Author Topic: Burning Blue: two Navy pilots who fall in love living under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell  (Read 38081 times)

Offline morrobay

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Re: Burning Blue: two Navy pilots who fall in love living under DADT
« Reply #20 on: April 26, 2014, 01:58:13 pm »
Amazon has it to rent for $1.99, I'm going to check it out this afternoon and give my opinion, FWIT. 

Thanks for the rec, Vincent.
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Offline morrobay

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Re: Burning Blue: two Navy pilots who fall in love living under DADT
« Reply #21 on: April 26, 2014, 02:45:32 pm »
Spoilers, if you don't want to know, walk away.





Sorry, Vincent.  We agree on Free Fall, but I hope I can get my 2 bucks back from Amazon for this one.

I was expecting more than the first stupid line: what if I come over tonight and give you a birthday blow job.

Sorry, but seriously?  The guy from Fargo?  Talk about type-casting.

Women are so naïve.  The wife cannot believe that her husband, while in the Navy, would do something that would make him think he’s going to hell.  Maybe she thought he just had a lot of sex.

OK, this is where I had to stop.  He goes to stay with an ex-Navy buddy, presumably to talk about the past, the wife comes into his bedroom in a robe and asks “are you sexually active?”  then proceeds to take the robe off and says (Penthouse Forum, anyone?) “Touch me.”  Just like real life.

I'll finish watching it later, but I don't think anything could redeem it after that.

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Offline gattaca

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Re: Burning Blue: two Navy pilots who fall in love living under DADT
« Reply #22 on: April 26, 2014, 03:25:28 pm »
Spoilers, if you don't want to know, walk away.

Sorry, Vincent.  We agree on Free Fall, but I hope I can get my 2 bucks back from Amazon for this one.

I was expecting more than the first stupid line: what if I come over tonight and give you a birthday blow job.

Sorry, but seriously?  The guy from Fargo?  Talk about type-casting.

Women are so naïve.  The wife cannot believe that her husband, while in the Navy, would do something that would make him think he’s going to hell.  Maybe she thought he just had a lot of sex.

OK, this is where I had to stop.  He goes to stay with an ex-Navy buddy, presumably to talk about the past, the wife comes into his bedroom in a robe and asks “are you sexually active?”  then proceeds to take the robe off and says (Penthouse Forum, anyone?) “Touch me.”  Just like real life.

I'll finish watching it later, but I don't think anything could redeem it after that.


Sorry, Yes, the film is not perfect.  You must forgive some of the rougher spots to get thru to the ending which IMO is well worth it.

Some spoilers on:

The film has several unpolished scenes which I did not like as well on my first viewing.  The specific one you referenced, with the naughty wife and husband gone to get more booze (telling also), I felt was unnecessary and should have been left on the cutting room floor... on first viewing..  but once I thought about it, I realized it showed while Harry was receptive to such advances in the past, in fact welcomed them, he was clearly struggling when presented with such an EASY sexual opportunity now.  In fact, he could have quickly "done the deed" with his buddy gone, but now he had  had made a choice - a different choice - one maybe he should have made a long time ago. So, then I did a 180 on that material's need to be there though I still agree, it makes me cringe on how poorly delivered it becomes.   The naughty wife also showed how in spite of his buddy's apparent success, internally his life was in shambles. He despised his son and was not speaking with him anymore b/c his son was gay.  (I wonder where that originated...) His wife was very likely screwing around all the time b/c he could no longer satisfy her sexually because he had prostate surgery - karma, baby karma.   I also think the "holy than thou" buddy as well as the tenured professor buddy were revealing.  The professor totally denying his past and then becomes enraged when Harry confronts him...  Viewed from a karma angle, were all not these men getting their just due?  Did Harry really forget who crushed David's hand? Did  Harry get his just due at dinner? Did David forgive? 

Spoilers off

Could the material have been better shot or less cliche at times - absolutely!

I consider "Handsome Harry" a film one really has to stop and think about across more than 1 viewing...while forgiving those  parts could have been better executed.   In short, if the director were Ang Lee, it would have been much more polished - after all we know parts of Brokeback also ended up on the cutting room floor.   Cheers, V.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2014, 04:55:57 pm by gattaca »
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Offline morrobay

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e: Burning Blue: two Navy pilots who fall in love living under DADT
« Reply #23 on: April 26, 2014, 03:29:25 pm »
Ah, well, I certainly appreciate your insight and will finish it out.  Thanks, I appreciate your view.
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Offline gattaca

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Re: Burning Blue
« Reply #24 on: April 26, 2014, 03:43:42 pm »
Hi Vincent.  Please allow me to out this film:  it's "Handsome Harry".  There was a very brief discussion about it on another thread a couple of years ago.  Truman liked it, I didn't.  Perhaps I should give it another chance.
http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,45782.msg631599.html#msg631599
Paul

