Brokeback Mountain Forum @ ennisjack.com

The Movie & Story => Characters, Quotes & Scenes => Topic started by: chameau on Feb 15, 2006, 12:34 AM

Title: What is Jack playing on harmonica?
Post by: chameau on Feb 15, 2006, 12:34 AM: What is Jack playing on harmonica?

I noticed it before but I waited my 6th viewing, with a mental note to listen carefully. I listened very carefully.

The first time we hear Jack playing harmonica, he plays the first notes from ''he was a friend of mine''. Then, he got some comments from Ennis and after, no ''real music'' is played by Jack.

Did you ever noticed?

What would be the meaning?
Title: Re: What is Jack playing on harmonica?
Post by: Cowboy Cody on Feb 15, 2006, 10:11 AM: Cham - you are quite right, no real music after that on the ol'harmonica. Perhaps just a little foreshadowing of what was to come. He was to "remain a friend" despite their involvment, not the couple he wanted to be, plus alludes to "dying on the road". Jack also never caused "anyone no harm".
Title: he was a friend of mine
Post by: cornflake on Nov 29, 2006, 02:01 AM: Hello togther,

I´m a new Brokie in this forum and first of all I wanted to say: I´m from Germany and my english is not very good sorry for that :)
I´m happy to have found this forum!! I read it every day :-)

Now my question.
There is one scene in the movie Jack is playing his harmonica for the first time.
He is lying on the ground, while Ennis hase some problems with the tent.
I am SURE, that Jakc is playing the song "he was a friend of mine". Ok, he plays extremly bad, but I´m sure to have discovered that it is the song!

What do u think??
Title: Re: he was a friend of mine
Post by: greenfrog on Nov 29, 2006, 02:03 AM: Hello Cornflake :^^)

Welcome to Ennisjack.com

We have started another thread on this topic, but yes, I'm absolutely certain that he is playing "He was a friend of mine."
Title: Re: he was a friend of mine
Post by: cornflake on Nov 29, 2006, 02:45 AM: Hi Greenfrog :)

Thanks so much!
Where is the other topic?! Can´t find it :(
I discussed this topic already in the German Forum of BBM, but they laughed about me thinking Jack is playing "He was a friend of mine".
Title: Re: he was a friend of mine
Post by: dodoLea on Nov 29, 2006, 03:12 AM: Hi cornflake!! ^f^ #$#
I agree with you and greenfrog, Jakc is certainly playing the song "he was a friend of mine",here it is for you the link of the discussion about it
http://www.ennisjack.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=4ae5804173960da21f44cf3874e7868a&topic=1497.0
Title: Re: he was a friend of mine
Post by: cornflake on Nov 29, 2006, 04:12 AM: Thank you!!!

I am sooooo happy to be in this forum!! :)
Title: Re: he was a friend of mine
Post by: welshwitch on Nov 29, 2006, 06:54 AM: Hello, cornflake! Welscome to the firum. You evidently have a better ear than I do - I just thought he was making an awful noise! :)
Title: Re: he was a friend of mine
Post by: tpe on Nov 29, 2006, 08:40 AM: Welcome cornflake!

Yes, there is another thread that discusses this.

I will merge it with this thread. I hope this is fine. :)
Title: Re: What is Jack playing on harmonica?
Post by: tpe on Nov 29, 2006, 08:50 AM: Merging another thread with this one. :)
Title: Re: What is Jack playing on harmonica?
Post by: tpe on Nov 29, 2006, 08:53 AM: Merge successful. :)
Title: Re: What is Jack playing on harmonica?
Post by: cornflake on Nov 29, 2006, 09:04 AM: I had to learn in school how to discover film music (ich hated it, because a had a very mean teacher!!!).
but now i´m happy to have learned it, because i discovered the "friend of mine"
Title: Re: What is Jack playing on harmonica?
Post by: dirtbiker on Nov 29, 2006, 11:05 AM: Yes, I too read somewhere that the harmonica tune was "He Was A Friend Of Mine"....
Title: Re: What is Jack playing on harmonica?
Post by: aintfoolin on Nov 29, 2006, 03:51 PM: Riding alongside Ennis after seperating the sheep, Jack appears to have finished his "masterpiece" I still don't recognize it as Friend of mine. Just his version I guess. I tend to agree with Ennis here with the teasing. I absolutely Love this scene though and I say, YOU GO JACK!, play on.
Title: Re: What is Jack playing on harmonica?
Post by: tpe on Nov 30, 2006, 11:33 AM: Quote from: aintfoolin on Nov 29, 2006, 03:51 PM
Riding alongside Ennis after seperating the sheep, Jack appears to have finished his "masterpiece" I still don't recognize it as Friend of mine. Just his version I guess. I tend to agree with Ennis here with the teasing. I absolutely Love this scene though and I say, YOU GO JACK!, play on.

Yes, I had also mentioned this in a previous post. It is because of this that I suspect that it is not the same tune.
Title: Re: What is Jack playing on harmonica?
Post by: aintfoolin on Dec 10, 2006, 08:10 AM: Sounds more like "Water Walkin Jesus" to me.
Title: Re: What is Jack playing on harmonica?
Post by: aintfoolin on Dec 31, 2006, 06:47 AM: Jack's harmonica playing is reminscent of the old cowboy movies and western TV shows in the 60's. There was always someone playing "O Susanna" or the old fav "Home on the Range. It fit and though Ennis teased him about it ,Jack was determined to master it . Was it one of the items auctioned off from the movie recently?
Title: Re: What is Jack playing on harmonica?
Post by: welshwitch on Dec 31, 2006, 02:17 PM: It seems to me ( though this is OT) that playing the harmonica is an aspect of Jack's chameleon quality - people in Westerns play harmonicas, so he does. Later when he's selling farm machinery he's in effect a rep or a salesman, and he dresses and speaks accordingly. He picks up a ( slightly variable!) Texas accent too later in the story.