Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Brokeback Mountain was not the first Wyoming story about homophobia
HerrKaiser:
the title of this thead is sure an attention-getter, but to me leaves a huge gap in all that the film portrays. Suggesting the film is "..about homophobia" diminishes this great piece of art and film making to a pitiful crumb of its larger and impactful meanings and credibilities, in my opinion.
brokebackjack:
Well certaqinly about more.
But and it's a big but, that is THE message of this film and short story both, the destruction and desolation caused by rural homophobia. And that includes INTERNALISED homophobia, which both characters have...
HerrKaiser:
hmmmm. sure glad I never saw it that way and never want to. such karma would spoil the greatness of the story and film in my opinion.
brokebackjack:
That's hardly the only thing I saw, just the base of the story. I have to keep in mind all the things which have happened since I was clobbered over the head first time I saw BBM, all of which have added to and coloured my interpretation of it.
However, one thing doesn't change, for any of us:
both AP and AL deliberately left more questions then answers, leaving interpretation up to the individual.
What I see is not what you, or Amy, or Rodney or Lee or anyone else will see.
Every person who watches Brokeback and 'gets' it will come away with a different view. It took me a long time to understand what the author has said from the day her story was published, namely that BBM WAS a tale of Destructive Rural Homophobia [DRH].
What I also see is a great love story, a doomed love if there ever was one between two men who never had a chance. The effect the author intended was a spare taleshowing an end result of total desolation. The fact that this desolation forms one of the most beautiful stories ever written is why we are obsessed with it.
You and I, Herr Kaiser, have never agreed on a damned thing but with one matter I have no doubt: as Brokies, we have the same heart. It's why we're here.
Front-Ranger:
That was really beautiful and heartfelt. One thing I've learned from reading a lot of books is that they have several different levels of meanings. BBM definitely has a message on the sociological level of homophobia. AP has acknowledged that even tho sometimes she backpedals...
On another level, I used to think the overriding theme of BBM was love...but now I think it is about connecting.
The feeling of connecting with another human being. And how overpowering that is. And how much we need it. Even in the least populous state of the US.
Call it connecting...or call it...I don't know... joy? What the heck...bliss!!
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