Although we don't know for sure what happened to Jack; I get the impression (from the story as well as the movie) that Ennis believes that Jack was killed by gaybashers, but there's no confirmation that that's anything but his own fearful imagination. It's certainly plausible, but it's left intentionally ambiguous.

It's certainly plausible, but it's left intentionally ambiguous.

That was my impression as well. In the film, it's deliberately left open as to whether those scenes are in Ennis' mind, or Anne Hathaway's memory (or both).

In terms of "predation," usually the predator doesn't ask, "Would you like me to drop by?" and the prey doesn't write back, "Yes please." Also, considering how defensivelly controlling Ennis is, you could say that Jack was his "victim" during the later era of their relationship. I mean, who is driving 1000 miles to visit, and who is telling his boyfriend to turn around and go home the moment he arrives?

Opening my paper, I take it as a sign of grave injustice in the world that this movie still doesn't have enough prints to open in Memphis after 4 weeks of rave reviews and record-setting per screen box office, whereas Uwe Boll's latest videogame-inspired "masterpiece" opened on 9 screens this weekend.

Who did he photograph in the midst of committing a murder that he can still get distribution money?

I think it's ambiguous, but I fall on the side of believing Ennis. It's certainly no less plausible than the story offered. I think it's less ambiguous in the story, but that could just be about how I parse the media.

I just got back from seeing Brokeback. And on the question of was Jack killed by gaybashers, I initially thought that it was just Ennis picturing it in his mind, but then when Jack's dad said that Jack was going to bring another guy home, it made me think, well, maybe Jack *was* too open/careless/self-destructive and it really was gaybashing.

I expected to cry and cry and cry, but I only got teary at 2 scenes -- the first was Jack's mom. When she told Ennis he could go see Jack's room, her expression said everything that needed to be said, which was -- at least, this is what *I* got from her expression -- "My son loved you, and that's good enough for me." And then, in the same scene, when she tells Ennis to come back, I got teary again, just from the look on her face.

And the only other time I got teary was when Ennis got the wine out for his daughter and made the decision that he'd be at her wedding. But I have daddy issues, so it wasn't surprising that I got teary at that.

Damn, is Jake Gyllenhaal pretty. Also, this is the first movie I've ever liked him in. And Heath Ledger was just amazing.

I think people mentioned this upthread -- in my theater, people laughed when Ennis's wife saw him and Jack kissing, and I have NO idea why. It wasn't a funny moment. It was heartbreaking, really.

I think it's left plausible and likely, but not certain. (It's never directly stated, but I thought it was pretty clear from context that Jack's second affair was with the rancher, not the rancher's wife. And with that relationship being closer to home, he ran a much greater risk of getting caught.)

I came to that scene forwarned, so I didn't laugh, but I can see why people would, and it isn't so much out of funny as a sort of weird collision of reaction. There is a sort whiplash to the scene: an intense hopeful reunion then bam, someone's life crumbling in a way she really didn't expect.

Maybe I'm being charitable, but eeaush, I've laughed at moments like that. It's like you don't know how to react and laughter comes easiest.

I barked something that was much like a laugh. Wasn't at her though. And it wasn't because I thought it was funny. Even though I knew it was coming, there was a shock, and it was at them, for being busted, not at her for learning the truth.

Maybe I'm being charitable, but eeaush, I've laughed at moments like that. It's like you don't know how to react and laughter comes easiest

Yes, this. You see a world of hurt and a world of pain and it's very much an "ohhhhh, fuck" moment, but the contrast between the two portrayed emotions is so great that there's not much room to do anything else.