Topic: Did Jack ever say 'I love you' to Ennis?

[Freedom]

I don't remember if there was a moment that Jack told Ennis that he loved him.
If not, when it should be a good moment to tell him.

I think perhaps the last scene when they were together and Jack didn't get the same answer back. That would totally kill Ennis at the end if there would have been a Flashback on that at the end of the movie.

[Krispera]

He didn't and it is the power of this movie. Love doesn't need to be told!

[Freedom]

Ok, if I could add a scence...I would add a scene where

I imagined if there would be a scene when they slept in a tent and Jack was holding Ennis from the back...

Ennis was sleeping.
In the middle of the night, Jack awoke and quietly told Ennis that "I love you" and fell back to sleep.
A few seconds later, Ennis opened his eyes, looked very sad in his eyes, longingly to reply but couldn't
then he went back to sleep...

I think this would kill Ennis if there was a flashback at the end in Jack's room.

[City Slickin' Cowboy]

This is one film where if those three words were spoken it might have seemed redundant. I'm sure a number of people would have probably liked to hear it from either character.  Personally, if Ennis had spoken those words to Jack at any point during the film I would have cried like a baby.  Fantasy aside, it wasn't really necessary for this film.  Their deep love (and friendship) for each other was all too clear from my perspective.

[chameau]

There are two times the word love is pronounced in the movie, I might be wrong.

Cassie:  "girls don't fall in love for fun"  :'(

Ennis, asking Alma Jr.  "does Kurt loves you?"  :'( :'(

[ethan]

There are two times the word love is pronounced in the movie, I might be wrong.

Cassie:  "girls don't fall in love for fun"  :'(

Ennis, asking Alma Jr.  "does Kurt loves you?"  :'( :'(

Yes. Chameau. That is what I can recall.

The later one got my tears tonight.

[chameau]

The later one got my tears tonight.

Don't get me started please!  :'(

[Freedom]

There are two times the word love is pronounced in the movie, I might be wrong.

Cassie:  "girls don't fall in love for fun"  :'(

Ennis, asking Alma Jr.  "does Kurt loves you?"  :'( :'(

Yes. Chameau. That is what I can recall.

The later one got my tears tonight.

When I heard Ennis asked Alma Jr. that question, I asked myself whether Ennis was wondering if Kurt could be "like" him. I think I am sure this movie makes you wonder that every married guy can be like Ennis and Jack.

[proulxfan]

There are two times the word love is pronounced in the movie, I might be wrong.

Cassie:  "girls don't fall in love for fun"  :'(

Ennis, asking Alma Jr.  "does Kurt loves you?"  :'( :'(

There's one more when Ennis introduces Jack to Alma, referring to his daughters: " Love them to pieces."

[monicita]

The strength of the film is, that those two can't say they love each other. And the film shows us why, all the time. The poignancy of the shirts would be much less if there had been avowals of love between Jack and Ennis somewhere. In this way we are kept in painful suspense, waiting and hoping for those words, but they never come. Poor Jack and Ennis, my heart breaks for them (again).

monicita

[rod1960]

No, Ennis and Jack never say the words.  It would have been nice.

[sharve]

When I heard Ennis asked Alma Jr. that question, I asked myself whether Ennis was wondering if Kurt could be "like" him. I think I am sure this movie makes you wonder that every married guy can be like Ennis and Jack.

my thought was that maybe he didn't want her to go through what her mother went through: to be involved with someone who would rather be with someone else; someone who could not give her the passion, the lust she ought to have; someone who could not commit to her; someone who would turn out to be a failure to her. you see, he couldn't love Alma like he loved Jack.

[aimi15]

The strength of the film is, that those two can't say they love each other. And the film shows us why, all the time. The poignancy of the shirts would be much less if there had been avowals of love between Jack and Ennis somewhere. In this way we are kept in painful suspense, waiting and hoping for those words, but they never come. Poor Jack and Ennis, my heart breaks for them (again).

monicita

Poor monicita! I know exactly how you feel though. In lots of ways i'm glad they never said it, it makes it all more sweetly painful. It didn't occur to me for quite some time after watching it that they hadn't said it, surely that must be a testament to how wonderfully the love has been shown so powerfully in the actions and declarations of Jack and Ennis. I don't need to hear them say it, i just know it IS. What a film.......

[honestjoe1959]

There are two times the word love is pronounced in the movie, I might be wrong.

Cassie:  "girls don't fall in love for fun"  :'(

Ennis, asking Alma Jr.  "does Kurt loves you?"  :'( :'(

Yes. Chameau. That is what I can recall.

