Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Brokeback as an Anti-Gay Polemic : essay by W.C. Harris
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: brokeplex on January 15, 2008, 10:49:53 pm ---Choices were made by these screenwriters to only lightly touch on Jack's closeted life (away from Ennis), but to emphasize his life with Lureen. Those decisions speak of something beyond what is immediately obvious.
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Personally I don't think they speak of anything more than the obvious intent to balance the scenes of Ennis's life with scenes of Jack's life.
And to tell the truth, I've long thought that wasn't really a very imaginative way to construct the movie. I think it's pretty obvious, actually.
brokeplex:
--- Quote from: Nevermore on January 14, 2008, 04:00:15 am ---
Gawd, a gender-studies professor gets her fingers on Brokeback--will anyone even recognize it from the description?
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When I purchased "Reading Brokeback Mountain" I noted the bios of the authors of some of the essays and thought - Oh well, this is going to be a tiresome journey down PC lane, "pass me the Tums!"
I was surprised to be very moved by most of the essays, including Ms. Arellano's. So, I wanted to share some of their observations about BM.
I won't hold it against her that she labors with all of that "gender study" weight on her shoulders. She still did a great job!
brokeplex:
--- Quote from: Clyde-B on January 14, 2008, 11:18:24 pm ---
Using the same kind of logic that’s being used to say BBM is an anti-gay polemic, we could mount an equally cogent argument that ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is actually a cautionary tale for teenagers illustrating the dangers of fraternizing with your family’s enemies. After all they both wind up dead in the end. I think that argument would be just as perverse and preposterous.
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Romeo and Juliet?
Tragic 'star-crossed' lovers. Their families feuding, their relatives dueling, inner conflicted, floundering on teenage hormones and lack of mature judgement.
Some of that does sound a bit similar to Brokeback.
But here is the difference.
Romeo and Juliet never hated themselves. Romeo and Juliet were not taught from little on to despise themselves because of their immutable feelings.
Heath Ledger said about the character Ennis, "Fear was instilled in him at an early age, and so the way he loved disgusted him."
Several film critics who are advocates of BM being considered a 'universal love story' have compared Romeo and Juliet with Ennis and Jack.
Sorry, no dice with me.
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: brokeplex on January 15, 2008, 11:11:07 pm ---Several film critics who are advocates of BM being considered a 'universal love story' have compared Romeo and Juliet with Ennis and Jack.
Sorry, no dice with me.
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It's easy to see the superficial similarity. In both cases, the principals are really kept apart by social forces. But I agree, when you dig a little deeper, it doesn't quite wash.
Clyde-B:
--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on January 16, 2008, 09:52:12 am ---It's easy to see the superficial similarity. In both cases, the principals are really kept apart by social forces. But I agree, when you did a little deeper, it doesn't quite wash.
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I agree as well. My using 'Romeo and Juliet' as an example was only to show that you could take a classic love story and force some pretty strange conclusions on it if you wanted to.
I intended no comparison beyond the fact that they are both tragic and involve romance.
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