So I finally saw it. Incredible film. the scenery was great. the camera action was great: sweeping panoramas, and then hand held cameras for close up really emotional scenes (the camera shaking while Jack and Ennis argue). Jack was extrovert, ennis an introvert. Jack active in his gay life, ennis's only partner was Jack. Jack lying to Ennis about his other boyfriends, Ennis has a hard time talking to anyone. Ennis afraid of his gayness, afraid to have others know, opts for a life of isolation, lonlieness. Jack ends up .... well no spoilers here. What got me was the sadness in the movie. Everyone seemed sad. Jack's wife was sad - mad at him for how it ended, embarrassed by him. Jack and ennis were sad, ennis's wife was sad. What everyone was trying for was happiness. In this sense, a film with a universal theme: how many people live sad lives, searching for love and happiness? Doesnt that sum up most of the human race? Ennis' toast to his daughter at the end was great: he understood. Love and happiness. he wished his daughter well. I guess I dont see why this film was controversial, unless viewers are so clueless about human existence that they cant see through the gay relationship to the real themes of the movie.
And if you want to see Brokeback Mountain performed by bunnies in 30 seconds, click here.
1 comment:
Hey Mark: I haven't read the short story that fueled this movie but Shipping News (by the same author) is like one of my top five novels precisely because of its wonderful understanding depiction of love and optimism. I think the melancholy of the movie might come from Larry McMurtry who also writes books I enjoy (particularly is early Texas stuff) and wrote the screenplay. By the way, my favorite scene is near the end with the mom and dad. I thought the father was signalling in his tough way that they would have been accepted up there and I just love how the mom knew he would want to see the room and take something away. Such understanding. Its sad but its love as well. This, to me, was not a story about being gay.
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