Saw Brokeback Mountain today (WARNING: Spoiler!)

First let me say that it took me a moment. I had read so many reviews on/off DU and NO ONE said it was NOT a period piece! Everyone said they were cowboys and it was a Western. I assumed That it took place in 1860 NOT 1960. Which by the way, I think would have been much more interesting. Even in 1960, in backward Wyoming, people KNEW what gay people were (“I am not a queer!”).In the Wild West men were men and woman were mothers, saloon owner or prostitutes.
I love ‘love stories’, click flicks and they don’t have to be beautiful people, hot bodies or torrid sex. A love story warms your heart if it moves you with a human connection. MY favorite love story will always be ” On Golden Pond”. When Katherine Heyburn says to Henry Fonda “ You are my knight in shinning armor” I lost it, I cried like a baby.

I wanted to love the movie and I didn’t. I saw no connection between Ennis & Jack. The original sex scene was confusing for me. WHY? Up to that point there was no flirting, no tender moments that would have lead up to it. I could have understood hot necking, but why this sex. Jack was very brave to do this when he didn’t even know how Ennis would respond……He could have killed him!
My favorite scene was when Ennis goes to Jack’s parents house. The father was an SOB telling Ennis that Jack was going to come run the ranch with a friend. The mother was great. She encouraged Ennis to go up to Jack’s room. When he returned with clothing of Jack’s she seemed to understand their true relationship even if it could not be spoken I hope it continues to win awards. It was a great first effort but we have a long way to go before we see believable relationship between gay people regardless of gender.


We have 3 Indy movie houses in downtown Denver. One is on our college campus, one is playing “ Good Night, Good Luck” and one is playing Brokeback Mountain. Downtown Denver is very liberal, predominately Gay and forward thing people. The theatre was 60% full at 1pm on a beautiful Sunday with mostly Gay couples. I didn’t hear or see any one cry or emotional, so maybe they felt like I did,

He realized that Jack had taken his shirt during their first time on the mountain, that he had kept it all this years. Shame you missed that point.

it was still a moving scene

i posted on a thread about brokeback here on du about a week ago -- commenting that there wasn't enough development of their months together on brokeback mountain... i mean, a whole hour of the movie with them fighting, herding sheep, eating, bathing ... and one raunchy (very unrealistic) sex scene... and they're all of a sudden in love?! :wtf:

there needed to be more passion, more love, more character development from that part of the movie... to show gays are just like everyone else in that respect... not some nasty, bestial b*tt f**king scene...

i never really felt like they were in love until their final scene together when heath's character breaks down and cries.

with all that said though, i did enjoy the movie... it will certainly open many more doors, for many better movies.

btw, best gay themed movie EVER, by far, is "It's My Party" -- go rent it.

will go rent it

eric roberts and a few other smaller names...

best.movie.ever.

have a hankie nearby when you do.

it's gut wrenching... but so good.

The saddest movie ever, 15 April 2001

Author: edmonddax (e_d_m_o_n_d@yahoo.com) from Boston, MA


I'm not a weeper. This is the only movie out of hundreds that I've ever cried watching. It is a simple movie, with many powerful actors giving their most poignant performances. What gets to me most is putting myself in Eric Roberts' place. The image of saying goodbye to everyone I've ever loved before I euthanise myself... ungh... if ever I need to bring tears to my eyes, that would do it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113443/#comment
I never read the short stories which I will go find for BBM

i explain it to folks this way:

it's much like a very good orgasm... to achieve one, you build it up, let it down, build it up, let it down, and so on and so on... until you reach the climax.

well this movie in all its sadness throughout is dashed with great humour. so in other words, when you want to cry, they'll make you laugh. and the whole movie's like this until the end, and i've never experienced the "climax" that i have with this movie.

truly most powerful movie i've ever seen.


((not to build it up ahead of your previewing or anything)) ;-)

I wanted to like this movie so much more than I did, but when the lights went up, all I could feel was...disappointed.

I'd read the short story long before, and thought I would find the movie moving and emotional. I thought maybe it just didn't hit me or I somehow didn't get it. Not to say I didn't enjoy it at all. As a matter of fact, I wish more notice would be given to Jake Gyllenhaal's performance, which I thought was beautifully done.

My votes go for "Beautiful Thing" and "Big Eden."

and I enjoyed this movie a lot, probably my favorite this year

that bothered me......Ennis's child support was $250 for both children, that translates to about $1500 today..How did he pay that living in a trailor, working as a cowboy?

I know Heath has been getting all the props but to me he mumbled his lines too much. J.G.'s performance was great, IMO.

I might be disillusioned. The collection of short stories was so intense.....