The later one got my tears tonight.

[honestjoe1959]

ALMA, JR REPLIES TO ENNIS:  'YES, DADDY...HE LOVES ME.'

ALL 3 ARE TEARJERKERS.

[Freedom]

When I heard Ennis asked Alma Jr. that question, I asked myself whether Ennis was wondering if Kurt could be "like" him. I think I am sure this movie makes you wonder that every married guy can be like Ennis and Jack.

my thought was that maybe he didn't want her to go through what her mother went through: to be involved with someone who would rather be with someone else; someone who could not give her the passion, the lust she ought to have; someone who could not commit to her; someone who would turn out to be a failure to her. you see, he couldn't love Alma like he loved Jack.

Yes, that's probably true. I can see that.
I need to see this film again. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD.
By the way, how come some of you got the gif picture made from the scene from the film? How do you do that?

[Rønnaug]

I kinda feel he does

"jack, i swear"

 

[romeshvr]

True.  Jack never did say that three-letter word to Ennis and nor did Ennis explicitly.  I think that is the beauty of the film and the story.  But they did say those words to each other in a disguised way.  Ennis threw that punch before they come down the mountain is one way Ennis shows his feeling.  Jack saying to Ennis it could be a sweet life by the river.  I see the last argument as a way of each other expressing their love.  In not saying that they love each other they hurt each other by saying things that purposefully strike their harts.  I guess in the end Jack really did say I LOVE YOU by holding on to the shirts for all them years. 

[Cowboy Cody]

Ok, keep this up, and I'm gonna start bawling! :'(

[JerBear418720]

These were macho, stompin' guys who expressed very little with words.  Gay or not, men are men, and many of us snort, posture, cuss and don't openly show emotion - LOL!  They didn't need the word.  The feeling was so powerful, it seeped out of their pores!

[City Slickin' Cowboy]

... I guess in the end Jack really did say I LOVE YOU by holding on to the shirts for all them years. 

Jack kept Ennis's shirt inside his jacket.  When we come to the final scene, Ennis has the jacket inside his shirt. We can speculate what Ennis may have meant by saying "Jack, I swear..." There's no doubt in my mind this reversal was Ennis's way of saying "Jack, I love you!"

Jacknabbit! I'm tearin' up again!   :'(

[tpe]

I kinda feel he does

"jack, i swear"

 

I believe this is right on the mark. 

One does not have to say the word, I guess.

[ragtimecowboy]

Never in those exact words. But then Jack said and showed it in so many ways. The best way "it could be like this, just like this forever."

[donnaread]

No one ever said "I love you"...the first time I saw the movie, I kept waiting for it to happen, and it never did.  At first I was very disappointed, but then I got to thinking that this is not something these "rough and tumble" guys would say.  You never even hear them say it to their wives.  ALSO, I don't think either one of them had ever been told that they were loved while they were growing up.  You live what you learn, a lot of times.  Which is why Ennis could never see himself building a life with Jack, because of what his father showed him as a child.  Donna

[jazzsinger]

I kinda think 'Jack, I swear..' is Ennis saying that Jack was always 'the only one' - its an oath of commitment, a vow, if you like.

We know (or are led to believe) that Jack had another lover after  Ennis, this is what he 'knew'; whereas he tried to believe that Jack remained faithful.

Its one of the premises of BBM that the two men could not say to each other 'I love you'. 

OMG its so hard to think of this!

[chameau]

JACK: "Tell you what... truth is sometimes I miss you so bad I could hardly stand it..."

Was almost a way to say I love you.

[BBBOY]

Its one of the premises of BBM that the two men could not say to each other 'I love you'. 

OMG its so hard to think of this!

Great post jazzsinger. Indeed it is the whole premises. We see it in every action they make but the human condition seems to need to hear those words. Had they been said I think some of the power of the story and movie would have been lost.

[tpe]

Had they been said I think some of the power of the story and movie would have been lost.

Yes.  This is so true.  And the film is all the more powerful because of it.

Thanks, BBBOY.

[chameau]

Had they been said I think some of the power of the story and movie would have been lost.

Yes.  This is so true.  And the film is all the more powerful because of it.

Thanks, BBBOY.

Ditto!

[LuvJackNasty]

Had they been said I think some of the power of the story and movie would have been lost.

Yes.  This is so true.  And the film is all the more powerful because of it.

Thanks, BBBOY.

Ditto!

Ditto x2!