I love the movie! I love the movie! I love the movie!
I bet it is the Oriental man in Ang Lee that added those subtle touches to make the movie so heartbreaking, so forbidden yet passionate and in the end, I feel for the two cowboys. As usual, forbidden love always attract. What more when they are between two married men? It was done beautifully, with no ahkua-ness (LOL) but brutal love. The kind where you can’t get your hands off yet you are forced to.
Sigh….I think I can watch it again and again. Though I am a Christian, and a especially a Catholic Christian, I don’t find anything repulsive to it as opposed to what I had read from some quarters. Well, if we look at the movie as a whole, the two macho, handsome guys did not exactly enjoy their situation. They know the risks. They get taunted and also rejected by Gary, the guy who hired them in the first place to take care of his sheeps (and I mean the wooly type). They are always in fear and wonder if people know about it.
One of them, Ennis was shown how a gay cowboy from his small town had his dick pulled off. He was 9 years old when his dad showed him the dead body. When he heard about John’s death, he had the same flashback. From the movie, we know that both of them, especially Ennis stayed away from going to church when his wife and children urged him.
I see two tormented men who loved each other to death. I don’t see the movie glorifying same sex relationship but rather showed us how difficult and painful it is. The movie was set around the 70s.
Once, out of curiousity, I did asked someone elder and more knowledgeable from my church about our stands on homosexuality. Didn’t we preach about love for one another? Belle told me that loving someone of the same sex is fine BUT without going into sexual relationship. I pondered over this for a long time and still wonder if I can love someone really, really deep and yet force myself to stay off the sex part. Well, I don’t need to know, I guess. LOL.
However, look at it this way. Both John and Ennis are still in the wrong because it involves betrayal of their respective spouses. So, there is nothing beautiful about that part. And say, a person is afflicted with some illness that is crippling. There are two things the person can do. One is to give in to the affliction and suffers and screams and live a whole miserable life. The other option is to try to control it, hang on to some faith and fight it. Isn’t the second option better?
The views are beautiful. Any angmoh from Wyoming wanna take me there? Kahkahkah.
My recommendation : Brokeback Mountain is more a ‘ladies’ movie’. It is rather slow with all the minor touches that probably only women will notice. The one I had is not censored where their first union was shown, naked bods, boobs and all. Oh ya, I also learnt that in a gay relationship, there is domineering party and a less domineering party. But they plug each other, just the same. LOL.
My final stand as a Christian : Though Jesus preached about loving one another, we as Christians still should live the Word. That includes taking in what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah. That includes the Word from God that sperms are spilt to procreate. And yes, yes, before anyone flaming me, we are humans, we succumb to tempations easily. But as Christians, we know that our forgiving God will accept us if we know our faults and ask for His forgiveness. And yes, yes, not every one is a Christian and if you opinions differ from mine, well, so be it.
I shall leave the comment on but any comments that I do not agree with, I will just delete them, ok? Whoever thinks they can come and condem me for not being a very “Christian-y” Christian or condem me for not embracing homosexuality, can just go elsewhere and blow your load.
This post is to share about Brokeback Mountain, the movie that will definitely never get on the cinemas in Malaysia. But nevertheless, matured adults should watch it for the tormenting, forbidden, passionate love. And the beautiful sceneries. Plus the make-up that turned two handsome hunks into two ageing cowboys who pine for each other and only get together a few times a year. You ought to see how a jealous man act. Or how a hunky cowboy pouts without all the ahkua-ness.
Oh ya, I also admire the way Alma, Ennis’s wife hang on to her marriage despite knowing that her husband had a tryst annually with his gay boyfriend. The manner how Alma handle the shock when she saw her husband kissing passionately with John (after a four year absence) was admirable. They brought up two lovely girls and spilt after the sex part was over between Alma and Ennis. Ennis, as a harrassed dad also proved that he is a good guy fighting with an inner demon.
Oh, shaddap Lilian, if you blabber more, you will bring on the spoiler too.
