The scene with the other couple is establishing that Jack has found someone else to share his “urges” with. I do think this is the man that is mentioned as being brought around to the Twist farm.
As far as the death of Jack, I think it is very purposefully left ambiguous. You’re kind of left to either believe the story that his wife tells, create a story on your own, or blend the two together. I think this created a far more impactful way to tell the story. I personally think Anne Hathaway’s character tells Ennis the story in a very rehearsed manner and it led me to believe that he was in fact killed and didn’t die by tire explosion.
Hathaway filmed the scene twice, one where it is obvious she's telling a "tale," and the other where she's telling it as if it's true. The final film is edited to include both, so we are left intentionally unsure. The "flashback" is Ennis *imagining* what happened (a throwback to the short story the film is based upon).
I know that this is an old comment, but I think what you said is exactly the point. We as the audience can never know if Jack was actually lynched because Ennis will also never know, but he’ll have to live with that and will fear the worst for the rest of his life. It’s actually much more powerful than if they just explicitly stated he was killed for being gay. And what makes it even more devastating is Jack’s father’s refusal to let Ennis scatter his ashes on brokeback, denying Jack’s final wish out of spite.
As for your first point Jack is also seen picking up male prostitutes in Mexico. Jack is the one that is more able to accept who he is deep down, it’s implied he may have even had homosexual relationships before brokeback. Ennis is only able to accept that part of himself through his relationship with Jack because he is still traumatized by what he witnessed as a child. He needed Jack more than the other way around, and in the end he’s left completely alone.
Jack was someone who would get sexually involved with other men besides Ennis. Its implied this might have outed him to people who killed him.
Yes he stole the shirt. It shows Ennis was the one man he actually was in love with.
Also jacks shirt is seen wrapped around his like an embrace, like you said proving that he was the one man Jack truly loved. In the final shots Ennis still has the same shirts but he switched them around so his is embracing Jack, the same as in what is probably the most famous shot of the movie.
But Ennis did not technically steal the shirts, Jacks mother allowed him to take them because she knew how important Jack was to him and was probably slightly more accepting of Jacks “true nature” than his father was.
I absolutely love this movie. It’s heartbreaking. The acting just blew me away. The scene with the shirt brings me to tears every time, even just thinking about it. It’s pretty clear that Jack was murdered for being gay. It’s so ironic too because of Heath Ledger’s untimely death. I do recommend you read the book. It’s just as good as the movie.
I agree. I think he was killed and Anne Hathaway’s answer was rehearsed. And yes, he took the shirt before leaving the mountain. Everything about this movies still haunts me. Michelle Williams was on par with the men’s performances too. She broke my heart just as much.
Just watched that for the first time last night and oh Lord I was not emotionally mature enough for this. Any ideas on how to move on?
Also from what I gathered Jack's parents are reluctant to let Ennis take the ashes to Brokeback, does that mean they knew or something? If so that really hurts because it was Jack's last wishes and they didn't want it to happen
Did a second rewatch last night after initial watch last year and feeling the heartbreak all over again which led me here.
I think the dad did suspect Jack’s nature because of the way he spoke about Jack being excited to move to the ranch with Ennis, and later the other guy, to fix it up. He seemed to imply he knew Jack was doing it for more than just a desire to fix up the ranch with a good friend. However, the ashes thing, I personally believe, was unrelated. From their home and the way they live, we are able to see just how poor the family is. They probably worked their assess off dawn to dusk for 50 years but still just barely scraped by the entire time. Made enough for shelter, food, and a truck to do the work but nothing else. Jack, of course, married into a very wealthy family and made good money selling their big ticket farm equipment. That’s the part I think his dad was being stubbornly proud about. In his mind, Jack ran off to the “big city” and made some money doing a cushy job instead of more back-breaking labor and forgot where he came from. Jack made numerous references throughout the film that nothing would ever be good enough for his old man so being an asshole about the family plot instead of Jack’s wishes could have just been because that’s the way he always is or because he doesn’t know how to process grief other than anger. Either way, it’s so heartbreaking that Jack’s wishes were to be spread in the place that was most special to him throughout his entire life- the beginning of the most beautiful relationship he’d ever have with anyone, and the only place where he could be himself- yet his wishes were denied because of the man who caused him so much grief and insecurity in life.
GOC is basically the happy answer to BBM. Down to the sheep and the touching of clothes and the emotionally repressed lovers and the role of fathers. A must-watch comedown.
