When Jack falls in love... and lets Ennis go

[saucycobblers]

Here's my theory...

The moments when Jack falls in love with Ennis and later lets him go are connected by two almost identical shots of Jack's face in the final meeting scene. We cut to the flashback of Ennis holding Jack, and the look on Jack's face when Ennis rides away really feels to me like the moment when Jack realises he's fallen in love with him (in the book this is the moment when Jack feels closest to him). We then cut to the almost identical shot of a very different Jack's face watching Ennis leaving once more. This time Jack has realised that he and Ennis will never be together in the way that Jack craves. I feel that it's the moment he begins to let Ennis go  .

Later, Pa Twist tells Ennis that Jack had been talking about bringing Randall up to the ranch the year before, but I don't think this signals his letting go of Ennis, since they've spent their entire lives being with other people whilst in love with each other. It's the moment of their last parting that is the moment of letting go, or final acceptance.

Any thoughts?

[opinionista]

Here's my theory...

The moments when Jack falls in love with Ennis and later lets him go are connected by two almost identical shots of Jack's face in the final meeting scene. We cut to the flashback of Ennis holding Jack, and the look on Jack's face when Ennis rides away really feels to me like the moment when Jack realises he's fallen in love with him (in the book this is the moment when Jack feels closest to him). We then cut to the almost identical shot of a very different Jack's face watching Ennis leaving once more. This time Jack has realised that he and Ennis will never be together in the way that Jack craves. I feel that it's the moment he begins to let Ennis go  .

Later, Pa Twist tells Ennis that Jack had been talking about bringing Randall up to the ranch the year before, but I don't think this signals his letting go of Ennis, since they've spent their entire lives being with other people whilst in love with each other. It's the moment of their last parting that is the moment of letting go, or final acceptance.

Any thoughts?

I agree, but I don't think Jack lets Ennis go. Ennis ran away. Ennis was always running away from Jack. In fact, that shot is actually shown three times in the movie. The first one happens the morning after they have sex for the first time, when Ennis hops on his horse and runs away without saying a word, leaving Jack sad and confused behind.

I think the last shot of Jack in the movie shows the moment in which he finally realizes or accepts that Ennis will always be running away from him, and that there was nothing he could do about it.

[Luvlylittlewing]

I don't think Jack let Ennis go.  Actually, I don't think anything really changed between them, but I could be wrong.  In the short story, and I'm not saying the movie has to parallel the story in every sense, but Annie P. says, and I paraphrase,

They torqued things to where they had been, for what was said was nothing new.  Nothing ended, nothing begun, nothing resolved.

I think if anything, Jack gave up the will to live.  I truly believe that Jack didn't care whether he lived or died when he realized that Ennis would never build a life with him.

[SFEnnisSF]

I think if anything, Jack gave up the will to live.  I truly believe that Jack didn't care whether he lived or died when he realized that Ennis would never build a life with him.

          

[Jane]

Yes I agree with that statement completly. He just looked so desolate.  Oh btw I dont know if anyone else has read this on LJ, but there is a story called  "an imperfect life" about Jack and Ennis, and Jack has just left Ennis!!!!!!!!!!!!  

[OldeSoul]

I think if anything, Jack gave up the will to live.  I truly believe that Jack didn't care whether he lived or died when he realized that Ennis would never build a life with him.

I agree- I always see the post-divorce scene where Jack gets the (wrong) message that Ennis sends as a turning point; the point where Jack really dies (i.e. his spirit).

I have heard it said, though, that if you love someone you let them go. And I think that even though Jack kept prodding Ennis to live that "sweet life" with him, he ultimately understood that this was the way Ennis always would be- running away from him and coming back. Jack lets him go, Ennis always returns. Ennis even tried to come back that November.

[Midnight24]

I don't think Jack let Ennis go.  Actually, I don't think anything really changed between them, but I could be wrong.  In the short story, and I'm not saying the movie has to parallel the story in every sense, but Annie P. says, and I paraphrase,

They torqued things to where they had been, for what was said was nothing new.  Nothing ended, nothing begun, nothing resolved.

I think if anything, Jack gave up the will to live.  I truly believe that Jack didn't care whether he lived or died when he realized that Ennis would never build a life with him.

I absolutely agree with saying that Jack did not care if he lived or died once he realized he could never build a life with Ennis.

[RouxB]

I agree-and disagree.

I agree that the relationship did not significantly change at the lake-Neither said anything that wasn't already known and they did indeed "torque" things almost back to how they had been. I think Ennis' statement "Jack, I can't stand this no more" was very meaningful in showing his frame of mind. Ennis, who is completely black or white, either fixes it or stands it. What happens when he can no longer stand it? Does he try to fix it? This is the direction in which I see him heading (the open space between what he knew and what he tried to believe) and had Jack not died-and not given up on him-Ennis would have made that journey.

I disagree that Jack gave up the will to live. I read that face as frustration, sadness, and awareness that what he had with Ennis was what he had with Ennis. It would never be what he wanted yet he was completely trapped by his love. I too see this as moment of letting go-of the dream-and final acceptance of the reality.

 

[saucycobblers]

 

*Sniff* *Blows nose*

Seriously... reading these made me a bit tearful... and it's not even 'that' time of the month! 

This is the direction in which I see him heading (the open space between what he knew and what he tried to believe) and had Jack not died-and not given up on him-Ennis would have made that journey.

Gotta disagree with you RouxB. I don't think Ennis would have ever made that journey if they'd both lived to be 80. The fact that Jack dies just as Alma Jr is getting married and becoming independent of her parents, and presumably Jenny / Francine is coming up to 18 since they were born close together - thereby freeing Ennis of his financial obligations to them - might be significant, but even if there were no financial barriers to Jack & Ennis setting up home together I don't think Ennis would. I think it'd be a step too far for him emotionally in 'leaving' his daughters (product and signifier of his heterosexual family) - as signified in the place of Alma Jr's sweater above Jack's shirt in Ennis's wardrobe. Ennis gives his daughters as a reason for not moving to Texas, but I think it's more than a geographical move he can't make - it's also an emotional one.

[Luvlylittlewing]

To Saucycobblers, I agree with you.  However, I do believe Ennis would have made some changes for Jack.  One step in that direction was breaking up with Cassie, IMO.  I don't know, I think Ennis would have tried to see Jack more, be more available to him, but I don't think he would have lived openly with Jack, as Jack wanted.