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Resurrecting the Movies thread...
serious crayons:
Well put, Barb!
I noticed no limp-wristedness whatsoever. There is, however, something extreme and fanatical about Prince's devotion to Wade. It did cross my mind that Prince could be in love with Wade.
But, to take an analogy from an entirely different genre, it's also a little like the over-the-top devotion the character Dwight has for his boss, Michael, on The Office. Dwight is not gay (although at times Michael seems uncomfortable with those undertones). Though it's also a little like the devotion Smithers, who apparently IS gay, has for Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.
But so what if Prince IS supposed to be gay, and that he loves Wade in a romantic way? Would that, in and of itself, be so wrong for the movie to depict?
--- Quote from: ednbarby on September 12, 2007, 02:34:39 pm --- I think Wade and Evans come to love one another - they come to respect the decency and morality they each find in the other and come to realize they're really very much alike, and that if one event in either's lives had gone the other way, they would be exactly like the other. It's really lovely to watch their respect and ultimately love for each other grow over the course of the film. Without giving too much away, I think Ben does what he does in the end more out of love for Dan than because it is his nature (but both are true).
--- End quote ---
Interesting take, Barb. I don't know that I would have thought to describe their feelings for each other as "love," exactly, though certainly there's deep respect. And they come to see what they have in common. I think one of the most important moments in the film is in the hotel, when Dan's son says Wade won't (whisper whisper) because deep down he's really (whisper whisper), and then Wade responds by saying (whisper whisper) -- but actually (whisper whisper). Don't you?
ednbarby:
Yes, I do. :)
And I do think it's love - platonic love. I have a couple of long-time female friends - one of them is my sister-in-law - with whom I can talk on the phone for hours (they both live far away). And whenever we do that, which is only a few times a year, and get to the end of the conversation, one of us always says "I love you," and the other one says, "I love you, too." And we mean it. Maybe men look at it differently, but to me, deep, abiding mutual respect and understanding is love. It's not the only kind of love there is, but it is love.
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: ednbarby on September 13, 2007, 12:48:15 pm ---Maybe men look at it differently, but to me, deep, abiding mutual respect and understanding is love. It's not the only kind of love there is, but it is love.
--- End quote ---
Sure! I'm not saying men (and women) can't love each other platonically. And I agree that mutual respect and understanding are among the prerequisites, which Wade and Evans certainly share.
The only reason I would hesitate to call it "love" between them is that they've only known each other a couple of days. When I think of love, especially the platonic kind as opposed to the romantic kind, I think of emotions that need a bit longer to develop.
To me, they've barely gotten past the point where they're supposed to be mortal enemies (especially in the case of Evans, who is more resistant to Wade's appeal than Wade is to his). By then, maybe seeds have been planted of something I might imagine conceivably developing into love, under the right circumstances (which these aren't).
So I might say they reach something like ... an unexpected closeness. You see that particularly in the scenes where Evans tells Wade about his war experience and his reason for staying on his farm. And certainly in Wade's behavior. But I, personally, think of the feelings as stopping short of out-and-out love.
But that's just me! :) :-*
It's a really interesting movie, you all! And BTW, there are a couple of discussions of the homophobia issue on imdb's 3:10 to Yuma message board. I only glanced at a few of the posts, but it looks like most people don't think it's homophobic (either because they don't see Foster as gay, or they don't see a gay Foster as offensive). Not that imdb posters are necessarily the most sensitive analysts. ::)
Meryl:
I saw 3:10 to Yuma today and thought it was terrific. I felt like I was watching an old-fashioned Western, like the ones with Jimmy Stewart or Henry Fonda. Very good performances, and worth a second look to pick up on the subtleties of character. The gay thing? Would not have picked up on it at all without having read some of the comments here.
ednbarby:
I concur on all counts, Meryl. Well-said (and so much more briefly and succinctly than I ever could)!
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