Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Question actually about the movie
aileen:
Ennis doesn't speak. He acts :) I think showing it was the purpose of this scene.
bbm_stitchbuffyfan:
Thank you all for the responses. So far, we've gotten some seemingly legitimate conclusions for this scene's purpose. Toast's post was excellent.
Ellemeno:
--- Quote from: Toast on May 21, 2006, 11:51:44 pm ---Here you are two useless riffraff guys, able to openly talk about your sexual desires, openly and rudely with no respect for your partners. But here am I aching and longing for my man who respects me and wants me too, but we cannot even admit to ourselves that we have these strong legitimate feelings. We cannot publicly admit our love, but you can crudely say the most sexual things that reflect no real commitment or respect.
--- End quote ---
:(
Thanks, Toast. That sounds right.
YaadPyar:
Maybe this has been said in a different way, but I think the scene also demonstrates the incredible sorrow that lives just below the surface always for Ennis. One of the things that tends to be true is that sorrow and depression express themselves in the emotional lives of men as anger and irritability. Instead of crying or feeling sad, they get mean and angry.
I know this to be true from personal experience, and I think this is part of Ennis's reality. He is very good at standing things, but the toll it takes on him, the erosion and corrosion on his mental, spiritual and emotional health is profound. I think this scene demonstrates just how close to the surface his demons are. He is protecting his wife and kids, but he's scaring them terribly in the process, and if his own pain weren't so raw, if he weren't himself so wounded, he would find another way to handle these two men.
tiawahcowboy:
--- Quote from: bbm_stitchbuffyfan on May 20, 2006, 10:02:42 am ---Alright, I still immensely enjoy discussing the movie itself and the book (as long as I'm not talking to dumb ass trolls). I've had a particular question since I first saw the movie but I never thought to ask...
What is the purpose of the Fourth of July scene?
I first thought it was to show Ennis' violent side but I was wondering what everyone else got out of this scene. By the way, even though I am not sure of it's purpose, I love this scene. The motorcyclists scream 'trash' (that in itself makes me giggle) and it's absolutely thrilling to see Ennis kick some ass. Nobody messes with Ennis Del Mar. ;D
And plus, visually beautiful -- once again.
--- End quote ---
From what I understand from Annie Proulx's description of Ennis Del Mar, he did not start fights; he finished fights which someone else started or he might ambush someone bigger than himself if they had picked on him first. His father taught him to do the latter.
I just believe that if Annie Proulx had written a 4th of July Scene, IMO Ennis and Alma would have taken the girls to another location at the ball park to avoid a confrontation. In the story, and in words to this effect, Ennis actually loved his daughters more than he loved Alma. He did not have any terms of endearment for her in the story.
Actually, since there should have been (or more than likely would be) the local police at the city sponsored public event, he could have got them to remove the rude biker punks from the premises or they could have been arrested for disturbing the peace.
Even after the (Story) Thanksgiving (more than likely during the afternoon) confrontation with Alma and Ennis left, it was night when he went to the Black and Blue Eagle bar, got drunk, had a short dirty fight and left.
But, IMO, there was no purpose for having the 4th of July scene in the first place. It was just another attempt to add extra heterosexual elements to the movie, where "Straight" screenplay writer Larry McMurtry could have another scene with a woman in it.
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