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Ennis Stands It; Jack Fixes It

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two_bloody_shirts:
OK, this is a theme that is probably as obvious as the day I was born, but I find something quite interesting in the duality of Ennis and Jack's personalities. 

"I'll stick with beans."   :P
"Well, I won't."  >:(

Those two lines pretty much sum it up.  Ennis will stick with what is easy and safe.  Jack will do what is unorthodox and risky (Aguirre might catch them, Game and Fish might catch them).  After a while, after some prodding from Jack, Ennis does the risky thing and shoots an Elk for Jack.  So, after all, he can "fix" the situation versus standing it. 

The result is not the same with their love lives.  Jack always wants to go the riskier route, Ennis is always refusing.  Jack tries to "fix" it in his own way, with the prostitute and Randall, but it sadly is not enough.  And guess what, Jack does as Ennis wants for all those years, even though it hurts him.  Jack really was at a place where he can't stand it any more - it is truly against his nature to ride it out the easy, safe way. 

Again, probably as obvious as the nose on my face, but one theme I find very nice in this film as it recurs so often.

ednbarby:
Yes, I think "No more beans" and "Well, I won't" are the two defining moments of Jack.  And yes, that theme recurs throughout the rest of the movie.  Jack would have left Lureen in a heartbeat had Ennis said the word - he knew that marriage was a sham before he even embarked upon it.  Jack wanted to get a tutor for Bobby; Lureen just wanted to let it ride.  Even in smaller ways - at the Thanksgiving dinner, a different kind of person would have sat back and let Bobby watch the game so as not to rock the boat.  But Jack knows that isn't the right thing to do, and it's against his nature to sit back while the wrong thing to do plays out unchallenged.

Brown Eyes:
Yes!  I think this is part of the "ying and yang" aspect of their relationship. 

Jack is optimistic, wants things to move forward and even if he is afraid (of homophobia/ violence, etc.) he resolutely does not want the fear to control their lives.  He also wants to be significantly more honest about their relationship.  I really don't think he likes sneaking around behind Lureen's back, etc.  I think he regrets ever having to marry her.  He'd rather get an honest divorce and be completely true to Ennis.  So, yes, he would certainly "fix it" if he could.

So, Ennis is the opposite.  He's the pessimist (he would probably say, the 'realist') and tragically lets his fear control their relationship.  He's stuck in one place and is paralyzed in fear and confusion over how to move his relationship with Jack forward.  His fear consumes him so much that it manifests itself physically in his posture, his silence, etc.

These aspects of their personalities remind me of the old symbolism discussions back on the imdb boards.  Jack as the wind/ air (moves, shifts, changes, adjusts, is the dreamer "has his head in the clouds", etc.) and Ennis as the earth (static, rigid, silent, stubborn, etc.).

Lately I've had a new thought about the ambiguity of the film's ending and the line "if you can't fix it you've got to stand it."  It's really important that this is the last line of the book I feel.  It becomes Ennis's life sentence in many ways (he imposes this on himself and unfairly on Jack) and he has to live under the burden of this after Jack's death, because he's run out of chances to "fix it" with Jack just as he's reached the point when he's desparate to fix it.

Well, Jack's heartbreaking line in their final camping trip echos this line-
"Sometimes I miss you so much I can hardly stand it."

Lately I've been hearing Ennis's last unfinished sentence as a response.  Something as simple and symmetrical as  "Jack I swear, sometimes I miss you so much I can hardly stand it."

hermitdave:
 :'(

littledarlin:

--- Quote ---So, Ennis is the opposite.  He's the pessimist (he would probably say, the 'realist') and tragically lets his fear control their relationship.  He's stuck in one place and is paralyzed in fear and confusion over how to move his relationship with Jack forward.  His fear consumes him so much that it manifests itself physically in his posture, his silence, etc.
--- End quote ---

absolutely.  i think jack rubs off on ennis as well, made apparent by these two scenes.

when jack is complaining about the commute, and staying in separate camps, to us it is obvious he just wants to be in the same camp with ennis.  he says "aguirre got no right makin us do something against the rules."  if ennis were anyone else in the world, you know jack could care less about the commute.  ennis is oblivious to his intentions, though.

but later, after the storm, and when aguirre says to bring 'em down, ennis is the one saying "it ain't right" because he'd be cutting them out of a months pay.  when in reality, ennis is now attached to jack and does not want to leave him.  he confims that he is not in the poorhouse and he doesn't need jack's money, making his previous statement completely irrelevant.  so what's the real reason?  he knows when they leave brokeback, they have to go their separate ways.  well in ennis' eyes they have to.  but that's a whole other discussion..

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