Topic: Between shooting sheep and shooting elk

[jesseanne21]

Shooting the elk was also perhaps the lesser of two evils in Ennis's mind - it didn't " belong" to anyone in the way that the sheep belonged to Aguirre.

Eating beans, of which he was sick, was a lesser evil too - Ennis is always prepared to do without rather than get into difficult situations.

Sounds like Ennis to a tee.

I do agree.

I think Ennis shooting the elk shows how much influence Jack had on Ennis even that early in their relationship.  Jack comments that they don't want the Forest Service Fish and Game to catch them with an elk.  I don't know how it was in 1963, but nowadays in most states you need a license to hunt and/or fish.  And, in most states the  deer/moose/elk hunting seasons usually takes place in the fall (October/November).  If caught, Ennis and Jack would have probably been fined (and their actions might have also gotten Aguirre fined, too because they were herding sheep on Forest Service land).

[aintfoolin]

I think Ennis felt obligated to Jack to provide the meals as camp tender at the time, although I also think that Jack pissed and moaned about having to eat more beans, which was all that was left of the supplies after the bear incident.Could also mean that Ennis saw an opportunity to show off his shooting skills to Jack and provide dinner at the same time. He seemed proud of himself after scoring the elk by the way he snatched the gloves from the rock. Jack was definitly impressed but teased Ennis about getting caught with it. Maybe there's a tie in later on when Ennis tells jack that he killed a coyote after their roles where switched. Ennis had to hear the shotgun blast echoes through the mountain and knew Jack was shooting at something  when Jack attempted to shoot the predator, hence Ennis bein tired of Jack's "dumbass missin".There's light moments between them in the film and IMO this is just one of them.

[welshwitch]

It's illegality - killing game without a license -piled on illegality - Aguirre's instructions about the pup-tent.It underlines the theme of transgressiveness. What they do transgresses the norms of their society. the first two appear to have no consequences - the last has endless and tragic ones.

[aimi15]

You're absolutely right welshwitch. I always found it so touching that Ennis, with his firm sense of right and wrong, took it upon himself to break the rules like this. Jack was the touchpaper to him 'breaking out' i suppose.

[tpe]

I think Ennis felt obligated to Jack to provide the meals as camp tender at the time, although I also think that Jack pissed and moaned about having to eat more beans, which was all that was left of the supplies after the bear incident.Could also mean that Ennis saw an opportunity to show off his shooting skills to Jack and provide dinner at the same time. He seemed proud of himself after scoring the elk by the way he snatched the gloves from the rock. Jack was definitly impressed but teased Ennis about getting caught with it. Maybe there's a tie in later on when Ennis tells jack that he killed a coyote after their roles where switched. Ennis had to hear the shotgun blast echoes through the mountain and knew Jack was shooting at something  when Jack attempted to shoot the predator, hence Ennis bein tired of Jack's "dumbass missin".There's light moments between them in the film and IMO this is just one of them.

Perhaps Ennis was mildly showing off here, although I had always thought of him as naturally self-effacing.  I don't think it was in his nature to be a show-off, but a chance of getting ack's attention is perhaps sufficient to encourage Ennis to show Jack a thing or two, no?

 

[tpe]

You're absolutely right welshwitch. I always found it so touching that Ennis, with his firm sense of right and wrong, took it upon himself to break the rules like this. Jack was the touchpaper to him 'breaking out' i suppose.

Yes, I fully agree.  Ennis went out of his usual way to accomodate Jack.  It is the way he expressed his love.

[aintfoolin]

With hunting season opening here in Pennsylvania, I am reminded of this scene in the movie. Indeed Ennis 's motto should have been "I can show ya better than I can tell ya". He expressed his love to Jack in actions more than words. This is just one example of Ennis compromising his firm beleif of right and wrong to please and accommadate Jack. Even at this point Ennis's feelings for Jack was evident breaking the laws of the land to please him . Any way  IMO Aguirre threw the watch to to the wrong person because obviously Ennis and Jack 's roles were better suited to them the other way around as they soon realized,  with Jack being camp tender and Ennis the herder being more in his element considering his outdoorsman skills. ( I always thought Jack's idea of them  both doing the same jobs at the same time together was'nt a bad idea either) . Although he broke the rules any hunter would be impressed with Ennis's  skills as a elk/deer hunter, as Jack certainly was. So thanks to Jack's probable bitchin about dinner and Ennis's shooting they had plenty of meat to go with all them beans.!

[tpe]

Jack is certainly not a stoic by nature.  And Ennis certainly approximates one very well.  This scene with the elk emphasizes this distinction, as much as it says something about the roles that suited each one better...