Author Topic: Do you think your life will change now?  (Read 24743 times)

Offline Luvlylittlewing

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Re: Do you think your life will change now?
« Reply #40 on: January 24, 2008, 11:39:11 pm »
This is absolutely how I feel.  Continuing to honor Brokeback with serious consideration is true tribute to Heath.

I think artists often hope that their art will endure and create a little bit of immortality.  Our vision/image of Ennis will really never change.  And Heath has given us this embodiment of Proulx's character.  The fact that Ennis remains with us - in that film and etched in our minds by Heath- is really an extraordinary thing.  It's part of the magic of art.  I think.

Great artists pass away all the time.  In art history and film history this does not stop people from discussing their work.  The list of examples is of course enormous.  Just think of any famous artist or actor who has passed away.  Often an artist's death actually throws a spotlight on just how important their work really was (a sad irony of how art sometimes works).

I'm writing this post from my office in an art museum.  And, I have to stay here late for the opening reception for my most recent exhibition.  All of the artists in this exhibition (51 different people) are dead... and the continuing scholarship on and appreciation of their art most definitely endures.

I just don't believe that Heath would want his most devoted Brokies to move on from a continued consideration of BBM.  

Essentially, I don't think we should feel at all guilty about talking about Ennis and Jack, the way we love so much. I really can't think of any way that that continuation would be disrespectful to Heath's memory.


Very well said!

Offline Luvlylittlewing

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Re: Do you think your life will change now?
« Reply #41 on: January 24, 2008, 11:40:55 pm »
Sure enough. The emphasis in my comment was really supposed to be on the "argument" part. What I had in mind particularly when I initially wrote that were some of the very emphatic differences of opinion over subjects such as the extent of Ennis's internalized homophobia, or when he came to understand that he really loved Jack, for example.

The idea of continuing to argue over subjects such as that, when the actor who so fully brought the character to life has died so tragically, seems irrelevant and just does not sit well with me.

Jeff, I think Heath, and every one associated with BBM would feel honored that the work inspires such passion.  A lesser work would be ignored!

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Do you think your life will change now?
« Reply #42 on: January 25, 2008, 12:04:35 am »
Jeff, I think Heath, and every one associated with BBM would feel honored that the work inspires such passion.  A lesser work would be ignored!

I'm not quite sure how to take this comment.  ???  I don't want to read too much into it, but quite frankly I feel vaguely like I'm being accused of something, but I'm not exactly sure what. That I don't know that the film makers, cast included, know that Brokeback Mountain has inspired passion in its fans?

Nobody, me included, said anything about ignoring the film, nor about no longer discussing it. And I certainly didn't say that there was anything wrong with the passion the film has inspired. Nor would I say there is anything wrong with continuing to discuss Heath's artistry or his performance. But in light of the sobering slap of reality of Heath's death, some of the things that have been discussed--argued--about the characters of this film over the past two years no longer seem to matter to me. And to continue to argue over issues such as as the old debate over whether Ennis and Jack were gay or bisexual, for example, just doesn't seem right to me. It just seems somehow disrespectful and maybe even a bit vulgar.

But by all means we should honor Heath by continuing to admire his performance and his artistry. I never said we shouldn't.
"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 serious crayons

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Re: Do you think your life will change now?
« Reply #43 on: January 25, 2008, 12:28:23 am »
I'm not quite sure how to take this comment.  ???  I don't want to read too much into it, but quite frankly I feel vaguely like I'm being accused of something, but I'm not exactly sure what.

Jeff, I don't want to speak for littlewing, but I see she's offline right now and you're on, so I'm just going to jump in and say I know her quite well from imdb and she's one of Brokiedom's nicest people -- not the accusing kind. I suspect she was just being supportive of Heath.

Littlewing, please let me know if I've mischaracterized your post.

I see what you're saying, Jeff, about the difference between discussing the movie and arguing about relatively trivial differences of opinion about this or that detail or nuance. I think for some people, those debates are the lifeblood of their discussions, and they don't necessarily see them as a negative or disrespectful. But I can see where it would make some people -- you, among others, I'm sure -- uncomfortable as being trivial topics in the wake of a real-life tragedy. We all have to grieve/mourn/memorialize/recover in our own ways, I guess.

 

Offline Ellemeno

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Re: Do you think your life will change now?
« Reply #44 on: January 25, 2008, 03:49:16 am »

We all have to grieve/mourn/memorialize/recover in our own ways, I guess.

 



I have been thinking this today and that it's important to remember that.  I am going to give an example, I hope atz75 won't mind.

Amanda and I were in chat, and she said she really doesn't want to see Heath in other movies, and that she is going to watch BBM very soon.  I said that I, on the contrary, do not want to watch BBM anytime soon, but would love to see some other Heath movies as soon as possible.  She is one of my dearest friends here, and we have different needs/urges around this.  A small example.

Anyway, I hope we can hold our love and patience for each other, when we are feeling hurt and impatient with the reality we have been smacked with this week.

Love,

Clarissa

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Do you think your life will change now?
« Reply #45 on: January 25, 2008, 02:39:16 pm »
Anyway, I hope we can hold our love and patience for each other, when we are feeling hurt and impatient with the reality we have been smacked with this week.

So true.

I'm wondering whether I can watch BBM anytime soon or not. I think I'm a little closer to Amanda's view. On the one hand, I'd rather see Heath as Ennis than Heath as Casanova, pseudo Bob Dylan, Candy's junkie boyfriend, etc. But on the other hand, I think I probably can't eat no cake right now.

How do y'all feel about watching it now? Has anybody watched it since ... Tuesday? How'd it go?





Offline belbbmfan

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Re: Do you think your life will change now?
« Reply #46 on: January 25, 2008, 02:55:37 pm »
I'd really like to watch it. I feel like I need to. I'm not sure why. Maybe I need to hear Ennis say 'getting tired of your dumbass missin', I don't know. Maybe I'll switch if off after ten minutes.

I just don't want to feel I've lost BBM too. It's Heath's legacy to all of us.

I was listening to BBM radio earlier today and heard parts of the BBM score. I found it soothing.

 :-\  :-\
'We're supposed to guard the sheep, not eat 'em'

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Do you think your life will change now?
« Reply #47 on: January 25, 2008, 03:05:31 pm »
I heard "The Wings" over some TV clip or other, and burst into tears.

 :'(

Yep, probably too soon for me to watch the whole thing.


Offline belbbmfan

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Re: Do you think your life will change now?
« Reply #48 on: January 25, 2008, 03:18:38 pm »
I heard "The Wings" over some TV clip or other, and burst into tears.

 :'(

Yep, probably too soon for me to watch the whole thing.



Well, over here, Heath's death (those two words together are FOREVER going to feel 'wrong') is a non issue. It was on the radio news wednesday morning. It was on the tv news at night. And that was it. There were a few articles in my newspaper (one page long tribute which was nice) but nothing more. So, I haven't come across anything BBM by accident. It just isn't there.

Which makes it all even more 'unreal' at times.

hugs to you.
'We're supposed to guard the sheep, not eat 'em'

Offline nakymaton

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Re: Do you think your life will change now?
« Reply #49 on: January 25, 2008, 03:24:15 pm »
I'm glad I saw I'm Not There while Heath was still alive, and while I could appreciate it as a movie.

BBM has always been about grief (as well as other things) for me, so the outright bawling might feel cathartic.

But mostly I'm too numb to watch movies at the moment.

(I also have not run across a single mention of Heath's death in RL. Partly that's because I don't watch TV, and I haven't been in any checkout lines to see People or EW. Partly it's because it was an event of only passing significance to everyone else in my world. Surreal.)
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