Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
Mikaela:
It does seem clear that Jack (in person, not just the thought and memory of him) enters and leaves Ennis's life close to a railroad track.
It's been said that the train going by Ennis in the beginning of the film for a few moments make us see him as if in the separate images of a roll of film. The train carriages separate the view of Ennis into one passing image after the other: The first few images of a whole life in revue.
So perhaps the train in the beginning tells us we are about to see the relevant images / scenes of Ennis's and Jack's lives together; - Jack appearing and entering Ennis's life as soon as that train has gone past. Then, with Jack's exit from Ennis's life there's the now empty railroad track as part of Ennis's vision of what happens to Jack: The train has left and is gone for good, the track is empty, there are no more new images to be had.
Front-Ranger:
Thanks for bringing this up, Diane. I'll try to add to Mikaela and goadra's excellent observations. The thing I think of first with the railroad tracks is the beginning and end of a journey. The story is like a journey, and the actors wind up in a far different place than where they started. On another level, trains are an icon in the West because they tamed the West and made it possible for people to come in and populate it and "civilize" it. Trains bisected towns and whole areas of the country and brought divisiveness so that you had to be from the right side of the tracks and never go to the wrong side of the tracks. I talk about this more in the subject "Broken in Two" on Chez Tremblay. On yet anohter level, there are two tracks which are forever joined, so the train tracks are a symbol speaking of the duality of Jack and Ennis.
The way I interpret the beginning view when we see Ennis through the gaps in a passing train is an alternating dark and light scene, which introduces the theme of yin and yang, the opposite and complementary forces of dark and light, noisy and quiet, etc. that will work upon Ennis and Jack throughout the film.
dly64:
Great observations all! My town is full of trains. So now, whenever I see a train go by I will think of Jack and Ennis' relationship (instead of rolling my eyes and pounding on the stearing wheel!). ;)
Trains are also a heavy and forceful piece of transportation. When a train tries to stop, it can take miles. When it hits someone/ something it is very destructive (often deadly). Jack and Ennis’ relationship seemed to be directed by a force that neither knew how to handle. After the reunion, when Jack asks Ennis (in essence) how long they will be able to continue their secret relationship … Ennis uses a horse metaphor: “As long as we can ride it. There ain’t no reins on this one.” I’m not sure where I am going with all of this. It just seems to me that the train, when started, it very difficult to stop unless forced to do so. In essence, isn’t that what happened to Jack and Ennis?
nakymaton:
Short on time to post, but...
Do any of you know Michelle Shocked's song "If Love Was a Train"?
Lyrics here: http://www.michelleshocked.com/chords_if_love_was_train.htm
I guess I should list this in "songs that remind me of BBM," huh?
dly64:
--- Quote from: nakymaton on August 29, 2006, 02:02:12 pm ---Short on time to post, but...
Do any of you know Michelle Shocked's song "If Love Was a Train"?
Lyrics here: http://www.michelleshocked.com/chords_if_love_was_train.htm
I guess I should list this in "songs that remind me of BBM," huh?
--- End quote ---
That song's lyrics hit the mark! WOW!
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