Ennis and Aguirre

[fernly]

One of those bookends/parallels I've been wonderin' about...
Jack and Lureen meet when after he's almost run down and jumps out of the way of a horse.
(edited - thanks, goadra, for pointing out that of course it wasn't Lureen's horse)
Earlier, when Aguirre drives up to the trailer, Ennis jumps out of the way of his car.
Why the symmetry?

Maybe it's to do with the future paths Ennis and Jack take, don't take, shouldn't take...
Lureen loses her hat, Jack retrieves it, returns it to her, and a connection is made that will change Jack's future.
Aguirre throws the watch to Ennis, he catches it, but doesn't put it on when Jack reaches out for a handshake when Ennis is about to fasten the catch (and that 'timeline' for Ennis stops).

In another thread, we've talked about the various male couples in the background of the film as being visions of alternative futures for Jack and Ennis.
What if Aguirre is the alternative future for Ennis without Jack at all?
Would Ennis have eventually turned into somebody like Aguirre if Jack hadn't 'reached out' for him?

some symmetries and differences:
Aguirre is driving a brown car, which is Ennis' color, but Ennis ends up driving blue trucks (Jack's color).
Aguirre has that phone conversation, full of denials, ending with "Not on your fuckin' life." Ennis' phone conversation, well.....
Both men end up in trailers.
Ennis' trailer is apparently the embodiment of "nothin' and nowhere" at least as far as worldly success goes, but actually contains (if only the memory of) earth-shaking love. And he shows Jr. that he can change (at least a little) because of that.
Aguirre's trailer is evidence of some worldly success,(somethin' and somewhere), but Aguirre is hostile in every single interaction we see or hear him have with other people.

If Ennis hadn't met Jack and fallen in love, would his life have actually been happier? (of course I'd answer no) Or would he have turned into a man like Aguirre? Prodded by Alma into being a 'better provider', but taking refuge in his office/trailer. Not overtly acting out his father-taught homophobia, but never confronting it in himself either. Turning progressively more and more angry and bitter.

What do y'all think?

[adrian]

Thant's very interesting, fernly, I always thought that there was an unusual similarity between Aguirre and Ennis.  If you notice, in the first part of the movie, they are both dressed alike, lt. blue jeans, brown coats and pale colored hats.  Was this just a coincidence? 

As for the wristwatch, in the book, the strap was already broken.

[Brown Eyes]

Maybe it's to do with the future paths Ennis and Jack take, don't take, shouldn't take...
Lureen loses her hat, Jack retrieves it, returns it to her, and a connection is made that will change Jack's future.
Aguirre throws the watch to Ennis, he catches it, but doesn't put it on when Jack reaches out for a handshake when Ennis is about to fasten the catch (and that 'timeline' for Ennis stops).

OH MY GOD!  What an awesome detail to highlight.  So, this is the start of the timeline, the rushing time... the very beginning of "never enough time"! 
 

Brilliant.  I never stopped to consider the importance of that watch that Aguirre throws to Ennis.  It's very interesting that Ennis doesn't actually put the watch on his wrist... although he's trying to do so when Jack reaches out his hand to introduce himself.  Yes, Jack distracts Ennis from the task of dealing with the watch.  But, it also appears that the watch strap doesn't fit Ennis's wrist.  Maybe this is a metaphor for Ennis's lack of control over the "flow" and time-lapses, etc. in their relationship over the 20 years.  And, if Ennis is out of control... then Jack is really out of control since he doesn't even have possession of the watch.

Somewhere there's a thread about the importance of Time... fernly, this idea of yours deserves a pride of place over there pronto!

[stevenedel]

As for the wristwatch, in the book, the strap was already broken.

I had the impression it's the same in the film. When they leave the trailer, Ennis fumbles with the watch, attempts to put it on, finds he can't, checks the strap, sees its broken, gives up and puts the watch in his pocket.

On another note: it seems fitting that Ennis gets the watch, because he is the one checking and (sparingly) 'distributing' time throughout the story.

[adrian]

I had the impression it's the same in the film. When they leave the trailer, Ennis fumbles with the watch, attempts to put it on, finds he can't, checks the strap, sees its broken, gives up and puts the watch in his pocket.

On another note: it seems fitting that Ennis gets the watch, because he is the one checking and (sparingly) 'distributing' time throughout the story.

And remember Jack's line, "There aint never enough time, never enough!"

[Brown Eyes]

Bump

[Front-Ranger]

Amanda, are you bumping down the washboard road to Aguirre's trailer today?? 

Well, one thing that Ennis and Aguirre share is that flies land on them. Aguirre swats his fly savagely while Ennis just lets the fly perch on his neck; he seems immune or numb to it.

[Artiste]

Front-Ranger:
     Aguirre swats his fly savagely while Ennis just lets the fly perch on his neck; he seems immune or numb to it.

       
.........

Front-Ranger, those scenes are really in the movie ??