"Even in 1960, in backward Wyoming, people KNEW what gay people were (“I am not a queer!” .In the Wild West men were men and woman were mothers, saloon owner or prostitutes."

Huh??? Are you saying there were no homosexuals in the Wild West? I hope that I am just misinterpreting your comment!

As far as the lack of 'build up' to the relationship, I look at it this way... These two people had to repress their feelings towards each other (especially in in the very beginning) because that's just how people are conditioned in our society. As you said, Jack was "brave" when he made a pass at Ennis. Up until that moment, any "feelings" would have had to be hidden.

The repression of feelings (and especially the way that gays are forced to do so, in a society hostile to homosexuality) is one of the major themes of the movie. The stigma of being gay in a gay-hostile society was a cloud over their relationship.

I will agree with you that the two leads didn't have a lot of on-screen chemistry, but I attribute that problem to the limitations of acting. And I usually have the same complaint with at least half of the "hetero" love stories I see, too.

I saw it in the 'burbs of Philadelphia on Christmas day, the theater was 75% full and it looked like mostly older hetero couples (seniors, even) in the audience.

I assumed That it took place in 1860 NOT 1960. Which by the way, I think would have been much more interesting.

a small town in Wyoming (Lusk). I was 15 or 16 and he was a 100% genuine
cowboy, about 22 I guess. Almost every male in that town except for the bankers & merchants was a cowboy and I seriously doubt this guy was the only gay one. ;-)

I saw this film last night, thought i was going to be bored to tears, turned out to be brilliant.

The scenery is absolutely Exquisite... Breathtaking, and it's a Big Screen kind of film - I'd see it in the theatre - and then rent the DVD when that's released - but see it on the big screen first.

The initial scene was a bit startling, but it made complete sense in the context of this story, and there's absolutely nothing unusual about guys leaping to sex first, hell it happens all the time, straight or gay.

it's a seriously powerful film, dealing with all of the common complexities in any relationship, but most importantly one that is extremely taboo, especially in this part of the country.

yes it starts out 1963, but given the region - and the livlyhood, that is what "Western" is about..

Necking, sweet nothings, heavy petting, or all that other shit were invented for women. Remove the woman from the equation, and the boys get down to business. No dinner, dancing, or especially TALKING :puke: necessary. It's entirely realistic from a male perspective, regardless of orientation.

The other reason why this jump right into it scene works is due to homophobia itself. When they jump right into it, they can just say they're "getting off", if there's necking involved like you mentioned, that's kissing, which to some closet cases with the door creeping open is off limits...as that's "too gay".

I have to disagree with Newsguy. I was bored to tears with "It's my Party". I thought it was as emotionally manipulative as Spelberg's non-kids films. The subject matter had been done to death (no pun intended) in all those low budget films of the 80s, only one of which IMO "Longtime Companion" is worth watching. Ok, Philadephia as well.

I do recommend Big Eden, but if you want to see how out gay men jump right into it, rent "Trick". They never do it, but it's funny to watch them try. Don't be scared off by Tori Spelling in the cast though. She's practically a drag queen.

My dear friends that are a gay married (15 years) couple completely agree with me. They thought it had to much sex and didn't explain the bond well enough/

Your friends have moved onto another dimension. Heath and Jake were single when they hit the tent. Your friends seemed to have forgotten history, but 15 years is quite a long time. ;)

EDIT: You had nothing to say about the homophobia aspect I brought up. Your friends should have remembered that. Out gay people don't really care, but two guys who think they're straight don't ususally kiss or cuddle, because as I said they would think of that as "too queer".

some people are romantics. It is difficult to explain the absence of bond. It may be that they were staight and it just didn't work for me or my friends. As I said originally, it was a good first effort, but NOT, IMHO, a masterpiece. I have not read anyone who thought it was terrible unless they are homophobic BUT I have read many who thought it was good just not great.

What are you referring to? Ang Lee? The actors? Gay cowboy movies? what?

It's also important to separate the experiences from OUT gays (like your friends) and closeted gays, such as the characters in the film. Actions arte different, although the motivations may be the same. Shame plays a lot in the actions of closeted gay men, which out gay men have no hangups about.

I find it strange that your friends didn't believe that. I could only assume that they are of the type to have impeccable taste in home furnishings, try the latest entree recipes, and have a serious collection of opera CDs, and somehow assumes all gays are like them. Perfect hair fags is what I call them, but I don't know them personally, so dismiss this if I'm wrong. But they may have a homelife/lovelife experience that isn't universal to gay men to be sure, and something Jack and Innis wouldn't be interested in emulating.

