brokeback mountain

[piper]

I'm sure this is a dumb question, and I feel embarrassed even asking. The part in Brokeback Mountain when Heath Ledgers character finds out from Jake's wife that he died--he has that flash of Jake being beaten to death. Is this what really happened, or is this just what he thinks happened b/c of what happened to the guy he saw when he was a kid?

Thanks,
Piper

[three seven]

You might want to put a spoiler warning up there. Too late for me, annoyingly.

[James Buchanan]

In the story, it's what really happens. And it's written so that it takes you a few moments to realize it wasn't an "accident."

[maestrowork]

Sorry, Three...

(Spoiler :) )

In the short story, it was what happened. In the script, they kept it ambiguous. It lets the audience to decide whether it was Ennis's imagination/fear or whether it actually happened. If you're curious, I recommend you reading both the story and the screenplay.

[reph]

The director said Jake's wife was lying about the "accident." The audience can gather that from the wooden tone of her speech, no? Her hair, makeup, and surroundings during this scene reinforce her falsity. The woman has become less and less authentic since we met her.

A reviewer praised the scene for making full use of the unique potential of cinema. One thing is spoken, another is shown.

[piper]

That's what I thought. She didn't seem emotional when she told him. Thank you.