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December 18, 2005
My Own Private Wyoming
Last night we went to see Brokeback Mountain. I thoroughly enjoyed it. A good movie to me is something that makes you actually think and usually stays with you well after the movie is over. This was/is definitely one of them. In fact, I found it disturbing and emotional on many levels. It had some elements that were reminiscent to me of "My Own Private Idaho," only much more intense.
If you have not seen the movie, avoid reading the rest cuz I will ruin it for you.
Most of those that did not like the film did not like it for one of the following reasons:
1). It is too slow-paced and there is no Hollywood ending
2). It's not "Too Wong Foo" with Cowboys
3). Nathan Lane did not provide catty voice-overs for any of the sheep
4). It was too depressing
5). The book was better
6). Mariah Carey didn't sing "Hero" over the end credits
7). It wasn't emotional enough
8). Movies with gay themes MUST have gay actors in them
9). Self-loathing
I think this film can have an impact on anyone but I especially believe that to be true of people that have grown up in small towns or witnessed these types of places on a regular basis.
My parents are from a place very similar to where Ennis (Heath Ledger) grew up. We would visit every year. There were windy roads and hills and trailers and "hollers" and no restaurants and lots of coal trucks and one A & P. The only thing to do is get married young and have babies and work hard labor (and/or be an alcoholic or have a heavy addiction to painkillers), rinse & repeat. They talk in an accent that is so southern it is almost unrecognizable.
I always imagined what my life would have been like if my parents did not choose to flee in the mid-60's. I believe I would have been a lot like Ennis. I would probably be married with kids in a pathetic relationship with an unsatisfied wife. God knows what kind of job I would have had down there. The majority work in the coal mines and, um, I just can't picture myself doing that. I could picture myself secretly getting away to meet some guy I actually liked spending time with. It would have been an awful existence. Yet, some people are forced to do it because they don't want to get killed or hurt. And I guarantee you, if I were raised there and "found out," one of those two things would have happened. Oh, and I probably wouldn't have a blog either. What a pity that would be.
I saw the movie with Rob, Joe, Ira (aka Suitcase Sally) and Randy (aka Manhattan Furball). Randy also knew people like those depicted in the film from his upbringing in Texas. I'm sure we all know people like this.
Heath Ledger was awesome (even if he did talk like Sling Blade). The scenes where he and Jack would fight and then kiss and cuddle were both devastating, brutal, tender and hot all at the same time.
There were several parts of the movie that I didn't understand and/or like though. For example:
* I think I know who is responsible for Jack's death but I did not understand his parents' reaction.
* Ennis's reaction towards Jack after 4 years of not seeing him seemed odd to me. I know he is a guy who keeps all his emotions inside but it did not feel right since, apparently, several of the intimate scenes between the two men on the mountain were not shown. This was evident in the flashback towards the end when Ennis puts his arms around Jack. Had they been shown, I think this may have "felt" more right. If he avoided him for 4 years, I think he also would have been much more careful trying to shelter his "greeting" of Jack from his wife.
* I wish they had shown more intimacy between the guys during their first duration on the mountain. They seemed to be always fighting or having rough sex.
* Why did they both punch each other (especially Jack since he seemed to be the more sensitive one)? He laid the first punch.
* Did they know each other were gay before they had sex? One of them made a comment that, "They don't like people like us." Was he referring to being gay?
* And lastly, and this needs to be said, it would take a lot more spit than what was used to have butt sex. If that is really all they used, Jack wouldn't have been able to walk the next day and definitely wouldn't have been able to ride a horse. That's a fact. 'Mmm'kay?
* I love Jake Gyllenhaal as an actor. Seems like a great guy and he was brave to take on this role. But I have to say it. Unfortunately, I don't think his acting was very good in this film.
* Heath Ledger is hot. I never noticed this before. Michelle Williams is a lucky girl. She was also fantastic in her role.
I definitely want to get the DVD and watch it with a group of people so we can debate some of these aspects together. Some of these things may have been obvious to others but I'm a little slower than most.
Oh, and the author of the book loved the movie.
Again, I thought this was a great, thought-provoking film. And, yes, I shed a few tears.
Posted by durban bud at December 18, 2005 10:32 AM
Comments
I am still swimming from this movie. I went into it not knowing a lot about the book, the movie itself, the plot or the actors... All I really knew was the movie poster and tiny snippets... This was by design - there was/is/will be a lot of discussion surrounding the movie (not hype in most cases, just discussion) and I wanted to stay unbiased. I tend to get very cynical very fast when movie critics start lauding or trashing what might be a good new movie (or not)...
Fast-forward, I'm still taking it all in... I'm going to think more about it and then blog on the subject (that may help clarify things... sidenote: interesting how blogging helps me think now)...
But I think people need to see this movie... And see it soon before it really starts getting discussed... Skip work and go see it. Just go.
Posted by: TOS at December 19, 2005 10:11 AM
I am glad you liked it, DB. I didn't realize you came from country roots, too. My parents both grew up on farms and I am so glad they decided to leave as well.
The movie left a lot of questions unanswered, I think purposefully. I think I know why Jack was killed as well...but it's still speculation.
For me, the biggest mystery is what Ennis meant in his last line of dialogue ("Jack, I swear..."). I think it meant he was going to try and not be an island anymore and let people, like his daughter, love him. Who knows?
Go see it again...I caught a lot of things the second time that I didn't catch the first. You'll shed more tears the second time...
Posted by: Matt at December 19, 2005 11:10 AM
Count me as one of the people who DON'T think Jack was actually killed. I think Ennis was projecting his childhood experience onto Jack's death. I think, if anything, it was a metaphorical murder by Ennis' refusal to love him. More details perhaps on my blog later.
Posted by: Steve at December 19, 2005 06:55 PM
I like this Movie too A lot it's like my like
I mean not all of the story but there are some things similarly ... This movie've killed me and my feeling for many days ..... it makes me think a lot what I am gonna do next and my Jack too .... our life walk together,is like in the movie step into that we meet every years 2-3 times a year ,he has a girlfriend also like I do.
Hurrrrrrrrrrrrrrr dont know what to say ...better have to end the comments for now ... thanks for you website I searched from Google about the word "Jack, I swear" But I was wondering too why Jack gave his ass since the first time hmmmmmmmmmmm My Jack was not like that first we just only jerked off each other ... he gave his ass to me after a year ...and his first time was so painful and it was not easy to get in .........and also he screamt like ,somebody poked the knife in his ass ....he told me it was hurt like hell ....but it was ok because of love
oh........
thanks again
Cec
Posted by: Cec at January 3, 2006 01:40 PM