliberately designed to make the reader think and fill in the blanks from his or her own experience. Artiste, I doubt very much that sex in Mexico was on Ennis's mind lol!

That's not what she wanted us to do.


I hope I am not trespassing on your boundaries here, Artiste. She wanted us to do something which YOU, in particular, can do very very well my friend!
You have lost a great love. 
You lost that love to a violent act.

What you would have told your love after saying  "__________, I swear..." is the  answer, for you, to that question...

Just so, each of us has an answer from our experience. Mine, because when it comes to this I don't talk much, would probably have said more with that silence then I could have using a million words.

When we answer this question we tell each other more about ourselves then we do about that line.....

[Artiste]

Thanks brokenbackjack!

To me, it is obvious that Ennis knew about Jack's sex episodes (with others besides him)!! One, at least like the one(s) in Mexico!! However, did Ennis know about Jack's other one(s), especially with Randall, BEFORE Jack's death?? Maybe!??

Therefore, since Ennis found out about Randall in a way via Jack's father, it could be that Ennis wants now to find the gay bashers who killed Jack... because Ennis asys: I swear...

What do you and all think about that??

Hugs!!

[brokeplex]

I think it's probably the case.
Iknow it was heaths Idea to have the shirts one inside the other.
I think he lovingly and respectfully acted out the Character of Ennis to the T.

Thanks for the comment about Heath Ledger. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the barely noticeable mouthing of "I love you" was an ad lib by Ledger(shades of what we now know happened on the set of "Casablanca" with Claude Rains and Bogart ad libbing like mad!). I'm not surprised because Heath Ledger is one of the best actors to come along in some time, an actor who follows his instincts. Gosh, I wish that the Academy had awarded Heath "Best Actor" for Brokeback!