"I was supposed to control the weather"... Jack and the Wind

[serious crayons]

Isn't it amazing how consistent and ever-present all these symbols are -- water, wind (and fans), buckets, coffee pots, cold/snow, etc. -- throughout the whole movie? I love how in Ennis' trailer at the end you see the coffee pot and the big fan.

[starboardlight]

Isn't it amazing how consistent and ever-present all these symbols are -- water, wind (and fans), buckets, coffee pots, cold/snow, etc. -- throughout the whole movie? I love how in Ennis' trailer at the end you see the coffee pot and the big fan.

What's the coffee pot metaphor?

[starboardlight]

This is a very good point I think.  In both the flashback and the present, Ennis doesn't look back (obviously in the present because he's in the truck, and in the flashback he just concentrates on looking ahead.  Interesting that in both of these instances we presume that Ennis is anticipating a future with Jack (we assume he leaves the argument thinking that November actually will happen...).  This reminds me of the end of their summer on Brokeback.  Katherine, I know we've chatted a bit about the lasso, "confusing tussle" situations and Jack's upbeat tone through much of this.  It's been discussed that Ennis is all upset at the end of the Brokeback summer because he feels that it's the end of his time with Jack (so his mood is grumpy, pessimistic and angry).  Whereas at the end of that first summer Jack doesn't seem to perceive that it signals the end of their relationship at all.  It's interesting that at the end of the flashback there's that famous look from Jack that seems so contented and romantic.  But, at the end of the parallel argument scene he has the same, glum or pessimistic look that would have been more associated with Ennis's mood at the end of the first summer.  I guess this is just a signal of foreboding... but man!

So sad!
 

I really love the parallel between the two parting scenes; end of first summer and lake side showdown. they both seems to have the same structure. The two men grapple with one another, one physically, the other emotionally. They hurt one another, inadvertently and purposely. Both scenes, Jack embraces Ennis and tells him "It's alright." And there's a riding away and "looking back". August is an issue. Money is an issue. I really love your take on the "looking back" and role reversal. In one Ennis believes it would their last time together, in the other, it's Jack who is glim and pessimitic.

[serious crayons]

OOooh, Nipith! I'd never thought of some of those little details! You're right -- when Jack says, "What the hell happened to August?" he's essentially saying the exact thing Ennis said when leaving Brokeback. And both times, Ennis being broke is a factor, though for different reasons.

[Mikaela]

Ang Lee himself has commented that the water imagery is a direct metaphor for the love between the men. Cannot think where I heard him say it, but he did.

and

I love the way water is used to symbolize their relationship (and how scenes with Ennis and Alma often involve tap -- artificial -- water), and how sad it is when it gets stiller and stiller as the movie goes on, until in the end they're at a lake.

Great observations! Very powerful and expressive imagery with the rushing water, turning still and placid towards the end of the film. 

At the Toronto Film Festival's Press Conference after the screening there of BBM in the autumn of 2005, one of the questions asked to the actors was how they worked and what they did in order to ensure that the chemistry between their characters worked. In the course of some rather meandering replies, Jake Gyllenhaal said that in preparing for scenes, they were helped by whole paragraphs of screen directions in the script, explaining what the characters were feeling. He gave as an example  that at one point, the script said that when Jack looks at Ennis, he "feels as if 1,000 rivers flow through him."

(I can't recall whether that sentence is in the actual final script - I think not, but I may be wrong in that?)  Either way it does confirm the rushing water imagery as symbolic of Jack and Ennis's love.

It also serves to explain why the sad flashback to Ennis's childhood appears to take place in the most arid and desert-like landscape of the entire movie, a contrast to the rushing waters of Brokeback Mountain and all that they symbolize.

[serious crayons]

What's the coffee pot metaphor?

Somewhere around here there is a thread discussing this. It started with buckets. The poster (damn, I hate not being able to give proper credit but as usual I can't remember who posted this brilliant observation) noticed that buckets keep appearing at key points throughout the movie. While setting up camp, Jack carries buckets overflowing with water (i.e., their relationship) and sets them down by Ennis. Ennis knocks over a bucket on his way into the tent in TS1. Later, he angrily kicks one when he's fighting with Alma -- and the bucket's full of ashes. He drops a bucket when Jack suggests he move to Texas. I think there are others. If you missed that one, I'll see if I can find it for you, because it was great.

