If you do one thing this week, read the story of Brokeback Mountain before seeing the film. It is free and in the archives of the New Yorker. I did Sunday night with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. I devoured the story (which is less than 30 pages) in about a half hour and even though it was only thirty pages, I couldn't put it down. I couldn't stop turning the pages. Once you come across the first sexual moment, I thought to myself one thing. This movie could be huge. And I mean HUGE. If you have already seen it then good for you but for the rest of the country who aren't graced with early movie openings, we hold our breath in anticipation of December 16th.
Brokeback Mountain could unbelievably enhance gay culture and society in the eyes of America. We have to break down this idea:
Newsweek: After seeing the movie, Gyllenhaal says, male reporters will enter a room to interview him and almost always follow the same routine. "They come in and they're all, like, 'I just want you to know I'm straight'," he says, and laughs. If they've been moved by the film, he says, they often rationalize it by saying things like "Well, it's really more of a friendship." No, it isn't. "It's a love story," Gyllenhaal says. "They're two men having sex. There's nothing hidden there." Ledger has a theory about why the movie makes some men uncomfortable. "I suspect it's a fear that they are going to enjoy it," he says. "They don't understand that you are not going to become sexually attracted to men by recognizing the beauty of a love story between two men." That discomfort would seem to make the movie difficult to market. When the trailer plays in theaters where there are a lot of young men in the audience, it's often met with snickers or outright laughter. How do you get those guys to see the movie? You don't. "If you have a problem with the subject matter, that's your problem, not mine," Schamus says. "It would be great if you got over your problem, but I'm not sitting here trying to figure out how to help you with it." In an early meeting, Schamus told Lee that, from a marketing standpoint, they were making this film for one core audience. "Yes, of course," Lee said. "The gay audience." No, Schamus said. "Women."
Reviews are already pouring in and most of them rave and mention that little word Oscar. It has also shined in many film festivals like winning Best Picture in the Venice Film Festival, rare for an American movie. So skip that fucking crap American movie about a monkey and consider that the film is created from gifted Mexican cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (Amores Perros, which just so happens to be one of my all time favorite movies) and, of course, original voice Proulx and screenwriters McMurtry and Ossana, the idea that this movie could be huge really could stand true. While the book brings back those dark confused memories of being in the closet, miserable and sick to your stomach. Ennis and Jack are delicious and their love affair is one that I just want to lie back and cherish. The short story can easily be added to one of my favorite gay stories I have ever read. It nearly brought me to tears. And now watching the trailer has brought me to tears so guess I know for sure that I have to bring plenty of kleenex to the theater with me.
The slogan for the film (Love is a Force of Nature) also reminds me of something I have once heard from a friend. "Love is Friendship on Fire."
Why can't we all see Brokeback AND "that fucking crap American movie about a monkey"?
Which, by the way, was not American made but New Zealand made. A few Yanks in the cast but mostly Kiwi.
I'm gay. I saw Brokeback. I enjoyed it. I thought it was really good. Now it's time for me to see the next film that interests me, Kong, and the next day, The Producers.
I like your site and most of your postings but that snotty comment about Kong was just rude. Do you suggest we just go see Brokeback over and over again?
Some might say "Go see Kong and skip that fucking homo coyboy flick." I'm thinking that would piss you off, yes?
Not trying to be mean, just trying to suggest a different view.
:)
Posted by: JimmyD | December 15, 2005 at 01:03 AM