Author Topic: TOTW 15/07: Short story or movie, which one do you prefer?  (Read 39289 times)

Offline serious crayons

  • Moderator
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 22,712
Re: TOTW 15/07: Short story or movie, which one do you prefer?
« Reply #20 on: November 18, 2007, 11:28:59 pm »
I read the story several years before I saw the movie and thought it was excellent as literature. The imagery, the use of language, the amazing plot -- no one had ever written anything like it before ...

But after reading and appreciating it, I moved on. I was not floored by the story. I did not seek an internet message board to discuss it.

The movie is what really made an emotional impact on me. Why? Well, for one thing, although the movie is spare and understated, it is not as zealously unsentimental as the story. The movie doesn't prod emotions, but it doesn't skitter from them, either. In my mind, Annie Proulx did everything she could to avoid being saccharine, and although in general I like that tendency and think it adds to the story's power, her spareness it was so extreme as to ultimately be, for me, off-putting. Some of the elements used to undercut otherwise touching moments -- "he missed Ennis bad enough sometimes to make him whip babies," the flashback of Jack's dad peeing on him -- were just a bit too ascetic.

Also, to me the movie characters had more depth. We've talked about how Movie Ennis, particularly, is different from Story Ennis. Well, I understand Movie Ennis better, and his emotional turmoil seems more complex and tragic to me. Story Ennis is depicted as declining Jack's "sweet life" offer primarily out of a pragmatic fear of violence; Movie Ennis, it is clear, rejects Jack's invitation much more because of internal conflicts. I also can see the distinctions more clearly between Movie Ennis and Movie Jack than I do between Story Ennis and Story Jack. In the first, they are almost opposites. In the second, they are more similar, just with kind of different opinions. Ultimately, the movie characters had more impact on me.

And finally -- this might seem silly, but -- the dialect in the story was a bit of a turn-off, for me. It was so extreme as to make the characters seem kind of cartoony. I have lived in the West for short periods, but I haven't spent enough time there to know if there are people who really talk like that -- and, if so, my bad. But the characters in the movie talked more like people I'm familiar with, and I could relate to them better because of it.



« Last Edit: November 19, 2007, 09:41:50 am by ineedcrayons »

Offline Oregondoggie

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • Brokeback Mountain Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 185
Re: TOTW 15/07: Short story or movie, which one do you prefer?
« Reply #21 on: November 19, 2007, 05:26:17 am »
Well I was clobbered by the story.  Tried reading it aloud to a group of friends just after the movie came out.  Got as far in the beginning as..."If he does not force his attention on it, it might stoke the day, rewarm that old, cold time on the mountain when they owned the world and nothing seemed wrong."  Had to stop.  Had to be comforted.  I could not breathe. 

This is not simply a fine story.  It is one of the most powerful ever written.  It will spawn another film in due time with new young actors, fresh reactions.  And, like Romeo And Juliet, it will be interpreted on the stage and (possibly) in dance and opera.

The movie had one advantage not mentioned so far in this discussion:  Santoalalla's music.  Beyond sublime.

Offline brokebackjack

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • Brokeback Got Me Good
  • *****
  • Posts: 817
Re: TOTW 15/07: Short story or movie, which one do you prefer?
« Reply #22 on: November 20, 2007, 05:25:49 am »
You know, not for nothing I am really really glad I asked Crissy to have this as TOW.
There have been some wonderful things said here, buds!
"I couldn't stand it no more so i fixed it"

Offline Artiste

  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • ********
  • Posts: 15,998
Re: TOTW 15/07: Short story or movie, which one do you prefer?
« Reply #23 on: November 20, 2007, 07:29:35 pm »
I prefer Annie's story.

As it seems to me less violent towards gay men, such as I am!!

To me, the movie is pro-violent for cirminals toward a gay man or gay men!!

Hugs!

Offline brokebackjack

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • Brokeback Got Me Good
  • *****
  • Posts: 817
Re: TOTW 15/07: Short story or movie, which one do you prefer?
« Reply #24 on: November 20, 2007, 09:51:57 pm »
Artiste, you continually amaze me!! lol

How in God's name do you come to the conclusion that BBM the film is PRO-ANTIGAY-VIOLENCE?

You have to be the only gay person alive--or perhaps the only person who saw the film, anywhere, who thinks it was antigay !

But the story, yes, it is superb.
"I couldn't stand it no more so i fixed it"

Offline Jeff Wrangler

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 31,165
  • "He somebody you cowboy'd with?"
Re: TOTW 15/07: Short story or movie, which one do you prefer?
« Reply #25 on: November 20, 2007, 11:44:08 pm »
Insofar as I am concerned it was as faithful to the book as a film could be.

This was the first major impression that the film had on me, its faithfulness to the story. I've known the story since its first publication in The New Yorker and actually went out and bought the Scribner's edition and read it again, so it was really fresh in my mind when I saw the film. I was stunned because I don't think I've ever seen a film so faithful to a work of literature.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 31,165
  • "He somebody you cowboy'd with?"
Re: TOTW 15/07: Short story or movie, which one do you prefer?
« Reply #26 on: November 20, 2007, 11:49:06 pm »
I saw the movie before I read the story, and that might have influenced my "like the movie best" vote. But frankly, while I thought the story was wonderful, it just didn't haunt me the way the movie did, nor did I feel compelled to read it over and over, although I have read it several times. And I doubt very seriously that this and other Brokeback-themed forums would exist if the short story had never been made into film.

But, of course, the film would not exist without the story.

Acutally, Marge's comment reminded how I was compelled to read the story over and over. I saw the film twice in December 2005, before I went to visit my dad for Christmas. I read that story every day--really every night--until I was able to get back to Philadelphia and see the film again. It was how I kept it together.  :-\
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Artiste

  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • ********
  • Posts: 15,998
Re: TOTW 15/07: Short story or movie, which one do you prefer?
« Reply #27 on: November 21, 2007, 12:02:50 am »
Wow, wow!!

Of course, we like BOTH!!

Annie's story words are repeated in the movie, thank goodness!

But the cute two main gay or bi (or straight) guys in the book are changed by the movie! (They would notlook like these actors!!

Right??

Hugs to all!!

Offline brokeplex

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • BetterMost 5000+ Posts Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 7,247
  • LCARS
Re: TOTW 15/07: Short story or movie, which one do you prefer?
« Reply #28 on: November 21, 2007, 10:25:47 am »
Wow, wow!!

Of course, we like BOTH!!

Annie's story words are repeated in the movie, thank goodness!

But the cute two main gay or bi (or straight) guys in the book are changed by the movie! (They would notlook like these actors!!

Right??

Hugs to all!!

Do you mean that in that Jake and Heath do not resemble the descriptions of Jack and Ennis in the short story?

Or do you mean that in the movie the two actors do not show the signs of age that we would expect?

Offline Artiste

  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • ********
  • Posts: 15,998
Re: TOTW 15/07: Short story or movie, which one do you prefer?
« Reply #29 on: November 21, 2007, 07:30:11 pm »
Thanks brokeplex!

Right, I say to you first sentence as well as to your second one:
Do you mean that in that Jake and Heath do not resemble the descriptions of Jack and Ennis in the short story?

Or do you mean that in the movie the two actors do not show the signs of age that we would expect?
...
Even if both the book and the movie are important: Jake, I say, is too cute, as Jack! So is Heath as Ennis! That seems so according to Annie's book descriptions??

Let us start with that?? (Tackle the other sentence later, as to aging??)

Hugs!