So, who has watched Brokeback Mountain. coughcoughunclehodvdveryclearworcoughcough
Huh? Ladies movie? Not really…it’s a movie for anyone that can appreciate the subtleties of a plot. I loved the movie. Watched it when I heard about it a few months back. I got my hands on the short story and everything. It’s a great plot and all.
The other day the DVD guy was pushing me to buy this movie. (straight one… but u wouldn’t know nowadays..) I of course did not because I’m afraid it’s gonna turn out to be a boring and ‘politically correct’ movie. But, after reading your raving reviews, I think I’m gonna buy it!! lol
I used to be indignant about Christians imposing their views about homosexuality in the past. I thought, what is so wrong to fall in love with someone who happened to be the same sex?? Why so yeh-mann wanting to seperate two person who is in love?? It is their right, what??
After embracing the faith, and (occasional) bible reading, only did I understand why. The simple truth is, like you said, you can love anyone…. but the love must be pure.
Now I understand why ppl do not have the right to love(and marry) anyone they love. Are their rights being denied then?? NO. Nobody’s rights are being violated because, eveyone too has to live with the fact ‘we cannot love or marry anyone we wish’. You and me cannot fall in love and marry our father, uncles, cousins (father side)siblings and someone who is already married. If I cannot marry my own brother, does that mean my rights are violated?? (even though we both love each other?)
The bottom line is, we simply cannot do what we want . Everyone has to play by the rule.. .. homosexual or otherwise!
Hey.. Lilian,
Haven’t seen it.. but i heard it was a pretty good movie from Sarah who works for us.
Will i see it.. ?? definitely..! being an owner by association to a video store.. gotta watch lar.. hahah!!
Its really a nice movie and worth the time spend watching, but I only watched half way as I never got to download the remainder..my streamyx sux big time…sigh.
tell me bout it.. my boys (bunch of gay friends) CRYING LIKE GIRLS….. and i was the only female there and not crying.. duh*
Shireen – My manly hubby bailed out after like 20 minutes to play some PC games. Can cry ah? I langsung dun feel it but can feel the frustrations of the matter la. I also asked myself what I would do if I am in Alma’s place when she saw the kissing reunion.
dylan – I watched midway and Google for spoiler. Hahaha, it makes me understand the movie better that way.
MamaBoK – A nice love story, full of powerful scenes.
Helen – Sunday extra preachy huh? Kehkehkeh. If I am in their shoes, I would stick together from the beginning. You know, when John drove off after their
job together and left Ennis sobbing in a corner. I was hoping John would have turned back, reunited and live happily ever after. LOL, then there will be no movie, no moral liao. Cis, what kind of movie producer am I like that.
Ed – You are sensititive to those nuances but most men will go, ‘huh, wassup, wassup, yawwwnnn’. I think I want to get the book, if any.
If God approved of homosexuality, He would have created Adam & Adam.
-Ayah Pin chapter 6:9, Sky Kingdom
kakakaka!!! oi lilian you watch sommo la!!! later your atm bring back a guy and intro to you as his “bf” then u fulat liow !!!!
I derno homosexual is wrong anot … i m not in a position to discuss that but one thing which i m sure of, homo is not normal! š
I fapped to both Williams and Hattaway’s scenes. š
I want to watch the movie – it sounds really good from your review. Now, I must go hunt for the DVD man.
Cocka,
.. correction…
If God approved of homosexuality, He would have created Adam & StEVE….????
WFH – LOL, Adam and StEVE!
boo – It is surprisingly enticing, i.e. if you don’t mind watching men kissing passionately and ‘doing’ it. There is nothing p0rnish la, done tastefully.
frapper – Glad you enjoy the show.
wingz – I tell you hor, you and sifu better dun watch or else you two sure come and kill me for recommending. You all tai nam yan sure bueh tahan kissing men, sobbing and touching like that. Got one scene hor…one guy stand there manja and the other came and hold him from behind and said something so lomantik. LOL. Ok, ok, for Wingz and Sifu, please don’t watch. My atm oso halfway go elsewhere, beh tahan the geli-ness of it. And then hor, I no sked my atm got bf ‘cos if want, he early-early do it liao, no need to wait till 5xdad. LOL.
