Gay cowboys, but no pudding
Acceptable reasons to not see Brokeback Mountain:
1. "I don't like movies that make me think."
2. "I don't like love stories."
3. "I don't like any movie that isn't a big budget Hollywood flick."
Unacceptable reasons to not see Brokeback Mountain:
1. "I don't want to watch two guys getting it on."
So yesterday, I saw Brokeback Mountain. I will admit that, initially, the idea of the sex in the film was somewhat unsettling to me (though anyone who knows me would be hard-pressed to call me "homophobic"). So, much like Leonard Pitts, I initially planned on seeing it "to prove to myself that I could."
Somewhere along the line, and for unknown reasons, that feeling went away, and was replaced with an actual desire to see a film that kept receiving buzz as one of the best of the year and simply a moving portrayal of forbidden love. As I sat in the theater, I was not the slightest bit uneasy about anything I was about to see.
And what I saw was a moving exploration of the complexities of love, which happened to center around a story of two men who were forced to deal with a sudden attraction neither was completely equipped to handle.
During the only, very brief sex scene that takes place between Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, I was much more taken aback by the suddenness with which it occurred, and the violence behind it, as if both men were trying to push away their feelings and embrace them at the same time. The emotional conflict became physical.
Everything was handled very tastefully, and the film features beautiful cinematography, excellent acting (particularly by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal), and wonderful direction. Much of the power of the film stems from the fact that it simply depicts a specific story about specific people, and does not attempt to provide an overarching political message (similarly to the underrated Jarhead, also starring Gyllenhaal). I would recommend it to anybody who does not have one of the aforementioned acceptable reasons to not want to see the film.
I had to drive 30 minutes to see the film at the only theater playing it in Houston. Whether this is a product of the conservatism of the area, or simply because it is an independent film not meant for large audiences, I can't say. Fortunately, unlike the Brian who commented on Zhubin's post, I was able to see the film with a mature audience (I was by far the youngest there) that did not giggle or outwardly display any discomfort toward the subject matter. Instead, we simply got to witness a great movie, which to me currently rivals Crash for best picture of the year.
Song lyric of the day:
"Knowing many, loving none
Bearing sorrow, having fun
But back home he'll always run
To sweet Melissa"
- the Allman Brothers Band, Melissa
1. "I don't like movies that make me think."
2. "I don't like love stories."
3. "I don't like any movie that isn't a big budget Hollywood flick."
Unacceptable reasons to not see Brokeback Mountain:
1. "I don't want to watch two guys getting it on."
So yesterday, I saw Brokeback Mountain. I will admit that, initially, the idea of the sex in the film was somewhat unsettling to me (though anyone who knows me would be hard-pressed to call me "homophobic"). So, much like Leonard Pitts, I initially planned on seeing it "to prove to myself that I could."
Somewhere along the line, and for unknown reasons, that feeling went away, and was replaced with an actual desire to see a film that kept receiving buzz as one of the best of the year and simply a moving portrayal of forbidden love. As I sat in the theater, I was not the slightest bit uneasy about anything I was about to see.
And what I saw was a moving exploration of the complexities of love, which happened to center around a story of two men who were forced to deal with a sudden attraction neither was completely equipped to handle.
During the only, very brief sex scene that takes place between Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, I was much more taken aback by the suddenness with which it occurred, and the violence behind it, as if both men were trying to push away their feelings and embrace them at the same time. The emotional conflict became physical.
Everything was handled very tastefully, and the film features beautiful cinematography, excellent acting (particularly by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal), and wonderful direction. Much of the power of the film stems from the fact that it simply depicts a specific story about specific people, and does not attempt to provide an overarching political message (similarly to the underrated Jarhead, also starring Gyllenhaal). I would recommend it to anybody who does not have one of the aforementioned acceptable reasons to not want to see the film.
I had to drive 30 minutes to see the film at the only theater playing it in Houston. Whether this is a product of the conservatism of the area, or simply because it is an independent film not meant for large audiences, I can't say. Fortunately, unlike the Brian who commented on Zhubin's post, I was able to see the film with a mature audience (I was by far the youngest there) that did not giggle or outwardly display any discomfort toward the subject matter. Instead, we simply got to witness a great movie, which to me currently rivals Crash for best picture of the year.
Song lyric of the day:
"Knowing many, loving none
Bearing sorrow, having fun
But back home he'll always run
To sweet Melissa"
- the Allman Brothers Band, Melissa
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