The above Latin phrase is taken from the book Lonesome Dove, and is the source of some consternation and humor. It was gratuitously put on a sign for the Hat Creek Cattle Company by Augustus McCrae. The humor stems from his not knowing any Latin. It just sounded educated to him. He and his partner, William Call, argue about it, with Call complaining about the “Greek”, and Gus correcting him, that it is Latin.
I don’t have the exact words, so cite from memory as I laughed out loud when I saw it:
Call: “What does it mean?”
Gus: “It’s Latin, a motto. It means what it says.”
Call: “You don’t know what it means either!”
Gus: [Changes subject]
The translation is “A grape changes color by seeing another grape” While Gus did not know what it meant, author Larry McMurtry surely did. The story Lonesome Dove is about the old west and a group of characters. The beauty of the writing is that each character, beginning to end, stays true to form. There are no transformations. Gus is a drunk and a womanizer, and also a decent man. Call is tightly wrapped, and even as he fathers a son, Newt, he never acknowledges him, and the boy suffers accordingly, his final words in the epic being “I ain’t got no kin.” This after Call has given him his horse, a watch, and a hat while unable to express his love for the boy.
The book was made into a four-part television movie broadcast in 1989, and it took the country by storm. There have been remakes, and three of McMurtry’s other books based on the same characters have been made into movies. But none have captured the magic of the original. As I see it, the reason is that it was novel for its time, and two other factors: Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones. They brought their characters to life, gave them essence and spark, made them into interesting, flawed, honorable and courageous men, neither of whom knew a word of Greek or Latin. I do not understand the art of acting, that is, anyone can read lines, but only a few transcend the lines and create moments in time that remain indelible on our brains. Thus do we honor them almost as much as they do one another each March.
My problems with the book are few, but one in particular stands out: Jake Spoon.
Jake is a ne’er do well, a womanizer, gambler, drunk, and is handsome as he is charming. We meet him in Texas as he is on the run, having accidentally shot a dentist in Arkansas. He joins the cattle drive to escape being caught, and hooks up with Lorena, a whore (Diane Lane), and leaves her by herself as he heads into town to gamble and drink. She is captured by the evil villain Blue Duck, and Gus has to rescue her and bring her back to human form after rape and other unspeakable abuse.
Jake then ends up on the run again, having accidentally (again) shot a boy, and his traveling companions are pure evil. They plunder, murder, incinerate their victims, as Jake looks on. He wants to get away from them, and does not participate in the crimes. But Gus and Call and Deets (Danny Glover) catch up with them, and it is hanging time. As Newt, who loves Jake, looks on, they decide to hang him even as they know he did not commit any crimes … on his own.
If I drive a getaway car in a bank heist, and someone gets killed in the robbery, I too am guilty of murder. That is the law, and in the old West, there were no appeals. Jake makes his case, but comes to realize that he is going to hang no matter what. He reconciles on the spot, tells his companions he never meant to harm anyone. Gus tells him he will send his regards to Lorene. “Who?” Jake answers?
Jake then spurs his own horse, and hangs himself, sparing his friends the trouble. Duvall says in retrospect that that particular scene in the movie moved him to tears, or almost. It troubled him deeply. For me, as I watched, I thought Jake should have gotten reprieve. But McMurtry does not teach lessons, only life.
“He died fine,” says Gus when it is all over.
And indeed he did.
Piece of Mindful 
So it sounds like you don’t really have a problem with that scene – you wish he’d gotten reprieve, but you agree with McMurtry’s choice?
Great movie though, I agree. Haven’t read the book unfortunately, or any of his I don’t think. My recollection is he owned a big used book store in Texas maybe, in addition to writing many novels and probably articles or essays.
LikeLike
It was a hard choice, but the right one, I fear. I doubt I’d have had the courage to make it.
McMurtry was prolific. He wrote three follow-ups to Lonesome Dove, one of which I am saving to read on our coming overseas trip, The Streets or Laredo. He also wrote The Last Picture Show and Terms of Endearment,
LikeLike
Oh right, The Last Picture Show! I remember now he wrote the book. Also a very good movie.
The director, Peter Bogdanovich, made a string of great films early on then his later work seemed to go south. He went back to his early career as critic, interviewer, commentator.
Paper Moon was one of his hits. I watched it recently and found that it really took a rather cruel, disdainful view of “regular people.” How does something like that become a hit, beyond just the arthouse crowd who feel superior to the rest of the public? I guess everyone who watches it feels like they’ve been invited to the cool kid’s table, and it’s not aimed at _them,_ but some other Joe Blow-
LikeLike
It was one of the greatest mini-series ever done, with the perfect actors for the parts, and drawn from one of the best written books of that century or any century. I’ve seen it many times, and read the book again and again as well. The era of artistic greatness has gone. We are in a dry zone, BUT… it will come again.
LikeLike
Your comment went to moderation as a first-time, and once approved that barrier is gone.
LikeLike
If one had to dispense justice like that in this world, you’d need to kill a whole lot of military veterans who just take orders and watch while innocent people are killed.
The only justification for killing is if your life or someone elses is immediately threatened. If you’re a judge who dispenses justice, you’re probably a total douchebag, like my uncle.
LikeLike
I’ve read thru a few court cases involving self defense and various cases have different judgments depending on the State it occurs in. Attackers and their family can sue for damages for injuries. The person defending themselves will be arrested, have their firearms confiscated, they do have to make bond, if not they will most likely lose their employment from days missed, and will need to go thru the expensive process of retaining an attorney.
Another issue is even if it’s a home invasion, if the attacker’s body is facing away from the self defense shooter, as they were going to leave matters. Then self defense excuse may not work. It’s a terrible experience that too many gun owners don’t understand the process they will have to go thru if they do shoot someone. Sure the old saying “it’s better to be judged by six than carried by six” but maybe not. And that’s if one has time to pull out a gun and be trained enough to hit the target. Maybe just firing a few rounds in the air may work but in the heat of the moment rational thinking will not happen.
Mace, tazers may be a better option, still may not have time to pull it out for defense. Defending with fists or with non lethal weapons, usually still end up with both involved getting assault/battery charges. The charge may be dismissed for the self defending person, but maybe not. So what should one do..maybe shoot the attacker in the foot, throw a few punches to the nose, throw in a wedgie and get a good attorney.
LikeLike
Lonesome Dove opens up with the men as retired Texas Rangers, and they decide to cross into Mexico and steal a bunch of cattle. Gus says to Call at one point that they used to hang people for doing the same thing. They are on the border dealing with Comanches, Apache, Mexicans and white trash Texans and are expected to make the place safe for settlers. They did not have God on their side, and are as evil and any that they hang. So it is not a straightforward book in that vein. It is just a well told story with well developed characters.
LikeLike