Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
TOTW 12/07:Is Brokeback Mountain a 'universal love story' or a 'gay love story'?
Penthesilea:
Mornin' BetterMostians! :D
Winter is coming for most of us; it has become chilly outside, so let's talk about something to warm our hearts ;) - Let's talk about Loooove. Did this get your attention? Fine, so let's start:
Is Brokeback Mountain a 'universal love story' or a 'gay love story'?
We all have heard Ang Lee and other involved persons refer to Brokeback Mountain as a 'universal love story'. But is it?
louisev:
I would say it is a "forbidden love story", to that extent it is universal, because there is more than one kind of forbidden love, depending upon the culture to which the story belongs. But what has been said again and again about Brokeback is certainly true and cannot be overlooked, Ennis and Jack could not love one another freely or openly, due not to themselves but due to the social environment around them, and this is true of more than gay couples. However, the forbiddenness of gay relationships is the most prevalant prejudice that persists into the present day.
Scott6373:
I don't think of it as a love story at all. The concept of "love" was used as mechanism for the central theme of self awareness, self acceptance and yes, I guess self love, so maybe it is a "love" story of a sort, but not in the sense of romantic, soul-mate kind of love.
belbbmfan:
--- Quote from: Penthesilea on October 22, 2007, 08:30:19 am ---
Winter is coming for most of us; it has become chilly outside, so let's talk about something to warm our hearts ;) - Let's talk about Loooove. Did this get your attention?
--- End quote ---
It sure did! :D
--- Quote from: Penthesilea on October 22, 2007, 08:30:19 am ---Is Brokeback Mountain a 'universal love story' or a 'gay love story'?
We all have heard Ang Lee and other involved persons refer to Brokeback Mountain as a 'universal love story'. But is it?
--- End quote ---
Yes it is. A tragic love story, but very much a love story. Your question made me think of the review of the movie that Stephen Holden wrote in the New York Times. He said it was a movie about love, 'love stumbled into, love thwarted, love held sorrowfully in the heart'. Beautifully said. :'( :'(
jstephens9:
--- Quote from: Penthesilea on October 22, 2007, 08:30:19 am ---Mornin' BetterMostians! :D
Winter is coming for most of us; it has become chilly outside, so let's talk about something to warm our hearts ;)
--- End quote ---
You can say that again. It seems it might be turning winter cold here. Let's go back to the days of summer :)
I consider Brokeback Mountain to be a universal love story. For whatever reason I have never really thought of it as a gay love story. It has always felt to me that the attraction, the bond and the love between Ennis and Jack could have existed betwen any two people whether they were two men, two women, or a man and woman. I have just never really picked up the gay theme that strongly in the movie. Sure it is obviously a part of it since they are two men and they feel that the love between them is wrong, especially Ennis, even though there is nothing they can do about the attraction and bond that keeps bringing them together. And like Louise says they could not love each other openly and freely. They had to hide behind the bars of the jail society had created for them even though we all wish they could have realized that maybe those bars were not really that strong.
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