So that led to a discussion of coffee pots, with people noticing that the coffee pot seems to represent Jack, while the bucket represents Ennis. Ennis is washing out a coffee pot in that early scene when he's standing in the river and worriedly watches Jack ride up the mountain. The morning after TS1, he opens the tent flap and the first objects in view are a coffee pot and bucket (now uprighted). In the dozy embrace scene, the coffee pot and bucket are standing cozily side-by-side on the grill. Jack's mom serves Ennis coffee. In Ennis' trailer, there's a coffee pot on the stove, and he serves Alma Jr. coffee.  There are probably others I'm not remembering.

It also serves to explain why the sad flashback to Ennis's childhood appears to take place in the most arid and desert-like landscape of the entire movie, a contrast to the rushing waters of Brokeback Mountain and all that they symbolize.

Hey yeah, Mikaela! Good one. And while we're on that subject, the last time I watched I noticed the ominous music we hear in that flashback scene sounds a lot like the ominous music when Ennis finds the dead sheep.

[serious crayons]

Hey starboardlight, I just found the thread I was referring to. In fact, it's still active on this very board. It's called "on buckets, eagles, impatience and ..."

http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php?topic=569.0

Now I can properly credit Front-Ranger for her brilliant discovery of the bucket motif. Here is one of her really good observations:

The last time I saw the bucket, my heart sank. Jack and Ennis were camping beside a stream and for the last time Jack suggested that Ennis leave Riverton and come and live near him in Texas. Ennis responds angrily and while he is berating Jack, a bucket starts to float down the stream. Silently I cried out, Ennis, your life and all your chances for happiness are floating away! But Ennis just kept grousing about how Jack was a big thinker (dreamer). Jack F**king Twist.

And further on, Amanda lists all the bucket and coffee pot references. A good one she spotted that I'd forgotten about is where Ennis says "the only traveling I've ever done is around a coffee pot looking for the handle."

[Brown Eyes]

Hooray for buckets and coffeepots!

OK, so now I've been thinking a bit about dialogue and parallel and/ or wierd moments when the same of similar lines of dialogue are repeated.  I started thinking about this because of the August observation above.  At the end of the first summer Ennis is angry at the idea that Aguirre wants them to leave early and exclaims "but it's the middle of August"... and at the end in the argument (as has been noted above) Jack asks "what the hell ever happened to August?"  So, it's not exactly the same, but a really noticeable and important parallel.  Another example... The fact that Jack's Dad uses Jack's catch phrase, "tell you what..." also seems important as an indication of family ties and habits and as a sad reminder to Ennis of Jack.

So, here's the one that I just noticed last night and I have no idea what to make of this (it's OT as it doesn't seem to have much to do with wind or water).  When Aguirre comes to tell Jack about his uncle in the hospital as Jack's chopping wood, Aguirre says "your Ma sent me to tell you so here I am."  When Jack comes to Wyoming for the surprise visit to Ennis in the post-divorce scene he uses the exact same phrase... "I got you card about the divorce... so here I am."  He even says that phrase in a very similar way to how Aguirre said it.  Why would this phrase be repeated in these two contexts?  The scenes seem to have little to do with one another.  Any thoughts?

[twistedude]

Don't know (like Randall, '
Don't know."), but Jack never controlled anything, except the soul of the nman he loved, by dying...

[serious crayons]

Another example... The fact that Jack's Dad uses Jack's catch phrase, "tell you what..." also seems important as an indication of family ties and habits and as a sad reminder to Ennis of Jack.

So, here's the one that I just noticed last night and I have no idea what to make of this (it's OT as it doesn't seem to have much to do with wind or water).  When Aguirre comes to tell Jack about his uncle in the hospital as Jack's chopping wood, Aguirre says "your Ma sent me to tell you so here I am."  When Jack comes to Wyoming for the surprise visit to Ennis in the post-divorce scene he uses the exact same phrase... "I got you card about the divorce... so here I am."  He even says that phrase in a very similar way to how Aguirre said it.  Why would this phrase be repeated in these two contexts?  The scenes seem to have little to do with one another.  Any thoughts?

I don't have the answer to this. But Amanda, these verbal repetitions could almost be a whole new thread. I certainly have noticed the "Tell you what." I'll try to see if I can think of any others. ...

... OK, here's one. It's not hugely original, because we've talked about it before. But anyway: "What's your name?" "Ennis ... Del Mar." (And I love, in the Cassie scene, that odd little half-smile Ennis gives after saying that.) Oh, and another example of this line is the cute funny way (despite the sad context) he signs his last postcard with his whole name. Like if he just said "Ennis," Jack might be left wondering which Ennis it could be.