....to show an example of how repressed, angry and afraid Ennis is of showing his real feelings. After all the cowboy may have stopped out of sincere concern-to ask if Ennis was o.k. But before he could say anything, Ennis rebuffed him and drove him away. He was off the mountain, back in the real world. even on a mostly deserted street-he had to pull himself together, push those feelings back down- or people would "know".
As far as why they had the cowboy walk by in the movie, yeah, I think
hopefulheart nails it on the nose with what he wrote above. There is also, along with all the feelings Ennis is trying to control, the great embarrassment of having tender feelings for anyone. Ennis doesn't know too well how to deal with strong feelings of "love" or tenderness, not for Alma, much less for Jack, a man! He does “ok” with his girls, but he isn’t all that good at expressing love for other adults.
Like some men, Ennis feels a display of such feelings for anyone is "a show of un-manliness" and such feelilngs for the same gender are down right frightening, so he does all he can to hide them with a threatening display of anger.
A deeper look at this is when Jack & Ennis first get back together, they're sittin' by the fire, Jack has offered a possibility... "You know, it could be like this, just like this, always..." Ennis says that it's impossible, but it's important to hear how Ennis expresses his fear in words:
"The bottom line is, we're around each another, and this THING GRABS HOLD OF US again, in the wrong place, in the wrong time... and WE'RE DEAD." For Ennis "THIS THING" i.e. his attraction and affection for Jack is like a monster that can kill him, kill both of them, it is a matter of life and death and that's profoundly scary to him. Ennis then tells Jack about the death of Earl, the old rancher, an event that haunts and hurts Ennis for life. He goes on to say that they can get together every once in awhile way out in the middle of nowhere. For all his bravado and toughness, which is real in many respects, Ennis' fear is so great that he can only risk being in love with Jack if they are "out in the middle of nowhere". That is deep seated fear and all the more reason to feel sympathy for him and to empathize with him. I empathize with him. Why?
Because it's still "a life and death"
thing today. I cannot forget Matthew Shepherd, nor the young man who was stabbed to death in my own hometown because a group of violent young men
just thought he was gay! He wasn't gay, and yet, they killed him anyway! Slit his guts open with a knife and left him to die. That was only in the 90s. And how many others have died like that? How often do you worry about it? I know the chances are fewer these days, but as long as there is a chance, it's too much of a chance for anyone. Part of the reason Annie P. wrote BBM was to generate understanding and tolerance for Gay men, for anyone of our orientation. She said that in a recent interview.
Some say, "Look how far we have come." But as long as anyone of us, man or woman, walks the streets of any cities afraid of being bashed or killed for being gay, we still have a long way to go! That is why Brokeback Mountain is so important! It shines a light not only on the fact that we can love, but also that there are others who hate us for loving. I am 54 years old and I'm a little sad to think that I won't see the day when there is an end to such hatred, but it doesn't mean anyone should stop reaching for that golden prize: Freedom to love anyone, must be a freedom given to everyone.
Now, I'm sorry if I got off the topic a little on my
soapbox, but sometimes I get carried away and have to say what I have to say; not only for the sake of saying it, but also for the sake of those who know firsthand what I'm talking about.
Peace,
Rayn