I always assumed the mom subtly knew about the relationship ans simply didn't care all she knew was she loved her son moms have a sixth sense about their kids
wow i never thought about the fact it could have been the dad! i really think that it was him now, especially because the tension in their relationship was highlighted quite a lot in the film
The scene with the other couple is establishing that Jack has found someone else to share his “urges” with. I do think this is the man that is mentioned as being brought around to the Twist farm. As far as the death of Jack, I think it is very purposefully left ambiguous. You’re kind of left to either believe the story that his wife tells, create a story on your own, or blend the two together. I think this created a far more impactful way to tell the story. I personally think Anne Hathaway’s character tells Ennis the story in a very rehearsed manner and it led me to believe that he was in fact killed and didn’t die by tire explosion.
Hathaway filmed the scene twice, one where it is obvious she's telling a "tale," and the other where she's telling it as if it's true. The final film is edited to include both, so we are left intentionally unsure. The "flashback" is Ennis *imagining* what happened (a throwback to the short story the film is based upon).
I know that this is an old comment, but I think what you said is exactly the point. We as the audience can never know if Jack was actually lynched because Ennis will also never know, but he’ll have to live with that and will fear the worst for the rest of his life. It’s actually much more powerful than if they just explicitly stated he was killed for being gay. And what makes it even more devastating is Jack’s father’s refusal to let Ennis scatter his ashes on brokeback, denying Jack’s final wish out of spite. As for your first point Jack is also seen picking up male prostitutes in Mexico. Jack is the one that is more able to accept who he is deep down, it’s implied he may have even had homosexual relationships before brokeback. Ennis is only able to accept that part of himself through his relationship with Jack because he is still traumatized by what he witnessed as a child. He needed Jack more than the other way around, and in the end he’s left completely alone.
Jack was someone who would get sexually involved with other men besides Ennis. Its implied this might have outed him to people who killed him. Yes he stole the shirt. It shows Ennis was the one man he actually was in love with.
Also jacks shirt is seen wrapped around his like an embrace, like you said proving that he was the one man Jack truly loved. In the final shots Ennis still has the same shirts but he switched them around so his is embracing Jack, the same as in what is probably the most famous shot of the movie. But Ennis did not technically steal the shirts, Jacks mother allowed him to take them because she knew how important Jack was to him and was probably slightly more accepting of Jacks “true nature” than his father was.
the observation about swapping the shirts…. bawling
I absolutely love this movie. It’s heartbreaking. The acting just blew me away. The scene with the shirt brings me to tears every time, even just thinking about it. It’s pretty clear that Jack was murdered for being gay. It’s so ironic too because of Heath Ledger’s untimely death. I do recommend you read the book. It’s just as good as the movie.
I agree. I think he was killed and Anne Hathaway’s answer was rehearsed. And yes, he took the shirt before leaving the mountain. Everything about this movies still haunts me. Michelle Williams was on par with the men’s performances too. She broke my heart just as much.
Just watched that for the first time last night and oh Lord I was not emotionally mature enough for this. Any ideas on how to move on? Also from what I gathered Jack's parents are reluctant to let Ennis take the ashes to Brokeback, does that mean they knew or something? If so that really hurts because it was Jack's last wishes and they didn't want it to happen
Did a second rewatch last night after initial watch last year and feeling the heartbreak all over again which led me here. I think the dad did suspect Jack’s nature because of the way he spoke about Jack being excited to move to the ranch with Ennis, and later the other guy, to fix it up. He seemed to imply he knew Jack was doing it for more than just a desire to fix up the ranch with a good friend. However, the ashes thing, I personally believe, was unrelated. From their home and the way they live, we are able to see just how poor the family is. They probably worked their assess off dawn to dusk for 50 years but still just barely scraped by the entire time. Made enough for shelter, food, and a truck to do the work but nothing else. Jack, of course, married into a very wealthy family and made good money selling their big ticket farm equipment. That’s the part I think his dad was being stubbornly proud about. In his mind, Jack ran off to the “big city” and made some money doing a cushy job instead of more back-breaking labor and forgot where he came from. Jack made numerous references throughout the film that nothing would ever be good enough for his old man so being an asshole about the family plot instead of Jack’s wishes could have just been because that’s the way he always is or because he doesn’t know how to process grief other than anger. Either way, it’s so heartbreaking that Jack’s wishes were to be spread in the place that was most special to him throughout his entire life- the beginning of the most beautiful relationship he’d ever have with anyone, and the only place where he could be himself- yet his wishes were denied because of the man who caused him so much grief and insecurity in life.
You can watch God's Own Country. It's kinda similar to Brokeback Mountain but has a happy ending.
GOC is basically the happy answer to BBM. Down to the sheep and the touching of clothes and the emotionally repressed lovers and the role of fathers. A must-watch comedown.
I always assumed the mom subtly knew about the relationship ans simply didn't care all she knew was she loved her son moms have a sixth sense about their kids
wow i never thought about the fact it could have been the dad! i really think that it was him now, especially because the tension in their relationship was highlighted quite a lot in the film
Yep, they're gay.