brokeback

This post is about Brokeback Mountain. The main characters are men, and they experience a passion and connection that many of us have longed for in one way or another. If the idea of homosexual love bothers you, you could skip this entry and stay in your comfort zone. Or come along for the ride.

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as usual, late to the party. finally got to see it last night in an almost-empty theater, flying solo. perfect.

i’ve tried to write about it three four five times already.

i don’t think i can do it justice.

i’m not the only one who was devastated.

i’m not the only one who was overwhelmed.

i could go on about the performances, the script, the cinematography, the score, the… well, about everything that went into the crafting of the film. which was about flawless, in my humble estimation. (aesthetic makeup issues are the only things i can nitpick. not even worth detailing here.)

i could say that it should have won the oscar for best film. (which is ridiculous because i haven’t seen the other nominees.)

i could babble about the scenes that really got me, like i did for a half an hour last night on the phone to coz, who’s the only person i know who has seen it. those scenes haven’t faded one bit since last night. moments of shattering intimacy, emotional violence, subtle relationships. sometimes all at once.

it’s an unbelievable shame. people are going to miss this movie because of their attitudes about homosexuality. two men in love? ick. eeew. just not right. and of course the nervously prurient, do they show anything? that’s a lot of the reaction i’ve been hearing.

i’ve been wrenched back and forth today between moral issues, sexual triggers, social taboos, political irony and artistic craftsmanship. it’s such an interrelated mess that i can’t even begin to sort through it today. so i’ll probably let it be for a while until i see coz again and we can hash it out over a second viewing and a bottle of wine.

i came away with these ideas.

that repressed sheepherders are unbearably hot.

that a well-made film can evoke an audience's empathy for all the characters - or almost all.

that sometimes you don't need to spoon-feed your audience. sometimes you can just lay it out there and let them absorb what they need.

that love in itself is just a damned hard thing to sustain. passion is only a part of it, and often that can wreak its own havoc. no matter what the sexual orientation.

that none of us know how much time we’ll have with the people we love. every moment is precious.

that love unrealized and unfulfilled is the most tragic love of all.

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oh my, but the schmaltz is entirely too thick. i'm outta here folks.