Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Friend's parents (mother) hated movie because there wasn't romance.
Br. Patrick:
What was I to say to my friend who is comfortably hetero? In Annie's book, there is a great little scene where they cuddle and Jack slides his hand between Ennis' legs to warm them. As far as the kissing went, the movie went WAY over the top compared to Annie's story. But I, who have seen the film 5 times, had to agree with them. I would have liked to see more romanctic scenes. Ennis COULD do it even if it wasn't in his dominant nature. Forces of Nature can be tender too. I really think this is a stage of filmmaking history where more and more gay characters will be allowed to be themselves. That is, themselves as written, tee hee.
peace
Lynne:
I thought there was plenty of romance, much of it initiated by Ennis, but it's subtle so you have to look for it. Some examples
1) Ennis comes to Jack in the second tent scene with his hat in hand - very courtly, romantic.
2) After they've 'untangled the Chilean sheep', Ennis smiles at Jack with so much affection as he teases him about the harmonica~'you'll run the sheep off again'
3) the reunion, the nuzzle
4) the motel scene, holding each other, Jack whispering to Ennis
5) the final night after 'Sometimes I miss you so bad...', Ennis holding Jack in the tent.
I'll be putting this on my shelf next to Casablanca ;)
Phillip Dampier:
--- Quote from: lynne_0315 on March 02, 2006, 05:01:25 pm ---I thought there was plenty of romance, much of it initiated by Ennis, but it's subtle so you have to look for it.
--- End quote ---
If there was more romance, I'm sure we'd be hearing even more nonsense about how this is a propaganda movie to promote the gay agenda, whatever that is. Heck, the sex scenes weren't even that explicit. I see worse on pay cable every night.
My hope is that BBM opens the door to more gay-themed movies, hopefully as deep and well thought out.
Br. Patrick:
--- Quote from: lynne_0315 on March 02, 2006, 05:01:25 pm ---I thought there was plenty of romance, much of it initiated by Ennis, but it's subtle so you have to look for it. Some examples
1) Ennis comes to Jack in the second tent scene with his hat in hand - very courtly, romantic.
--- End quote ---
I sure agree with you there. It makes me cry - really hard. I only wish there was more light. On the Internet, frames from this scene are out there and they have been digitally lightened. There is also a GIF loop of this scene out there. I have collected over 220 pictures. I forgot where I got them.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Aussie Chris:
--- Quote from: lynne_0315 on March 02, 2006, 05:01:25 pm ---I thought there was plenty of romance, much of it initiated by Ennis, but it's subtle so you have to look for it...
--- End quote ---
Thanks for posting this lynne, there have been many posts from people (I mean in imdb) who to one extent or the other want to say that Jack = loving/romantic, and Ennis = rejecting/cold; and then there's also the book versus film comparisons. Once again I wonder if these people were watching the same film as I was. I guess I was guilty of this too, at first. When I first saw BBM I couldn't see past Ennis' denial, but to my great and pleasant surprise, subsequent viewings revealed the depth of Ennis' affection for Jack and how often he demonstrates it. One such (not so subtle demonstration) that you didn't mention was when Ennis was waiting for Jack, prior the reunion scene. He sits at the window, nervously waiting and fiddling with his lighter. The book even says that he was waring his best shirt for this occasion. And when Jack arrives, he bounds down the stairs, two and three at a time, and it was he (Ennis) that initiates the passionate reunion kiss.
But when it comes to the film and book comparison, these are also completely lost on me since I see them as one and the same. All the little extra bits in the short story (and there's not that much) seep through into my mind when I watch the film, and of course, vice versa when I read the book. Actually, the majority of the things that were left out or changed from the book I am grateful for, since there were a couple of references to the physical reality of the sex that I think would have been distracting if they were filmed. For this I am so glad we had Ang Lee at the helm rather than, say, Gus Van Sant. Could you imagine BBM filmed in the style of My Own Private Idaho??? Hmmm, yes I can too and it's a scary thought.
Ok, so back to the topic of romance. Now I'm going to be a little bit sexist here, but not with the intention of putting anyone down or to be discriminatory. I think that males and females may see BBM differently because they come from different perspectives. I mean I love a good "chick-flick" as well, but there are some (that many women love) like Beaches and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood that I just can't get into, and I put this down to my perspective and the fact that I can't relate to them. IMO the romance in those films is lost on me because they relate more to women than they do to men. So I wonder how the detractors define "romance"? When I look at BBM I see mountains (sorry for the pun) of romance, just buried under layers and layers of repression. But really, it is this repression that is the central point of the film, the root cause of all the characters' misery, and ultimately the final tragedy. People who want to change elements of the film, the way it ends, or even the depictions of sex and emotion, I feel they're wasting their time, and it's about as pointless as complaining that Romeo & Juliet would be a better if it wasn't so, well, Shakespearean!
The silly sods, I don't think they can see the forest for the trees.
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