Is that not the point of the movie? People are people ,whether they are gay or straight. Liking cooking or having a nice home is not a determining factor. A previous (Gay) poster above said that gay men don't like/want romance..they just want to 'get it on'.....as a straight middle age woman; I believe this is a crock of shitThere are plenty of straight men that don't (romance)and plenty of gay men that want the same romance as other straight people. No one is a one dimensional person.

and thanks for not answering any of my questions.

You began with the example of your friends as what gay men are all about, and since they didn't "get" it along with you, then you assume that Jack and Innis had to be the same way, so the film failed in that respect. When I contradicted it with my "get it on" remark, you made an assumption that I meant all men period, and then drew the ridiculous conclusion that I said all gay men don't like romance (WHICH YOU NEVER DEFINED...to some, jizz on the face is romantic) which is not stereotyping on my part, but yours. Then, you ask if I'm gay, which seems important to you, because you couldn't believe that I'm not like the shining example of homo-life that your friends have given you. I am not the same kind of gay man as your friends, nor do I aspire to be like them. I see the variety and diversity in our community. You see your frineds, and believe every other gay person is supposed to be like them.

What you don't get is that there are differences in closeted and out gay men. Guilt and secrecy are motivating factors in behavior. Your friends are out of the closet and, I assume, well adjusted. Jack and Innis will NEVER be like them, because of the homophobic baggage that they carry around throughout the film.

is not to be missed. I hate Tori Spelling, I love that scene. Cute movie.

And for my money, Beautiful Thing is one of the *best* gay love stories.

exactly. They're men plus they didn't identify as queer and didn't want to.

But what's life without talking? Why are you on here? Why not just jerk off to airbrushed fake tits on some other site instead of taking time to type and think and interact with other people?

Men I will just never understand. Oh, well.

But not immediately before, and definitely NOT after sex. Nike didn't invent "Just do it!", men did.:D

BTW: Gay men and airbrushed tits????? Not my thang! I didn't even know they airbrush them for the net. You learn something new every day. :shrug:

Nice to hear how you think only men's needs should be met in the bedroom.

When will I use it?

I assumed you were speaking from experience. That would be like me, as a straight woman, going on and on about how much it sucks that gay men are too into shopping or something equally ridiculous. Why DO you care if women 'talk, talk, talk'? Confused emoticon.

:)

I'm just relaying what I hear in the locker room.:evilgrin:

on the main topic - Brokeback is a GOOD MOVIE. The sex scenes are not disgusting or disturbing. The sex scenes also are not the point of the movie.

:D

:eyes:

See a doctor about that nervous twitch in your eyes.

Since F-9/11 was so unfactual?

romantic setting before the first sex, but if you missed the connection by the time the movie was over then you need to see it again. I know others who missed it the first go around. There was much anquish on both characters part because Ennis felt they couldn't be together as a couple. They both wanted to desparately, but because of Ennis' daughters, amoung other things he felt they could never do it. Ennis was also terrified because what his father had shown him, as a child, happened to people who did such a thing. As for Jack's father, I was quite impressed when he said not only was Jack going to come run the place,but he was going to bring Ennis with him. His father seemed quite disappointed that Jack had never done what he said he was going to do. As for tears in the audience. I sat in a fully pacted audience in the Mayan and most of the people there were in tears.

It was powerful and real. I think it was beautifully portrayed and directed and I would see it again. Heath Ledger gave such a wonderfully controlled performance and Jake Gyllenhal (sp) was ethereal. Michelle Williams too deserves some credit for such wonderful work. She's come a long way since Dawson's Creek.

One of us missed something.....Jack's father was an SOB...It wasn't Ennis he was bringing to work the ranch BUT the other guy the couple had dinner with, who made a play for him..Jack's father said he was NOW divorced.

and your reaction to the movie exactly describes my reaction to the story. I thought it was just because I'm a woman and women's relationships are just different from men's. I just didn't see the love. And I didn't see how they got from sitting by the fire to having sex. It was abrupt. And maybe it was supposed to be.

I wanted to like the story, but I didn't.

congratulations! You GOT IT! You were meant to be be as confused as Ennis -- a "manly man" who couldn't understand why he was suddenly fucking another guy and liking it.

The scenarios you wanted to see played out in the movie (a romance, a heartwarming love story) would have been appropriate for other characters in another location at another time, but the way their relationship played out was exactly how it should have for Ennis and Jack.

Sounds like it will be right up your alley, and it was made quite a while back too, complete with believable relationships between gay people.

Oh, and I agree with your assessment, but be ready for the flames because some people seem to take movie reviews so personally one would think the movie was about THEM!

:evilgrin:

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Jeez...what a letdown....

Or maybe it takes a few days to kick in. :sarcasm: