Author Topic: Ennis's last words "Jack, I swear . . . " (Read 168852 times)

pennyT · « **Reply #30 on:** Feb 05, 2006, 06:43 AM »

Saw the movie for the second time tonight and 'Jack I swear. . . . .' really stuck in my mind ! I hadn't seen the topic on here till now !

For me it was 'Jack I swear. . . . .I would have done it differently' if I could . . . . . Ennis is changing towards the end of the movie he had even made a commitment to his daughter over work. . . .The same think that stopped him from seeing Jack again.

I still cant help thinking about the emptiness that must Ennis have had in his life after Jack was gone there on his own it was almost like he was punishing himself for his mistakes. Does anyone else feel thatthe letterbox featured in the end scene a lot ? Was this to show that Ennis now had somewhere that he could be contacted at rather than the post office as before ? or was this just because he had moved again ? I was still waiting for Jacks ashes to arrive in the post and for the movie to close with Ennis on the mountain for the last time putting Jack to rest. . . . .I HATE THE END. . . .it's just so numbing !!

Jack I swear . . . . . and that music starts again.

francis.shim · « **Reply #31 on:** Feb 05, 2006, 09:48 AM »

Quote from: pennyT on Feb 05, 2006, 06:43 AM

Saw the movie for the second time tonight and 'I swear Jack. . . . .' really stuck in my mind ! I hadn't seen the topic on here till now !

For me it was 'I swear Jack. . . . .I would have done it differently' if I could . . . . . Ennis is changing towards the end of the movie he had even made a commitment to his daughter over work. . . .The same think that stopped him from seeing Jack again.

i still cant help thinking about the emptiness that must Ennis have had in his life after Jack was gone there on his own it was almost like he was punishing himself for his mistakes. Does anyone else feel thatthe letterbox featured in the end scene a lot ? Was this to show that Ennis now had somewhere that he could be contacted at rather than the post office as before ? or was this just because he had moved again ? I was still waiting for Jacks ashes to arrive in the post and for the movie to close with Ennis on the mountain for the last time putting Jack to rest. . . . .I HATE THE END. . . .it's just so numbing !!

I SWEAR JACK. . . . . and that music starts again.

It be a lotta things, Miss Penny!!! Lotta things undone!!!

But you gotta admit, Ennis' got the shirts and he dang now appreciate what Jack a did for him and all... he's got hope.

Peace,
Frank (Jack Nasty)

chameau · « **Reply #32 on:** Feb 05, 2006, 10:46 PM »

Quote from: francis.shim on Feb 05, 2006, 09:48 AM

Quote from: pennyT on Feb 05, 2006, 06:43 AM
Saw the movie for the second time tonight and 'I swear Jack. . . . .' really stuck in my mind ! I hadn't seen the topic on here till now !

For me it was 'I swear Jack. . . . .I would have done it differently' if I could . . . . . Ennis is changing towards the end of the movie he had even made a commitment to his daughter over work. . . .The same think that stopped him from seeing Jack again.

i still cant help thinking about the emptiness that must Ennis have had in his life after Jack was gone there on his own it was almost like he was punishing himself for his mistakes. Does anyone else feel thatthe letterbox featured in the end scene a lot ? Was this to show that Ennis now had somewhere that he could be contacted at rather than the post office as before ? or was this just because he had moved again ? I was still waiting for Jacks ashes to arrive in the post and for the movie to close with Ennis on the mountain for the last time putting Jack to rest. . . . .I HATE THE END. . . .it's just so numbing !!

I SWEAR JACK. . . . . and that music starts again.

It be a lotta things, Miss Penny!!! Lotta things undone!!!

But you gotta admit, Ennis' got the shirts and he dang now appreciate what Jack a did for him and all... he's got hope.

Peace,
Frank (Jack Nasty)

Ditto!

rane99 · « **Reply #33 on:** Feb 06, 2006, 07:32 PM »

After seeing the movie, and in light of the previous scene with his daughter and asking her if Troy loves her, then he finds her sweater, he kisses it, opens the closet and see the shirts... his thought process is on love... and now he sees the shirts and says "Jack I swear..." and is thinking "Jack I swear I love you."
not LOVED. Love.

chameau · « **Reply #34 on:** Feb 06, 2006, 07:39 PM »

Quote from: rane99 on Feb 06, 2006, 07:32 PM

After seeing the movie, and in light of the previous scene with his daughter and asking her if Troy loves her, then he finds her sweater, he kisses it, opens the closet and see the shirts... his thought process is on love... and now he sees the shirts and says "Jack I swear..." and is thinking "Jack I swear I love you."
not LOVED. Love.

You got me :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

send tissues please

CherryCake · « **Reply #35 on:** Feb 06, 2006, 08:12 PM »

Quote from: rane99 on Feb 06, 2006, 07:32 PM

After seeing the movie, and in light of the previous scene with his daughter and asking her if Troy loves her, then he finds her sweater, he kisses it, opens the closet and see the shirts... his thought process is on love... and now he sees the shirts and says "Jack I swear..." and is thinking "Jack I swear I love you."
not LOVED. Love.

please pass the tissues...

francis.shim · « **Reply #36 on:** Feb 07, 2006, 01:14 AM »

Quote from: CherryCake on Feb 06, 2006, 08:12 PM

Quote from: rane99 on Feb 06, 2006, 07:32 PM
After seeing the movie, and in light of the previous scene with his daughter and asking her if Troy loves her, then he finds her sweater, he kisses it, opens the closet and see the shirts... his thought process is on love... and now he sees the shirts and says "Jack I swear..." and is thinking "Jack I swear I love you."
not LOVED. Love.

please pass the tissues...

Jack Nasty tissues... coming right up!!!... but I gotta use them first...

Peace,
Frank (aka Jack Nasty)

garymcd · « **Reply #37 on:** Feb 07, 2006, 01:32 AM »

for what it's worth, ms proulix writes "jack, i swear-" he said, though jack had never asked him to swear anything and was himself not the swearing kind.

not "jack, i swear..."
subtle but there is no continuation, ie ...
the entire book has these subtle nuances. your thoughts?

CherryCake · « **Reply #38 on:** Feb 07, 2006, 01:35 AM »

Quote from: garymcd on Feb 07, 2006, 01:32 AM

for what it's worth, ms proulix writes "jack, i swear-" he said, though jack had never asked him to swear anything and was himself not the swearing kind.

not "jack, i swear..."
subtle but there is no continuation, ie ...
the entire book has these subtle nuances. your thoughts?

That true... makes it more poignant that Ennis could not complete the sentence...or needed to.

jozsan · « **Reply #39 on:** Feb 07, 2006, 01:22 PM »

what is that? what does ennis mean by that?

*Froggy* · « **Reply #40 on:** Feb 07, 2006, 01:33 PM »

You might want to read this thread:

Ennis: Jack I swear thread

Cowboy Cody · « **Reply #41 on:** Feb 07, 2006, 05:14 PM »

Ennis doesn't need to complete it, the tears and statement are enough for us to know. :'( :'( :'( :'(

chameau · « **Reply #42 on:** Feb 07, 2006, 07:12 PM »

Quote from: Cowboy Cody on Feb 07, 2006, 05:14 PM

Ennis doesn't need to complete it, the tears and statement are enough for us to know. :'( :'( :'( :'(

Ditto! :'(

Rod · « **Reply #43 on:** Feb 08, 2006, 01:18 AM »

Wonder what the rest of that sentence would be:
"Jack, I swear" I will always love you.
My friend Rod thought it would be..."Jack, I swear I did everything I could for you, I just couldn't do what you needed.

What do others think?

<topic merged>

ethan · « **Reply #44 on:** Feb 08, 2006, 01:23 AM »

Hi Rod...welcome to the forum.

HERE is a topic for it. Enjoy!

garymcd · « **Reply #45 on:** Feb 08, 2006, 01:41 AM »

Quote from: Cowboy Cody on Feb 07, 2006, 05:14 PM

Ennis doesn't need to complete it, the tears and statement are enough for us to know. :'( :'( :'( :'(

hey cowboy, i agree. it is a statement. "jack, i swear- "

coguaro · « **Reply #46 on:** Feb 08, 2006, 04:44 PM »

..I cant see this picture so many times... :'( :'( :'(

coguaro

brian2006 · « **Reply #47 on:** Feb 09, 2006, 03:35 AM »

Jack, I swear... I love you much more than i can said and i even can do anything to make u still by my side...

lowpro · « **Reply #48 on:** Feb 13, 2006, 12:22 PM »

Ennis is such a survivor! Forever! I don't know whether I could do it.

