hi! i m new here and like all the songs have a meaning in brokeback, i noticed some short movie sequence during the movie, like ennis and alma at the theater, or other ones when they are in their living room, even in jack's house, and i know nothing is there by coincidence, so i wanted to know from what movie it was and what message brought this short sequences ?
i ve seen ,the movie 2 times and now i wonder about it.
Thanks
Welcome kyomine. Nice question.
Not so sure if I can answer your question directly. I agree that the songs give added meaning to the scenes where they are played, but I am not so sure if the songs are necessarily related to other movies (if I understand you correctly).
To me, the most wonderful use of songs to convey emotions is in the short scenes showing Jack driving in his truck to and from Wyoming after he misunderstands Ennis' messages about his divorce from Alma. In the scene where he enters Wyoming to see Ennis, he sings snatches of the song playing on his radio: 'King of the Road'. It mirrors his upbeat mood and rising expectations of finally settling down with Ennis. After being 'rejected' by Ennis, he drives back to Texas (and on to Juarez Mexico) crying, as the heartbreaking original soundtrack song 'A Love that will Never Grow Old' is played on his radio. The use of the songs in these short scenes is so finely tuned to the moods and emotions of Jack that it becomes unforgettable.
As for other movies, the screenplay specifies two references to other movies in two scenes of 'Brokeback Mountain'.
The first reference is to the Western classic 'Ride the High Country' (1962). The scenes immediately following he Thanksgiving scene at Riverton (after Ennis gets pummmeled on the road) shows Ennis and Jack on Brokeback Mountain, riding horses. The music that plays during these scenes is aptly named 'Riding Horses' in the soundtrack CD. In these scenes, the screenplay directives say that Ennis and Jack are shown to ride horses as in the scenes with Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea in 'Ride the High Country' -- only in this case, Ennis and Jack are shown to be more world-weary.
The second reference is when Ennis is shown throwing hay to feed cows from the back of a truck. The screenplay says that Ennis should be like James Dean in 'Giant' (1956). The music is for strings and fiddle, I believe. Recall that this scene is part of a sequence that contrasts Ennis' and Jack's lives at home. Jack is shown driving a tractor with his son, whereas Ennis is working as a ranch hand.
Hope these little notes help.
