Why was Jack more accepting of his sexuality?
by GrimShogun (Wed Nov 22 2006 17:14:25 ) UPDATED Wed Nov 22 2006 17:31:48
Of course, I believe the scene where Ennis is talking to Jack about how Earl was killed because of him living with another man is a major factor. Ennis has literally seen the damage of even SEEMING gay in a community. That one image of death was instilled in his mind forever. With Jack, he most likely never had to deal with such an abhorence to homosexuality.
But I've been thinking...What are specific reasons Jack is more accepting of his attraction and love for Ennis, and sexual attraction towards other men? In the movie, Jack says that he worked on Brokeback the previous summer. Is it possible that he defined his sexuality when spending time with another young man working there? Or even before going to Brokeback Mountain? Not necessarily have sexual relations with him, but...
I think an interesting scene is when Jack is singing and talks to Ennis about his mother 'believing in the Pentecost'. He then says that he guesses it means that 'when the world ends, fellas like you and me march off to Hell.' In those words it seems evident to me that he really isn't under influence of religious or societal beliefs dicating his life--his comment basically shows his apathy towards it. He is aware of the morality the majority of society holds, but finds no reason to guilt-trip himself into following said morality. He gets feelings for Ennis, and simply does not have the hindering mentality that tells him, 'Oh, no...Maybe this is wrong...' Instead he finds pleasure and eventually love, and accepts it so easily!
So I ask...Why do you think Jack is so open, compared to Ennis at least, despite the tire iron event?
Re: Why was Jack more accepting of his sexuality?
by Doug-Nasty (Wed Nov 22 2006 18:50:02 ) UPDATED Wed Nov 22 2006 19:25:51
GrimShogun: You made some interesting points. I think you clearly defined one of the main DIFFERENCES between these two men. These differences shaped each other's "world view" if you will, and helped to mold their two personalities. It is how these different personalities begin to interact, that set the stage for an on-going twenty-year relationship, that helps both men see the true power and meaning of love, in every sense of the word, including all the struggles and painful emotions that are involved in being "in love".
As far as Jack's acceptance of his sexuality, I would say that probably Ennis wasn't the "first" "intimate" experience that he'd had. However, what was different in this case, is things developed to a more "metaphysical level", as Jake Gyllenhaal put it in the Bonus feature on the DVD: Directing From the Heart: Ang Lee. In other words, this was the first time Jack had "fallen in love" with someone.
Perhaps his lonely upbringing, by this I mean the aloofness of his father, and in the short story, even physical abuse by him, helped to foster in him the desire to love and be more open with his feelings, and to not give a 'flyin' *beep* about what others thought. He had found his "soul-mate" in Ennis, and Ennis, although he didn't fully realize it until too late, felt the same toward Jack.
Of course, Jack did eventually go with other men, when he realized he couldn't be with the one person he so desperately needed and wanted. In the "Lake Scene" when Jack says: "I'm not you! I can't make it on a couple a high-altitude *beep* once or twice a year!" I think, if we look beyond the obvious, and really listen to what Jack is saying we can understand what his true feelings are. Sure, he does seem to have a more keen need for the "physical" aspect of their relationship, but also, he is saying that he wants MORE than just the couple of times a year that they get together, for a few fleeting days happiness. As Annie Proulx so beautifully puts it in her short story: "One thing never changed: the brilliant charge of their couplings was darkened by the sense of time flying, never enough time, never enough." When Ennis says, "You got a better idea?" and Jack responds in a bitter, accusatory manner, "I did once", he is talking about the offer he's made more than once for he and Ennis set up ranch together. This is what Jack really wants. If it was only sex, living in Texas, he could get away to Mexico as often as he wanted, if he couldn't find a "partner" locally. So Jack was indeed more comfortable with and accepted his sexuality more than Ennis, but most importantly, he was trying to completely "embrace love", with all the struggles and heartache that it involved. In the end, he was ultimately disappointed, but I think he never completely gave up hope that someday, he and Ennis would have that "sweet life" together. His keeping the two shirts, symbolically entwined together, as one, speaks very simply and clearly about how deep Jack's love for Ennis was.
I hope this has answered some of your questions about Jack's acceptance of his sexuality.
...."What we got now is Brokeback Mountain"....
Doug O'Connor
Re: Why was Jack more accepting of his sexuality?
by malina-5 (Wed Nov 22 2006 19:19:35 ) Great points, both of you.
I've always thought that Jack's acceptance of his sexuality was quite miraculous, given the culture he was a part of. To see him continue to look Aguirre in the eye after Aguirre accuses him of 'stemming the rose' - no fight or flight response, like our friend Ennis surely would've had - is quite marvellous and is one of the reasons I love Jack.
Doug, I agree that his lonely upbringing must've been part of it. To my mind, Jack is like Parseval in the Fisher King legend - raised by his mother away from society, a breath of fresh air, simple (but not a fool), the only one who could heal the Fisher King's wounds.
Re: Why was Jack more accepting of his sexuality?
by GrimShogun (Wed Nov 22 2006 20:07:02 ) Thank you, the both of you!
Re: Why was Jack more accepting of his sexuality?
by redhowe (Thu Nov 23 2006 19:40:44 )
It is how these different personalities begin to interact, that set the stage for an on-going twenty-year relationship, that helps both men see the true power and meaning of love, in every sense of the word, including all the struggles and painful emotions that are involved in being "in love". _____________________________________________
Good point. Although I agree that Jack seems to feel more comfortable with his sexuality, I think a lot of what we see is his comfort with love (rather than sex). Perhaps due to his upbringing and relationship with his mother, he knew about trust and love and therefore became capable of loving more openly than Ennis. I think much of how Jack behaves towards Ennis comes from this open, trusting love which he 'feels' is right and therefore doesn't need vindicated by society, whereas Ennis tends to push those he loves away (eg Alma Jr).
After seeing the film again recently something else occurred to me. It has been said on this forum that this film is about the consequences of rural homophobia, which I'd agree with, but I think it goes deeper than that. Could this film not be seen as being about the consequences of societies that force people to conform? This would explain why I personally connect so deeply with this film. I'm not gay but I would fight to the death for anyone's right to be their own person and live their own life the way they want to live it. After all - and the symbolism in the film captures it perfectly - do we all want to be 'sheep'?
In this context Jack's character seems quite evolved, in the sense that he goes with his emotions and knows instinctively what 'feels' right, contrasted with Ennis who remains a fearful prisoner of societal conventions. Of course at the end Ennis gives those societal conventions up when he calls Lureen and visits Jack's parents, revealing himself to them all as Jack's lover. He has learnt to behave differently and is enlightened enough to open himself up to Alma Jr at the end.
