Toy horse and rodeo rider

[Brown Eyes]

Well, whether or not the toy in Jack's room is exactly the same figure that Ennis was carving (I tend to think it was an old childhood toy of Jack's too), it serves the purpose of reminding Ennis of that element of Brokeback.  It certainly reminded all of us of the figure Ennis was carving... so it probably did the same for Ennis.  latjoreme made a great point in another thread, that seems very relevant here... she's noticed that Jack's room contains all sorts of elements that remind us/Ennis of the Brokeback summer.... the slanted white walls (remind us of the slanted canvas walls of the tent), the little rifles on the wall, the rock collection (reminds of the early scene where Ennis is building the fire circle with rocks), and yes the little cowboy toy reminds not only of the figure Ennis was carving, but it serves as a general reminder of Jack. 

I think it's quite lovely to think of that toy as evidence that Jack was dreaming of cowboys from a very young age... not only envisioning himself as a cowboy, but also maybe as a very early sign of his developing sexuality.  A toy cowboy is a completely typical toy that you'd expect to find in most kids' rooms... but for a gay kid it might have different meaning or secret meanings.  So, Ennis becomes the real-life manifestation of Jack's ideal cowboy (symbolized by this toy)... when Jack watches Ennis ride away in the famous long gaze following the flashback scene it's not hard to imagine that he's seeing Ennis as his dream-cowboy who's all of a sudden really his lover.  It's probably the kind of thing he'd never really dare hope or expect to come true.  And, likewise, I think Ennis sees Jack as a fulfillment of his own fascination with cowboys... back on the old board people made arguments concerning Ennis's urge to watch Jack on his horse, Jack riding away, etc. as early evidience of his growing attraction to Jack.  So, that little toy can carrying lots of meaning.  Most simply though, I think it reminds Ennis of his lost cowboy.
 

ps. welcome adrian.delmar

[ednbarby]

Thank you from me, too, Adrian.  I saw the horse and knife at the Castro on the 12th.  I wanted to touch them, but my fingers were all buttery from the popcorn I'd been sharing with Abe, so I held off.  It was so cool to see them both up close, though.

The first time I saw the movie, it wrecked me when Ennis saw and picked up the horse and cowboy.  It just struck me as poignant that maybe Ennis was discovering something he didn't know about Jack - that Jack liked to whittle, too.  I just assumed Jack had carved the figurine, and saw it as a commonality between the two of them.  Just like when I later read Jeff's "Some Sweet Life" and started weeping at my desk at work at the thought of Ennis looking at Jack's grave at the "grieving plain," never having known that Jack was just a nickname and that his given name was actually John C. Twist, Jr.

But I'm just assuming Jack carved it.  It could have been a gift from any number of people along the way, I suppose.  The idea that Ennis might have carved it is very romantic in its own way, too.

[serious crayons]

IMO: the two are not the same, Jack's is not handcarved, but Jack's is intended to remind us of Ennis'. (However, Adrian's tip about set decoration vs. props throws some doubt about whether it was intentional.)

I think they both carry deeper meanings, in any case. As Amanda says. Jack's shows that from an early age he was dreaming of cowboys -- certainly in the role-model way, and maybe also in the gay-kid way. That underscores the idea that Jack strives to fit that cowboy image himself, and falls for Ennis at least in part because in some ways Ennis effortlessly embodies it.

For Ennis, the riderless horse (especially in contrast to Jack's with a rider) may suggest his expectation/idea of himself always being alone.

And Amanda, much as I'd love to claim credit for that observation about symbols in Jack's bedroom, I cannot. I don't know whose idea it was, though.

[Brown Eyes]

And Amanda, much as I'd love to claim credit for that observation about symbols in Jack's bedroom, I cannot. I don't know whose idea it was, though.

Oops!  Sorry, I could have sworn it was you.  I know this topic has come up here and there in other threads.

Anyway, I like the contrast between Ennis whittling just a horse while Jack's toy has a rider.  I guess that in practical terms... the toy has to have a rider if it's meant to remind Ennis of Jack (I mean, if this is one of the ways this little cowboy toy is meant to function).  I'd think that a horse alone wouldn't specifically evoke Jack... it would still evoke Brokeback though I'm sure.

[nic]

.....snip...  latjoreme made a great point in another thread, that seems very relevant here... she's noticed that Jack's room contains all sorts of elements that remind us/Ennis of the Brokeback summer.... the slanted white walls (remind us of the slanted canvas walls of the tent), the little rifles on the wall, the rock collection (reminds of the early scene where Ennis is building the fire circle with rocks), and yes the little cowboy toy reminds not only of the figure Ennis was carving, but it serves as a general reminder of Jack. ...snip...

OT but related to the fascinating list of points about Jack's room that relate to their Brokeback summer. I recently discovered another item in Jack's room of significance: it is an anchor on the wall above the bed, & Ennis's surname is Del Mar.  I read this somewhere recently but don't think it was on B'most.  I'm still relatively new to all this discussion - it's only taken 4 mths for the initial shock to wear off!

[Mikaela]

Nic, I bet you saw that over at the DC board's photo caption thread; - it's a regular haunt of mine - and they happened to just go into the Anchor&Del Mar connection.

I do love that imagery and the symbolism - an anchor, an implement of the sea - providing light in the dark during Jack's childhood.


Concerning the little toy horse and rider, I've imagined that to be a stand-in for the dark-haired movie star picture that Jack had on his bedroom wall in the short story and in at least one script draft I've seen. Using that toy instead of the picture, I think the movie emphazises the boy Jack's dreams of becoming a "real cowboy" and of him idolizing cowboy life in general, rather than possibly confusing that point by using some recognizable good-looking movie star dressed up in a cowboy role. The use of a generic faceless cowboy figure makes for less ambiguity IMO.

[adrian]

  If anyone is planning to be at the Atlanta screening on the 29th, I plan to be there with the carved horse and Jack knife from the movie.  I would gladly share it with any other fans who wish to see it.

Adrian

[ednbarby]

  If anyone is planning to be at the Atlanta screening on the 29th, I plan to be there with the carved horse and Jack knife from the movie.  I would gladly share it with any other fans who wish to see it.

How lovely!  Will it be on display in the lobby like it was at the Castro?  I will certainly alert my good friend up there who plans to attend to be on the lookout for it. 

[David In Indy]

I'm sorry if somebody already asked this question.

What is the little toy horse made of? I always thought it was made of wood (reinforcing my long disputed theory that Ennis actually carved the horse for Jack. I like to think he did anyhow) or is it made of metal. Some people over on IMDb tried to tell me it was a metal toy horse.

[gattaca]

I'm sorry if somebody already asked this question.

What is the little toy horse made of? I always thought it was made of wood (reinforcing my long disputed theory that Ennis actually carved the horse for Jack. I like to think he did anyhow) or is it made of metal. Some people over on IMDb tried to tell me it was a metal toy horse.

The horse appears to be made of balsawood. But, unless Ennis brought some up the mountain in his paper bag, there's nowhere in Wyoming where it is a native tree (I think). But realistically, it is a film prop, and it could be any kind of wood - I don't think it's metal - you couldn't carve metal with a bowie knife.