Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by JefferyK (A) on January 12, 2006 at 15:56:41

In Reply to: Re: Brokeback Mountain: whew! posted by smart845 on January 11, 2006 at 10:16:29:

Here's a letter a friend of a friend wrote in response to an opinion piece about "Brokeback Mountain":

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To the editor:

Aside from the fact that those who tend sheep are shepherds, not cowboys, and that the word "gay," as opposed to "homosexual," implies some degree of self-acceptance, and disregarding the inappropriate labeling as "gay" of a straight director's movie starring straight actors, made from a straight writer's screenplay based on another straight writer's short story, and viewed by mostly straight audiences, I suppose Meghan Daum [author of the op-ed] may have a legitimate point about "gay cowboys" emoting in the "gay
movie,"Brokeback Mountain."

If I'm a little cranky about "Brokeback Mountain" it's because I'm old enough to remember when gay characters in fiction were required to come to ugly ends, just like Jack's violent death in this movie or Ennis's lonely old age, not to mention the grisly murder of the old man in the story from Jack's childhood. I remember too the several closeted homosexual men in my own family, heavy drinkers like Jack and Ennis, strangers to their wives, their kids and themselves, leading deceitful, unfulfilled lives and bringing misery to those around them. I joined gay liberation 35 years ago so I wouldn't have to follow their examples.

If it weren't so clearly an anachronistic heterosexual daydream, "Brokeback Mountain" might take me back to a period of history I'm glad is over and done with.

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I haven't seen "Brokeback Mountain" because, to me, the only reason to see it is to watch the guys screw and I doubt it shows much: Wouldn't want to alienate those straight viewers! But a friend, a closet sociologist, has encouraged me to see it just to check out the audience and watch their reactions.

Jeffery