Jack, I swear... that's the best I could do

Leo · « **Reply #49 on:** Feb 13, 2006, 01:19 PM »

As many here have pointed out the Jack I Swear line is very open-ended. It can very easily mean different things to different people and yet still mean all of those things at once. . . . yet I have always had a question about the short story and am wondering what you folks think.

In Annie's book she says:
He stepped back and looked at the ensemble through a few stinging tears.
"Jack, I swear -- " he said, though Jack had never asked him to swear anything and was himself not the swearing kind.

It's that line that I have put here in red that has me wondering, and I have never come up with an answer for myself as to what exactally it means.

ethan · « **Reply #50 on:** Feb 13, 2006, 03:12 PM »

Leo,

Below are some topics with the same discussion which could help answer your question.

http://www.ennisjack.com/index.php?topic=1056.0
http://www.ennisjack.com/index.php?topic=725.0

Titus · « **Reply #51 on:** Feb 14, 2006, 06:22 PM »

I was just rewatching Ravenus' "Immortal" video. The look on Ennis' face when he discovers the shirts, his inside of Jack's with the sleeves pulled inside one another (how symbolic is that?). That just screams "I love you" and "I care for you, I'll hold you forever" all that from 1963. Love expressed by hanging on a coat hanger. Ennis realises at that moment that Jack has really, absolutely loved him all those years, even though they never said it. This "thing" they had was real love.

So when Ennis hangs up the postcard and reverses the order of the shirts, he is saying "I love you" to Jack. That's what "I swear" says to me. Anybody got any Kleenex? I'm drowning over here! :'( :'( Titus.

aimi15 · « **Reply #52 on:** Feb 14, 2006, 06:24 PM »

Quote from: Titus on Feb 14, 2006, 06:22 PM

I was just rewatching Ravenus' "Immortal" video. The look on Ennis' face when he discovers the shirts, his inside of Jack's with the sleeves pulled inside one another (how symbolic is that?). That just screams "I love you" and "I care for you, I'll hold you forever" all that from 1963. Love expressed by hanging on a coat hanger. Ennis realises at that moment that Jack has really, absolutely loved him all those years, even though they never said it. This "thing" they had was real love.

So when Ennis hangs up the postcard and reverses the order of the shirts, he is saying "I love you" to Jack. That's what "I swear" says to me. Anybody got any Kleenex? I'm drowning over here! :'( :'( Titus. :'(

:'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

camom · « **Reply #53 on:** Feb 14, 2006, 07:01 PM »

Quote from: Leo on Feb 13, 2006, 01:19 PM

As many here have pointed out the Jack I Swear line is very open-ended. It can very easily mean different things to different people and yet still mean all of those things at once. . . . yet I have always had a question about the short story and am wondering what you folks think.

In Annie's book she says:
He stepped back and looked at the ensemble through a few stinging tears.
"Jack, I swear -- " he said, though Jack had never asked him to swear anything and was himself not the swearing kind.

It's that line that I have put here in red that has me wondering, and I have never come up with an answer for myself as to what exactally it means.

I think it means exactly what you said--different things, and all of them together. Jack, I love you...Jack, if I could do it over again, it would be different...Jack, I'm sorry...Jack, I'll never forget you...

The added part in the story ("...though Jack had never asked him to swear anything...") indicates to me that part of "Jack, I swear--" was an actual oath on Ennis' part, though what exactly we don't know. All the things I've said above, plus "Jack, I'll be faithful forever"? I don't know; my personal opinion is that Ennis won't go looking for another intimate relationship, although he might be able to find some happiness in the relationship he has with his daughters.

camom

onebroken · « **Reply #54 on:** Feb 15, 2006, 12:21 PM »

My take on it has been the same each and every time I've seen the movie.
"Jack, I swear...I love you and there will never be another."

