Author Topic: What if Jack gave Ennis an ultimatum? Come with me to Mexico or it,s over.  (Read 16758 times)

Offline bbm_stitchbuffyfan

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Quote
Nothing short of the death that found Jack could have kept him from Ennis.

And judging by the wind in the end of the movie, Jack was still with Ennis...
If you'd just realize what I just realized then we'd be perfect for each other and we'd never have to wonder if we missed out on each other now
We missed out on each other now


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Offline serious crayons

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I think echoes in the scenes where they're leaving Brokeback and then Signal provide some clues to interpreting the "why doncha then" scene.

Both scenes involve a fight, and "Why doncha then" is kind of Ennis' verbal equivalent to his punch on that long-ago day. Both scenes involve missing being together in August. Both involve breaking camp, and the two working to get Jack's truck ready to go. Both involve Jack standing at the open door of his truck and saying he's going to go visit his folks. Both involve Ennis collapsing in tears, and snapping at someone and saying fuck ("what the fuck you lookin at" to the passerby and "get the fuck off me" to Jack). Both partings involve snow and cold: in the first one, literally, in the second one, only suggested in Jack's prediction "gonna snow tonight for sure," and his complaint about the cold. Both times Ennis appears angry but his real emotions are quite different.

Both times they part -- the first time for four years, the second time forever. In the middle of the second, we see a flashback from the era of the first, where Ennis says "see you in the morning." The first time, he does see Jack in "the morning," metaphorically -- four years later. The second time, he doesn't.

Re Ennis' breakup with Cassie: I don't get you either, Ennis del Mar. It doesn't make much sense, does it? Some people won't like this explanation, but I am coming to believe there's something messed up about the time frames of those last few scenes -- it's just too hard to believe that Ennis and Cassie were together for five years for a number of reasons.

Offline jpwagoneer1964

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I think echoes in the scenes where they're leaving Brokeback and then Signal provide some clues to interpreting the "why doncha then" scene.

Both scenes involve a fight, and "Why doncha then" is kind of Ennis' verbal equivalent to his punch on that long-ago day. Both scenes involve missing being together in August. Both involve breaking camp, and the two working to get Jack's truck ready to go. Both involve Jack standing at the open door of his truck and saying he's going to go visit his folks. Both involve Ennis collapsing in tears, and snapping at someone and saying fuck ("what the fuck you lookin at" to the passerby and "get the fuck off me" to Jack). Both partings involve snow and cold: in the first one, literally, in the second one, only suggested in Jack's prediction "gonna snow tonight for sure," and his complaint about the cold. Both times Ennis appears angry but his real emotions are quite different.

Both times they part -- the first time for four years, the second time forever. In the middle of the second, we see a flashback from the era of the first, where Ennis says "see you in the morning." The first time, he does see Jack in "the morning," metaphorically -- four years later. The second time, he doesn't.

Re Ennis' breakup with Cassie: I don't get you either, Ennis del Mar. It doesn't make much sense, does it? Some people won't like this explanation, but I am coming to believe there's something messed up about the time frames of those last few scenes -- it's just too hard to believe that Ennis and Cassie were together for five years for a number of reasons.

i I think the flashback may have happened the evening before the snowstorm that led to leaving Brokeback
Thank you Heath and Jake for showing us Ennis and Jack,  teaching us how much they loved one another.

Offline alec716

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And judging by the wind in the end of the movie, Jack was still with Ennis...

Excellent point, bbm_stitchbuffyfan... now that I have read the thread about the wind as Jack, Jack as the wind, etc, I am going to focus on that next time I watch the movie.  It is a terrifc thread! 
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Offline welliwont

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i I think the flashback may have happened the evening before the snowstorm that led to leaving Brokeback

I never got that feeling jpwagoneer, why do you think that?
Then the clouds opened up and God said, "I hate you, Alfafa."

Offline jpwagoneer1964

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I never got that feeling jpwagoneer, why do you think that?
The way the book and screenplay describe it as the "single, moment of charmed, artless happiness". It is one time Ennis is more forward and an indicatition that he is more comfortable with the relationship. While I would hope that they spent many nights together I would have thought that this would would be the usual parting to the nigts when Ennis went to the sheep .It would have been hade they not been had they not had to bring the sheep down early. To me its part of Jacks expression that their time is alwaysbeing cut short.
 
Thank you Heath and Jake for showing us Ennis and Jack,  teaching us how much they loved one another.

Offline Phillip Dampier

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Re: What if Jack gave Ennis an ultimatum? Come with me to Mexico or it,s over.
« Reply #36 on: November 27, 2006, 10:18:45 pm »
bump
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Offline mlewisusc

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Re: What if Jack gave Ennis an ultimatum? Come with me to Mexico or it,s over.
« Reply #37 on: November 28, 2006, 12:16:12 am »
I think echoes in the scenes where they're leaving Brokeback and then Signal provide some clues to interpreting the "why doncha then" scene.

Both scenes involve a fight, and "Why doncha then" is kind of Ennis' verbal equivalent to his punch on that long-ago day. Both scenes involve missing being together in August. Both involve breaking camp, and the two working to get Jack's truck ready to go. Both involve Jack standing at the open door of his truck and saying he's going to go visit his folks. Both involve Ennis collapsing in tears, and snapping at someone and saying fuck ("what the fuck you lookin at" to the passerby and "get the fuck off me" to Jack). Both partings involve snow and cold: in the first one, literally, in the second one, only suggested in Jack's prediction "gonna snow tonight for sure," and his complaint about the cold. Both times Ennis appears angry but his real emotions are quite different.

Both times they part -- the first time for four years, the second time forever. In the middle of the second, we see a flashback from the era of the first, where Ennis says "see you in the morning." The first time, he does see Jack in "the morning," metaphorically -- four years later. The second time, he doesn't.

Re Ennis' breakup with Cassie: I don't get you either, Ennis del Mar. It doesn't make much sense, does it? Some people won't like this explanation, but I am coming to believe there's something messed up about the time frames of those last few scenes -- it's just too hard to believe that Ennis and Cassie were together for five years for a number of reasons.


Damn.  Have I missed seeing someone else make all these parallels before?  This is awesome!
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Offline Momof2

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Re: What if Jack gave Ennis an ultimatum? Come with me to Mexico or it,s over.
« Reply #38 on: November 28, 2006, 03:09:44 pm »
[When Jack says "I wish I knew how to quit you" the first thing Ennis says is "Why don't you?". I know Ennis's answer can be intepreted in many ways, but it made me think that maybe Ennis also thought about the possibility of a break up. I guess Ennis knew deep in his heart Jack wasn't happy anymore. And he didn't know what else to do. Ennis felt he couldn't give Jack what he wanted. He loved him but he couldn't deal with the fact that Jack was a man.
[/quote]

Ennis knew why Jack couldnt quit him.  He loved him just as he loved Jack.  I think Ennis knew that he loved a man and as hard as it was he could not stay away from him.   
I wish I knew how to quit you.