Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
People hate this movie...
HerrKaiser:
--- Quote from: Rayn on October 30, 2006, 10:43:00 am ---Exactly! And also, as was your experience, HerrKaiser, and mine as well, each time the film is viewed, one often discovers more depth and meaning. The same thing happens with any great art, with poetry, painting, music, dance etc. Great art lasts because of how it seems to "give and give us more to understand, appreciate and enjoy" every time we encounter it.
As far as complains about BBM, I don't know about others, but the people who complained about it most to me were all Non Gay/Non Lesbian people. I have no doubt "family" love this movie like "non family" cannot, which is not to say there aren't heterosexuals who liked it; thought it was brilliant, of course there are, but I haven't met a Gay man or Lesbian yet who doesn't love it.
Rayn
--- End quote ---
I agree completely with your analogy to art in that mulitple viewings over decades builds a greater and greater appreciation for a piece as well as creates vast new interpretations to its meaning.
Regarding the types if people who do not like the film, interestingly even here in San Francisco, I have encountered many gay men who fall into that group. What seems to be a common denominator among the "dislikes" group is that they are mostly people in long term, happy relaitionships. What's more, they have much fewer experiences in the trials of lost love situations or the pains of love's tragedies.
Like so many other of life's situations, unless you have "walked in another man's shoes" it is not so easy, and sometimes impossible, to feel and understand and appreciate the depths and heights of their experiences.
wolf:
This is an interesting thread.
I understand and agree that family loves family best, but it gives me pause to wonder anew at my own reasons for loving BBM as powerfully as I do.
I'm straight, female, happily married for 14 years, etc. All the usual suspects. In fact each and every one of my friends/relatives who love the movie passionately fall into the same category, more or less. The only person I know who's not had the reaction I expected them to have (she liked it but didn't love it), is the only one who could be said to have had the "right" sort of experiences to facilitate a strong resonance.
More and more I'm inclined to think that what ties us to this work of great art is something beyond sexuality and personal experience. It's something beyond intellect, sensitivity, humour, compassion, and all the other qualities many of you beautiful posters have.
I have a running joke with a fellow Brokie from Dave Cullen's site to the effect the film is suffused with subliminal messages from the mother ship - calling us home (this is what happens when you cross a Trekkie with a Brokie). I'm starting to wonder.
Let's assume the netflix party poopers are mere mortals ;) :P.
W
HerrKaiser:
--- Quote from: wolf on November 01, 2006, 09:18:01 pm ---This is an interesting thread.
More and more I'm inclined to think that what ties us to this work of great art is something beyond sexuality and personal experience. It's something beyond intellect, sensitivity, humour, compassion, and all the other qualities many of you beautiful posters have.
--- End quote ---
yes, true enough. there are simply some events, "things", people in life, etc, that grab some people in a very deep, affecting way, while others have no such feeling having been exposed to the same things. At one BBM outing/event here in San Francisco in June, someone said her husband just "..didn't get it". Much like, in former times, when people would talk about that EST phenomenon; they'd talk about "getting it"; some did, most did not.
I still believe there is a strong, deeply personal link to one aspect of the story or another that people identify that catapults them to the level of commitment we all seem to enjoy. Something about Ennis or something about Jack or their actions, lives, etc, reasonates and touches a nerve with most of the film-lovers on a personal level; doesn't matter male or female. 'that is me, or that was me, or that could have been me, or I wish that was me...' are how those immediately struck seem to create that first link which leads to the level we on this forum have grown to. At least that's how I think my addition happened! Thanks!
wolf:
--- Quote from: HerrKaiser on November 01, 2006, 09:42:03 pm ---I still believe there is a strong, deeply personal link to one aspect of the story or another that people identify that catapults them to the level of commitment we all seem to enjoy. Something about Ennis or something about Jack or their actions, lives, etc, reasonates and touches a nerve with most of the film-lovers on a personal level; doesn't matter male or female. 'that is me, or that was me, or that could have been me, or I wish that was me...' are how those immediately struck seem to create that first link which leads to the level we on this forum have grown to.
--- End quote ---
you make a good point there, HerrKaiser. several themes could have been "triggers" for me - my interest in horses, cowboys and mountains for eg. but while these might provide reason for initial attraction, they don't explain obsession. many other films combine grand scenery and cowboys, none has thrown me for a life changing loop. it's the obsession I'm most curious about, since personal experience tells me there's no rhyme or reason discernible to the naked eye, as it were.
I'm almost as curious about those who don't "get it". or rather, why they don't get it. Whenever I come across a lukewarm reaction, I feel like running the individual in question through a series of neurological exams. Superior? Moi? ;D 8) ;D.
W
ednbarby:
--- Quote from: wolf on November 02, 2006, 09:33:22 pm ---I'm almost as curious about those who don't "get it". or rather, why they don't get it. Whenever I come across a lukewarm reaction, I feel like running the individual in question through a series of neurological exams. Superior? Moi? ;D 8) ;D.
--- End quote ---
I think it was Henrypie here who once said she's sure that all those other people really believe that they're the ones who are right, too, but that the difference is she really is.
:)
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version