Cocka – Gimme, gimme, AP mya holey book.
yea, i heard of it, in fact, my gay friend in England told me it was so touching and good….
he recommended me to watch worr
haha, my sis wanted to send to me but my dad banned her from it. Maybe it is just a grown-up guy things – they cant stand it. I just wonder, what if it is a les movie?
Come to think of it, true love in any kind of relationship esp frenship is not easily to attain. We are bound to alot of “rules” that are set by the society. Frenship, great frenship is btw 2souls which alot ppl overlook it. Any 2humans (2 guys, 2 gals, guy n gal) , their relationship are subjected to the the eyes of ppl …n without 2nd thought, they just concluded it got to do with sex n sex is bad.
eh! first u write about 2 gay guys, then u write about real heterosexual rough men! what is this lah!
It’s a really good movie. One can almost feel their pain just because they cannot ever go public with their love for one another. I like what you said about theirs being a brutal love. I’d recommend the movie anytime!
Definitly not my type of movie….n duh, wingz just commented my comment.
there’s the black area and there’s the grey area and there’s the white area. please be sure you know which is which.
movies are propaganda tools for producers / directors.
while it’s ok to ‘feel’ their pain, it’s another to condone their act.
Chief – Oh for sure, it is not ok at all.
Prometeuz – Yaya, not many people can endure the scenes. But if taken with an open mind, on the positive side of looking at things, the message is clear that the choice is a hard road with bad ending.
Bkworm – Do you remember when both of the young cowboys before they hit on each other asked “Do you know what is Pentecost?”
wuching – Pssst…you know where I stand lor….
jc – In this movie, they are given the choice – be happy family man or be tormented closet gays. They succumb to their weaknesses. I don’t think any man older than 45 yrs old can watch this movie.
SCB – It really is, i.e. if we just watch it from the so chiqik forbidden side.
read it somewhere before that if GOD approved of gay and lesbian relationship, HE wouldn’t create Eve, instead HE would have make a better version of man named David or John to help Adam !!!
IMHO, Ang Lee is smart. It is a love marriage affair story, or even a inter-racial love story, if you put the time line to US 40’s. But if you do that, no matter how good your directing skill are, your movie will kaput, and no producer will give you money in the 1st place.
But in Malaysia, what happens when guy goes alone and watch the movie… hmmmmm. I want to watch the expression of the ticket seller.
Malaysia banned it, just like how they banned a harmless cartoon.
Auntie, u rock !
That’s the first time I’ve heard it called a “Ladies Movie”! =)
I came across this article on christian bible and homosexuality which is not bad. May be it will help.
Damn. I’ve just finished watching it.
A lil traumatised. But eye opener nonetheless. Interesting, definitely. That accent is alil too thick for me to understand (subtitle helped little).
I’m not a good reviewer, nor am I a critic. I don’t know if the movie was good, but really – films like this are a rarity. Just like Sepet – when it’s rare (bold or special enough), it becomes an acclaimed movie.
I watched it out of curiosity. This is where Uncle Ho thrives.
I haven’t seen it yet but will rent it when it comes out on DVD. I am a Christian and don’t care if someone is gay. It does say in the Bible that homosexuality is a sin but I sin everyday with jealousy, lust, just the normal human emotions so I am not one to pass judgement on another sinner.
Great post!
Your little review for Brokeback Mountain is awesome, but some of the people who reviewed have terrible logic. I think some of the comments people have left are terrible. I happen to be gay and I know that judging whether homosexuality is right or wrong is in the hands of God, not us humans, and you’re aren’t God so quit judging.
Just to comment……I’m sick of people saying God created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve, this is ridiculous. If you look at this objectively and with an open mind then this will make sense to you, so…. Okay, God made Adam and took a rib from Adam to make Eve, If this is true then God technically ‘cloned’ Adam, and Eve would have been a copy of Adam. So the first two humans really were Adam and Steve.
