Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum

actual last line of movie vs book

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moremojo:
Yes, I agree that it's "Jack, I swear--", but interestingly, my mother, who saw the film with me when it was the first viewing for us both, first quoted Ennis as "Jack, I'll swear--" when she was describing this scene in her analysis of the film. She corrected herself, but the "I'll" came to her before the "I" (she had not yet read the story). She thought that Ennis's unfinished sentiment was "Jack, I swear--that I loved you."

Edit:I had to make a little correction of my own, removing a redundant word and thus making the sense of a sentence clearer.

Brown Eyes:
I do agree with the general understanding of the last line being "I swear."  That does seem accurate.  BUT, I can see where this question is coming from.  Sometimes it really does sound like he's saying "I'll swear..."  My guess, like delalluvia says, is that it's just the way Heath produces the Ennis accent here.  It's interesting that this last line caused so much confusion over what he said.  It reminds me of Oprah asking what the last line of the movie is. 

Is there a big difference in meaning between "I swear" and "I'll swear..."?  I guess there is.  "I'll swear" sounds much more like a commitment or a promise is in the process of being made.  With the orthodox "I swear",  it's easier to tack on something like "... I always loved you" or "... I didn't mean to hurt you"  or even "... by every oath that hell can muster, I swear I left you against my will. The law of God--the law that sends me now through darkness, bramble, rot and profound night--unyielding drove me; nor could I have dreamed that in my leaving I would hurt you so" (lol, kidding... just a reference to the old Classical Allusions thread). 

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