IMO, it's awesome that this thread can still generate debate about Brokeback content and interpretation.
This is definitely a controversial and emotional topic. I think I've changed my mind back and forth a few ways about whether Jack actually did quit Ennis. I will admit that I have not yet re-read this entire thread, but I did re-read the long first post of this thread. I think ruthless's arguments are very sound and compelling, but I do think that there's a lot of room for other interpretations. I think a lot of us have interpretations that we prefer (and maybe even have settled on) regarding controversial BBM points. For instance, whether Jack was murdered or died in an accident.... I realize that the answer is open ended. But, in my own mind I've pretty much resolved that he died in an accident like Lureen says, and Ennis's imagination is to some extent running away with him and functioning as a projection of his own fears and internalized homophobia (which is just incredibly sad and scary). I still feel less sure about how I think about Jack quitting Ennis or not. I feel like we really can debate these things endlessly because there's no correct answer.
LOL, that first post mentioning "bookends" now makes me super nostalgic for *that* old conversation. Thinking about how the movie is structured/ crafted is still fascinating to me.