I hear Brokeback Mountain is awesome!!!
me again…. yeah, I better explain a couple things about homosexuality and this movie. The movie isn’t a simple propagandist film. This movie deals with relationships and different tragic situations, if it just happens to change peoples minds then that’s a coincidence. About the gay part of it and why they ‘betrayed’ their families, most people won’t understand the pain gay people feel by being judged negatively for living and breathing, and we ARE born this way. Nobody would need to betray anybody if they weren’t scrutinized as they are. The blame can’t be lifted off their shoulders completely, but fair blame belongs to society as a whole. This movie depicts the struggle that we all go through (gay and straight) to find love. I’m going to buy this movie as soon as it’s out on DVD.
I recently heard a recovered homosexual explain it. He said a homosexual person is seeking a legitimate need illigitimately. Like a bonding that should have taken place in ones youth that didn’t. They are seeking it through these relationships. The psychologicaly community listed this as a disorder until very recently. The Catholic Church, of which I am a member, still regards it as a disorder. Being born again, through the waters of Baptism and by following the path which Christ has forged will lead any person in question to a faith filled safe healthy life. God gives us laws for our own good. Sin enslaves. The ex-homosexual also pointed out that these relationships were usually always (I think he claimed ALWAYS) open on one side. Meaning they were not faithful in nature. Sad existance. Society is doing these people no favors by condoning such behavior. We’ve seen it causes disease and even kills through plague. Another man familiar with the life said encouraging these people to carry on this way was the same as offering an alcoholic another drink. Please pray for truth in the world. So many lies and deceptions (from you know who…) people are falling for this (quite literally sometimes) right and left.
Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever.
Food for thought: Why is everyone so fired up about this brokeback mountain movie? It really hasn’t done all that well in the theaters anyways. The numbers I’ve seen say its only made about 76 million. The powers that be say that a movie needs to make 100 million to be a blockbuster so why was it even nominated? In fact, all the movies nominated for best picture made even less than BBM. And most people I’ve talked to say have not and will not see it.
This is a clear cut case of the liberal agenda trying to force their homosexual opinion on us. And I for one am sick of it. Homosexuality goes against nature and God. You ever see two bucks doin it in the woods? And Leviticus 18:22 says Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. I mean really, how much more proof do you need?
One more thing. The Chronicles of Narnia made over 300 million and wasn’t nominated for best picture. HMMMMMMM, makes you think don’t it?
Reading some of the above comments makes me feel sad. With the references to plague, disease, and the condemnation of other human beings.
We’ve seen and heard all this befoe during the black death in the middle ages when people wrre blamed for it and murdered by “christians. Wirch burning – ladies – you will find yourselves slaves again if you support his evil perversion of the word of god.
The bible is a book written by people, people get things wrong and they have hidden agendas.
Read the ten commendments again and notice how many “sins” the judgers and haters are commiting.
What is with religion that someone always has to be hated and condemned?
Thou shalt not sit in judegement – sorry to take the scales off your eyes ladies and gentlemen, but you’re not god, and to place yourself in that position is a form of ego-mania. You could be doing kind things and putting love into the world instead.
Christianity is supposed to be based on the messages of Jesus. Jesus had his views, and he never raised a hand to hurt others. He helped them to find their own way to the truth and who they really were. Can you honestly tell me that if he were to read what some of you have written that he would condone it?
Stp putting a mask on the face of god to conceal your own fear and desire to place yourselves above others.
When I was a little boy, I learned that Jesus was about love. That is who he will always be to me, my faith is that strong. When I pray to god I don’t have in mind that I am soimehow better than other people.
True christians – like Mother Theresa, don’t want anything except to serve god and theire fellow man and woman. They have faith and they know it is not for them to play god. Wake up. You’re living in a false illusion that somehow you have the right to call for the death of others in subtle and horrible ways.
The world needs your help ladies and gentlemen, so get out of your self indulgence and get out there and work with those who need you.
You’ll find many gay people doing just that, along with many straight people.
