Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
TOTW 15/07: Short story or movie, which one do you prefer?
brokeplex:
yes, I think that it is a natural tendency to blend our knowledge that we gain from both sources. Back in the early days of Star Wars I noticed this phenom, in discussions at Cons I would run into people who ascribed facts and character motivations to the films that were based upon what they had read in the novelizations and take-off stories.
There was finally a consensus reached in resolving those fun little trivia disuputes. The Star Wars films were deemed to be canon.
Artiste:
It seems that because Jack is much, too much, tragic in the movie (which makes it maybe more anti-gay), then I would prefer the book.
Of course the book had also negatives too! Is it more pro-gay?
Hugs!
brokeplex:
Artiste, neither the short story nor the movie are either pro-gay or anti-gay. The short story has no agenda, social political or otherwise. It simply tells in beautiful fashion the tragic tale of two closeted bisexual men living in a rural homophobic environment. Those of us who love the short story and the movie are free to ascribe any meaning we wish, but there is no agenda. We can take the experience of Jack and Ennis and relate them to our lives and hopefully learn something from it, but even if we learn nothing we can still be entertained.
Front-Ranger:
--- Quote from: Artiste on December 09, 2007, 10:40:58 am ---It seems that because Jack is much, too much, tragic in the movie (which makes it maybe more anti-gay), then I would prefer the book.
Of course the book had also negatives too! Is it more pro-gay?
Hugs!
--- End quote ---
There was an interesting interview with Ang Lee recently in the New York Times in which he said that he liked to take the side of the "losers" in his films. Of the characters in Brokeback Mountain, he said "Of course, gays...they're never going to win." But really, in the movie and in life, we all lose because of fear and hate. Even Aguirre had 25% loss...L.D. died, and Old Man Twist had nothing but an urnful of ashes to show for his life. Yes, Brokeback Mountain is a tragedy and in a sense you could call it anti-gay because it unabashedly shows the downside of the effects of hate and fear. For more of a "pro-gay" movie you could watch Maurice, The Wedding Banquet, or Shelter.
But I agree with the others who say it is wrong to call Brokeback Mountain an anti-gay movie. It is an anti-hate and fear movie. To give another example, look at the Bible. It tells the story of an illigitimate child who was poor all his life, wandered around with a dozen itinerant deuces and came to a bad end on the cross. Would you call the Bible anti-Christian? No, I don't think so.
Artiste:
Thanks Front-Ranger, and thanks brokeplex!!
Front-Ranger, I like very much your comments here! You are now starting to see that in some ways the movie is anti-gay as in a sense you could call it anti-gay!! You say too: unabashedly shows the downside of the effects of hate and fear.
...
Front-Ranger, to that, may I say that your note about the movie showing the downside of the effects of hate and fear, are real in the film, and this is presented unabashedly, as you say! May, we gays or straights or others, learn from that!! But since the violence in it is too unabashedly, that is what puzzles me mostly (among other things that could be seen as anti-gay) as I see it way too much gratuitous... amd might lead others who are homphobic to hit upon a gay person as if it's OK to do so?? !! I pose that as a question to you and to all... and seek replies. Even though murders of gay men are uncalled for, they are happening as a free act to many persons... as some homophobic persons do not care about life, unfortunately!
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Brokeplex, you say this: [Artiste, neither the short story nor the movie are either pro-gay or anti-gay. The short story has no agenda, social political or otherwise. It simply tells in beautiful fashion the tragic tale of two closeted bisexual men living in a rural homophobic environment. Those of us who love the short story and the movie are free to ascribe any meaning we wish.../i]
...
Brokeplex, may I add that the story as well as the movie has meaning. Everyone views the movie differently, and find something in it!! As to pro-gay and/or anti-gay??
Hugs, hugs!!
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