Hi Paul, I did a brief search but didn't get any hits.. maybe I need to return to search school.    :o

Sorry I omitted the title in the text , it was not intentional - I fixed that.  Didn't mean for you to have to "out the film".  I have been focused on easing people past "Handsome Harry" as it sounds so cliche and corny.  Handsome Harry requires multiple viewings, then reflections of the material and yeah a bit of forgiveness for the rough spots.  But, the ending, oh man, coupled with those flash backs, and then if you just close your eyes and page thru the lives of those men - as shown to us.  That really stopped me dead in my tracks once I assembled it.  

Spoilers on:

What could have been?  What was possible with Harry?  What was possible with David?  What does one's heart want?  How do you know true love when it finds you?  What about the courage to defend your best friend?  DADT...  What about what IS possible - even now, with David?  Should Harry follow his heart?  Can he?  What about all those commitments to one's family?  What's in Harry's struggle with his truth, his son?  Is this quest part of Harry's catharsis? Could Harry have made a life with David then?   Hint:  As shown in the flash backs, David's parents were accepting and I feel would have welcomed Harry whom was clearly important to David?   Do you really take someone home to meet your parent's if you are not really serious about them?   Does your friend sleep in your bed?  Does your male friend give you a kiss on the cheek?  Do your male buddies secretly go to what's known as a gay bar to hear you play for the crowd? Does Harry's desire or story to "become a priest" signal his struggle with himself?  His guilt perhaps?  His feelings for David?   Does Harry's not remembering who of the group actually injured David severely indicate his remorse?   His guilt?   Could or should any be forgiven?  Should Harry be forgiven?  ...  

Spoilers off:

I'm sorry.  I can become so tangled in the threads swimming thru my head from this film - get's me good, just like Brokeback.

Yeah, Handsome Harry needed better directing and tighter editing and perhaps more flash backs but with what's there, I learned enough to be satisfied that the story was worth the journey even if there is a pothole or two along the way.   Just consider the flashbacks in Brokeback - quite powerful / overwhelming once the context is revealed.  The flashbacks, and even the music, which is mostly well done Jazz, informs us throughout.

In general, I thought Handsome Harry would appeal to most Brokies.  I apologize if my gusto for Handsome Harry exceeds it's delivery.   Cheers, V.  
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Offline CellarDweller

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I watched "Handsome Harry" on Vincent's recommendation, and I loved it.  So much so that I purchased the DVD to add it to my personal collection.  I've since showed it to other Brokies over here, and the all liked it as well.


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Offline gattaca

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Re: e: Burning Blue: two Navy pilots who fall in love living under DADT
« Reply #26 on: May 03, 2014, 03:44:39 am »
Ah, well, I certainly appreciate your insight and will finish it out.  Thanks, I appreciate your view.

Did you give Handsome Harry a chance to get past the potholes?   V.   
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Offline morrobay

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Re: Burning Blue: two Navy pilots who fall in love living under DADT
« Reply #27 on: May 03, 2014, 11:31:26 am »
Yeah, but it was more like sinkholes to me.  Maybe the casting was off, idk.

And, probably because I’ve never been a gay man in the Navy in the ‘60s and I can't do anything about that, I really hated the whole premise: he beats up his lover, (ruining his career as a pianist), never apologizes or apparently even speaks to him again for the remaining time they’re in the Navy, and only gets in touch after 30 years, and then only at someone else’s request, and not as something he felt compelled to do on his own.

Wasn’t for me.
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Offline gattaca

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OK.  Sorry you did not like it.   Yeah, I agree the casting is not perfect and we talked about a few weak points. 

Sadly, it's typical of those and these times.   Death beds have a funny way of changing people's hearts when that inevitable event horizon is within view. 

This is a story that grows on you once you get past the weaknesses. 

Better luck next time. Cheers, V.
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Offline morrobay

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Re: Burning Blue: two Navy pilots who fall in love living under DADT
« Reply #29 on: May 05, 2014, 12:10:48 pm »
In addition to HH & Free Fall, in the past few weeks I've seen Pit Stop, The Falls: Testament of Love, L'homme de sa vie (The Man of My Life), & Weekend.  For me, Free Fall wins, hands down, as best acted, directed, storyline.  Then Weekend & The Falls, but I wouldn't watch any of them twice - except for FF, I've seen it dozens of times.  And I am looking forward to Burning Blue.

BTW, Amazon did refund my rental for HH, the email said they noticed that I experienced poor video playback - I didn't notice it and didn't ask for the refund, but nice to get.
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