I hope all of you are filled with love one day just as I have been. Every day I try to do my best and I often get it wrong and do things that are aginst my beliefs. I get up the next day, forgive myself and try again.
Good luck to you all ny friends.
In response to Paul
Paul, you can not forgive yourself. Forgiveness comes from God alone. And you claiming to forgive yourself only tells me that you’re confused about God. If God condones homosexuality then why did He destroy Sodom and Gamorra. I direct your attention to Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Jesus Christ is the prince of peace and He forgives those that ask for forgivness but you must ask in truth. Bottom line, homomsexuality is a sin and ALL those that practice it and do not repent will burn in Hell forever. Hey, I didn’t make the rules, God did and like it or not He has the last word, it’s called judgment day. I don’t claim to be perfect by any means. I’m a sinner just like the rest of you but I know what sin is. You can sugar coat it any way you want. You can say thier born that way or they just cant help it. The bottom line is that one day we will all stand before God to answer for what we did down here. And if you practiced a homosexual life style you’re going to hell. PERIOD!!!!
Hi Don
Thanks for the reply. I can’t envisage this image of god as sending people to burn in hell. For me that’s what human beings do to each other. I’m honestly not trying sugar coat anything Don, just find out if any other christians see god as a loving person rather than someone to fear and bow down before.
That, I believe is what religious fundamentalists of all persuaisons want us to do. But what they really mean is they want us to bow down before them.
Each man and woman has the absolute right to have their own relationship with god.
I find it odd that you desfribe Jesus as the prince of peace and then use words and pahrases like abomination, burn in hell forever. It doesn’t fit with the prince of peace somehow.
I don’t know what rules god made, I wasn’t there.
I would emphasise again that the bible is a collection of stroies, visions, beleifs etc. written not by god but by men. Men with their own agendas, hunger for power, fears and hopes.
When people stand before god it is what is in their hearts that will matter. Not who they loved.
The chronicles of Narnia are a good message on this. The Last Battle (book 7) puts the point across very simply.
Good luck to you Don.
Well, after all the interminable barrage of publicity, much “hooplah,” and all the “much ado about nothing” hailing of Brokeback Mountain as the best movie ever made (move over Citizen Kane and Casablanca!), and the most likely candidate to have won all the Academy Awards this year, Brokeback Mountain did not only turn out to be a flop at the box office, but barely walked away with just a single “Statuette,” and that one, at that, for “Best Director” to acknowledge the herculean effort on the part of Ang Lee for not only directing, but basically re-writing, producing, marketing, and trying so darn hard to shove this “enema” of a film, down America’s collective throat (…err, I mean, anus) !
To think that when most of us were growing up, boys watched “John Wayne Westerns” at the movies and “Gunsmoke” on TV, and what most of us wanted for Christmas was a shiny “Roy Rogers chrome-plated Six-shooter gun,” and a “Worked leather holster.”
Makes one feel sorry for today’s kids with
“Brokeback Mountain” at the movies and “Will & Grace” on TV! What are they supposed to wish for the “Winter Solstice Holiday” (remember that Christmas has been banned as “Politically Incorrect”)??? A “chrome-plated six incher dildo,” and leather “tights”?!?!
And aside from Willie Nelson’s assertions in his new hit song telling us how “Cowboys are secretely fond of each other” (he must have smoked a Cuban Cigar sized “joint” to come up with that one!), what I personally have noticed is how after this “Brokeass Mountain” fracas, it seems rather that Cowboys are secretely ashamed to wear their ten-gallon hats anymore… unless, of course, they happen to be “Bay Area Cowboys.”
Such a shame that Lee Van Clef is no longer with us, if not Clint Eastwood, could have directed (in his inimitable style), and starred, in a remake of one of his “Western Classics,” where, all dove-eyed, he and Lee could have played a torrid love scene. They could have called it “The Good, the Bad, and Le Cage Aux Follies” !!!
Somehow it seems the “Western” will never be the same! There goes another “American value” out the window, along with a bit more of our “National Identity” !
Althor