Jake eloquently discusses the polarities of Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar. Ennis is 'Old West', while Jack is 'New West'; Jack is progressive and wants to move out from where he is to be somewhere better. These two worlds meet "in a place of love". Jack, as a man ahead of his time, wants his love to work in a real world, away from the Mountain, but it can't. It can only work on Brokeback Mountain and so Jack, a human being, must find physical comfort away from the man he loves - his "soulmate".
Jake argues that Jack has to fight to be recognised as a man, notably by his father-in-law. There is an "offensive simplification" that Jack is less of a man than Ennis and this raises the question of what is masculine and what is feminine. Are these fair assumptions? But "love is what's difficult." The irony is that they live at a time of free love and yet "they're not free to love at all".
A WDW friend has also led me to a phone interview with Ang Lee, in which Ang pays tribute to the bravery of his two male leads, Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger, especially when filming the Reunion and the first night in the tent scenes. Heath may have found it easier to play the part of a man afraid of his emotions and his needs, but Jake had to dig deep and he brought strong personal emotion into his expression of love - thereby winning Ang's utmost admiration and respect.
It is ironic that these interviews have emerged during a week when a school in Chicago is being sued for 'negligence, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress' because it 'forced' a 12-year-old girl and her class to watch Brokeback Mountain. The girl's 'emotional trauma over the film continues to this day' and 'she is receiving psychological treatment and counselling for the distressing experience.' A sum of upwards of $400,000 will make her feel better. Brokeback Mountain has had a longlasting effect on many of us, but as a power for good and positive change. I wonder what Jake and Ang Lee must think of all this.
A special thank you to a special WDW friend.
Pictures from IHJ.
16 comments:
Oh yes, this was just a wonderful interview, wasn't it? Jake spoke so freely, and I loved his thoughts on the polarity of the Old and New West as compared with Ennis and Jack. I love Brokeback Mountain. *sigh*
Hi anon. Thank you for commenting. As a Brokie through and through, this was one of the most emotional posts I've done on WDW to date and I appreciate hearing your voice.
Thank you so much for bringing this interview to light. I'm a rabid Brokie and my love for Jack and Ennis has consumed me in ways I'd never have imagined over the past 18 months or more.
I've really enjoyed your thoughts and observations and wish you all the best with your blog.
Hey seaweed - thanks for commenting. It's good to hear from the other Brokies out there.
Thanks for your kind wishes and I hope I see you around here again.
This really was a wonderful interview. The polarisation between Jack and Ennis is very clear, but I think the summation of “love is the difficult part” puts it into context.
We all have our own Jack elements and our own Ennis elements – to varying degrees, and sometime the balance of these from within, our vision of society’s response to exposing these parts of ourselves goes a real long way to making love the difficult part.
That's a wonderful comment ATD - the struggle of how to balance what each of us wants with what society allows us. The need to feel safe within society balanced against our compulsion for the freedom to love. Whatever the case, love is as difficult as it is precious, without doubt. How Jake managed to convey that at such a young age is a marvel to me.
This is the film that I will carry in my heart forever. I didn't think it was possible to love it anymore. But hearing Jake speak with such incredible passion and understanding for the characters of Jack and Ennis makes it all the more heartbreaking that these two men - fictional though they may be but representative of those who really lived - were not allowed to live free.
WDW, as much as I love all of the respect you are giving Zodiac, it pleases me no end that you are honoring Brokeback. It doesn't matter how much time passes. I know I will never be able to let this one go.
Yes Dani, that's what stays with me too - that E&J are fictional, but represent people who actually lived. Brokeback Mountain is an exceptional and meaningful film. :)
WDW you have made all of us fellow-Brokies very emotional with this post. I can read it in the responses of Seaweed, ATD, Dani and Marina, all of which have struck a deep chord in me.
Seeing that video(I have read the contents on a website earlier) made me lose it all over again in pretty much the manner that I lost it on my first-ever encounter with BBM which was the LOGO video.
"consumed me in ways I'd never have imagined " --- I can understand that Seaweed, it has happened to me and is still happening. And from this apparent devastation i can can clearly feel a sense of myself growing and evolving into a better person.
"sometime the balance of these from within, our vision of society’s response to exposing these parts of ourselves goes a real long way to making love the difficult part. " ATD you articulated something really difficult and complex -- I have struggled all along to give these thoughts a form and you have spoken for me.
"when a school in Chicago is being sued for 'negligence, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress' because it 'forced' a 12-year-old girl and her class to watch Brokeback Mountain."
Thank you for drawing the attention of your readers to this. The manner in which you have introduced this in your beautiful post has pushed my activist button. I have actually been motivated by this post as well as a bold post I read on another forum, to open a new thread on SMG for examining many uncomfortable questions this has raised. I have taken the liberty to quote this passage and link to this post on that thread.
Here is the link:
TIRE IRONS AGAIN??? TASTE INCOGNITA'S THUNDER
I welcome all visitors here at WDW to drop by and post your thoughts on the questions raised there as well as just any thought that comes to your mind as a spinoff of this school episode. You do not need registration to post there
Once again many many thanks WDW --- you keep my juices flowing!
Thanks everyone for the positive feedback for this post - It's a pleasure to write about Brokeback Mountain and I intend to do it again very soon. Hearing Jake talk with such honesty and feeling about Jack Twist is very special indeed.
The depth of Jake's understanding of the human condition in general and these two characters in particular astounds me repeatedly. How much higher can my regard for this young man reach? Amaaaazing!
That interviewer did a good job, too, asking thoughtful and interesting questions. No wonder Jake responded in kind. And watching Jake "listen" is a treat -- I imagine he makes anyone he converses with feel they are the only two people on the planet.
Thanks again, WDW, for yet another sensitive, well-written post!
Beckela, that's an interesting point - when's Jake's interested he makes for a fascinated listener. I really think he enjoys the chance to be asked to dig deep on his feelings about why he takes on certain roles. Clearly somethings motivate him more than others, and there are certain things about a character that he looks for - and I find that very interesting.
Fantastic interview, one of the best ever.
WHERE HAS THIS INTERVIEW BEEN ALL THIS TIME!!!
This is the best one I've seen on Brokeback. This guy asked exactly what the world wants to ask and Jake came forth with answers that satisfy the heart. Jake breathed new life into the Jack Twist character from his words.
BILLIANT!
Thanks for commenting Cameron. Thank heavens this video came to light in the end. When Jake is given the opportunity, his eloquence is astounding, as is his passionate commitment to Jack Twist. So good to hear.
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