:'( :'( :'( :'( :'( May I have some tissues too? That pic Ethan posted... :'( :'( :'( :'(

madisondel · « **Reply #55 on:** Feb 15, 2006, 01:29 PM »

Quote from: pennyT on Feb 05, 2006, 06:43 AM

Saw the movie for the second time tonight and 'Jack I swear. . . . .' really stuck in my mind ! I hadn't seen the topic on here till now !

For me it was 'Jack I swear. . . . .I would have done it differently' if I could . . . . . Ennis is changing towards the end of the movie he had even made a commitment to his daughter over work. . . .The same think that stopped him from seeing Jack again.

I still cant help thinking about the emptiness that must Ennis have had in his life after Jack was gone there on his own it was almost like he was punishing himself for his mistakes. Does anyone else feel thatthe letterbox featured in the end scene a lot ? Was this to show that Ennis now had somewhere that he could be contacted at rather than the post office as before ? or was this just because he had moved again ? I was still waiting for Jacks ashes to arrive in the post and for the movie to close with Ennis on the mountain for the last time putting Jack to rest. . . . .I HATE THE END. . . .it's just so numbing !!

Jack I swear . . . . . and that music starts again.

madisondel · « **Reply #56 on:** Feb 15, 2006, 01:32 PM »

Quote from: pennyT on Feb 05, 2006, 06:43 AM

Saw the movie for the second time tonight and 'Jack I swear. . . . .' really stuck in my mind ! I hadn't seen the topic on here till now !

For me it was 'Jack I swear. . . . .I would have done it differently' if I could . . . . . Ennis is changing towards the end of the movie he had even made a commitment to his daughter over work. . . .The same think that stopped him from seeing Jack again.

I still cant help thinking about the emptiness that must Ennis have had in his life after Jack was gone there on his own it was almost like he was punishing himself for his mistakes. Does anyone else feel thatthe letterbox featured in the end scene a lot ? Was this to show that Ennis now had somewhere that he could be contacted at rather than the post office as before ? or was this just because he had moved again ? I was still waiting for Jacks ashes to arrive in the post and for the movie to close with Ennis on the mountain for the last time putting Jack to rest. . . . .I HATE THE END. . . .it's just so numbing !!

Jack I swear . . . . . and that music starts again.

I know! It's like everytime I've seen it I keep thinking it will end differently! I want it to so badly! I have often thought of the meaning behind the mailbox! There is something there! Nothing in this movie is just for show! It's all so much deeper!!

ethan · « **Reply #57 on:** Feb 15, 2006, 02:39 PM »

After viewing the movie many times and reading these posts,

I tend to leave "Jack I swear..." just like that.

It is meant to be personal - only Ennis knows and should know what he means for Jack.

Here are the tissues for everyone.

francis.shim · « **Reply #58 on:** Feb 15, 2006, 04:22 PM »

Howdy.

Thanks for the tissues, ethan...

I was thinking that maybe another way of looking at the "Jack, I swear-" line is to imagine Ennis doing exactly what he did during that scene, but here is the twist (no pun intended): what if he did not say it at all? What does the line add that was not there?

Ennis is a man who does not waste words... so we know that when he said those words he was declaring something MASSIVE. We know it was deeply personal and we know that it has to do with Jack. We know that he reversed the shirts (his is now over Jack's). We know that he has a postcard of Brokeback Mountain. We know that the shirts were *nailed* to a *CLOSET* door. Yet here we have a man who does not say much to anybody and he says "Jack, I swear-" to the shirts and the postcard. Why say it just after the announcement of his daughter's wedding?

Ennis could never commit fully to Jack before and somehow he had to say the words.

I can only imagine the outpouring of love as Ennis said it, because Jack was his true love. I can only imagine how agonizing it was for Ennis as he misses his Jack so much that he can hardly stand it.

I think it was a powerful declaration of his love for Jack and he did not have to say any more, because Jack already knew.

Peace,
Frank (aka Jack Nasty)

aimi15 · « **Reply #59 on:** Feb 15, 2006, 04:25 PM »

No words just :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

Author Topic: Ennis's last words "Jack, I swear . . . " (Read 168852 times)

aimi15

aimi15