Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
For Our New Members: Brokeback Mountain Stages of Grief & Acceptance
lachlan:
Yes, indeed, I've read the story and most of Annie Proulx's work. I have a hunch that Dianna Ossana and Larry McMurtry delved into her other stories for some of the characters they inserted into the screenplay: Cassie is very like the single women described in one of the stories and the scene with Jimbo the rodeo clown seems inspired by her tale of a lonely bullrider. One thing that struck me - and I don't know if this is the correct thread to bring it up - is that the Military Draft was a major factor in the lives of young men in 60s America; far more so than the film or the book imply. I find it puzzling that this is clearly an issue for Jack (1963 Jack: "..if the Army don't get me." 1967 Ennis: "Army didn't get you?"), but not for Ennis. Was he somehow exempt? After being put under Military Arrest and harrangued by a tribunal, I was given a "1-Y" classification (code for "suspicious loyalty"; I was born in the US of Scottish parents but spent much of my childhood in Scotland or Canada) and this caused numerous problems which still effect my life today. My own Innes was half-Indian. He spent much of that time on the run under a pseudonym (he selected "Innes" from the Gaelic "Aonghus", coincidentally; it was not his real name), and was ultimately killed in an avalanche while attempting to cross the border into Canada in January 1971. I was curious that the Draft issue was not a more prominent element in the storyline.
Artiste:
Guess that Annie did not speak to anyone about the draft issue in the USA nor Canada, for her book!
She did speak to some person(s).
Some of it is still a secret!!
Hugs!
Front-Ranger:
I remember those days too...yes the draft was an ever-present threat. I knew many who went to Canada, or were drafted against their will. I also knew men who got married or went to college, because those were ways to get out of the draft. There were even some who injured themselves or feigned mental illness. Young people today have no idea how it was.
I'm glad it wasn't dwelt on too much in the movie. Brokeback Mountain is a kind of mythical place, and Wyoming itself seems to exist outside of the rest of the world, even tho it's surrounded by it!! The movie did not even mention the assassination of President Kennedy even though that happened during the time of the film. The screenplay had more signposts and Ang Lee took most of them out.
Artiste:
Glad you talk about the draft in the USA Front-Ranger!!
May I take part of your comment:
I'm glad it wasn't dwelt on too much in the movie. Brokeback Mountain is a kind of mythical place, and Wyoming itself seems to exist outside of the rest of the world, even tho it's surrounded by it!! The movie did not even mention the assassination of President Kennedy even though that happened during the time of the film. The screenplay had more signposts and Ang Lee took most of them out.
...
I knew too of many men who were draft-dodgers, and saw many gay men even in Canada!! Born in the USA, some still are living in Canada, because of that war and draft!!
You say that the movie has NOT dwelt took much about the draught and/or draft-dodging?? Annie does talk about the draft!! It seems to me that Jack did, and also did even something agaisnt it; is that not so Front-Ranger??
Awaiting your news,
hugs!!
HerrKaiser:
to me, the infusion of draft issues, Kennedy's assasination, etc, would have taken the correct focus from the film. Books are another thing, but movies that get too multi-faceted, especially when the intent is to make a major point about a pivotal subject, end up being ho hum. the beauty of BBM is that it kept on track throughout and Lee blended high and low emotions, calm and violent scenes, past and present times without straying off-point. Beautiful.
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