so i went to see Brokeback Mountain, directed by Ang Lee.... twice. Beautifully done! Not since "Hotel Rwanda" can I think of a movie has stuck with me in the way that this one has, lingering in my thoughts this new year. Brokeback dredged up some pretty profound thinking about love: unrequited, at first sight, to do or not to do, how to do.... and timing. As I am certified "sprung" these days, it made me think about how much we take for granted certain freedoms to express love the way we choose. Born in a different country or at a different time with the same emotional orientations, I may have died or been killed for being one who dared to dream of a life companionship, and found stubborn courage to make it so.
Clearly, this story about two "straight" cowboys who fall in love with each other during a summer sheep-keeping job is a testimony of a society that could not tolerate romantic love between men. Indeed one of the men could not even imagine such a possibility. But I was more interested in the dreamer-- the one who imagined the possibility in the the face of its relative impossibility. There was something extremely moving and divine about that. And in 2005, while light years ahead of the '60's and '70's in rural Wyoming, it's not uncommon for men to find it no less challenging (impossible even) to imagine the possibility of romantic love with another man. Considering the relative cultural shifts, one wonders if some are just endowed with courage to "go for" their happiness against all odds, versus those whose fates run parallel with whatever is deemed socially normative.
So yes... i'm a dreamer. I plotted my way out of rural Arkansas to open up the possibility for loving the way God made me to love. I still fight to maintain faith in that possibility. Certainly, things are easier today... but there are challenges still. While I know my family loves me, I'm not certain that they would honor my legacy in ways that truly respect my contributions to society. I would hope they would honor whomever I chose to love as if they were my wife, but I'm still learning to gain confidence in that. My relationship and openness with my father has helped tremendously.
That Ennis character allowed his fear to consume him. Many will say that he had no other option... but there are always options, even if it's a bad choice between the rock and the hard place. There is vast evidence that people in places similar to the context of the film took the risk to follow their dreams or heart's content. Indeed, some must have died for that love. And so I love in the way I do today as a way of honoring them, honoring myself, and yes...honoring God. Kudos to Jack (Nasty) Twist and his real-life parallels, for paving a way for my own brilliant possibilities.
Brokeback Mountain, beyond being among the most beautifully tragic love stories I've seen, made me generally more appreciative for having the courage to follow my convictions. I'm grateful for a soceity that while, not resolved in its affirmation of the ways some of us choose to love, at least struggles with the issue. I try to imagine if the circumstances were different, if I would find the courage to imagine, the resolve to be steadfast, the faith to believe that love conquers all. I hope to be a light whose courage shines hope on many who need only to see people striving for the life they feel they deserve. Our constitutional principles of "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are things we have to fight to secure and maintain. They have never and will never simply be given to any of us.
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4 comments:
I was wondering when you would see this.
Hands down, this has got to be one of the best films of the year...
I think i saw a lot of the same things you did in the movie..but for me, i think i came away with idea of unrequited love or, being able to be okay with the possibility of being alone.
I saw the film with the friend of mine and of course the movie was uncomfortable for me since I am in a weird situation with someone I love and care for (PHD friend you know the story)...
But, i do know that I'm a lot closer to being okay with being single. There are times when I do get frustrated about it, but I am happy that I have had folk in the past who had and DO love me...so it can't all be that bad, can it?
oh yea...post up about your responses to the film at brokebackmountain.com there should be somewhere at the site where you can post up your personal story about your reaction to the film, etc.
Hi,
I see you have an interesting blog. I am writing this comment because there are some visitors redirected to my blog by yours. Thanks anyway.
First, I enjoyed reading your reaction to 'Brokeback Mountain.' I think it is another step in the right direction whereby life may imitate art and allow some 'men' to begin true self-introspection followed by genuine action and commitment. Our culture around sexuality is evolving. Having been around for 50+ years, I have seen a few of the changes, and I have faith that ultimately, we (as a society) will get it right.
The second point is relative to your comment that "I plotted my way out of rural Arkansas." This reminds me of a segment of CBS 60 Minutes some years back where a young black male in Mississippi said that "when [I] grow up, I am going to leave Mississippi if I have to fight my way out!" It is sad that our race, our religious beliefs, our sexuality, our political force us to physically relocate in order to achieve the most basic satisfactions of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." As I have noted elsewhere, Brokeback Mountain debuted in my city last weekend, but still only in the theatres that ordinarily show independent films and not the mainstream movie theaters. This inspite of the nationally televised commercial on the major networks. I guess they are just 'scurred.' Shem hotep!
i came over to your blog to read the poem "for him", but i let everyone's poetic response intimidate me from leaving a comment.
anywho, i saw brokeback mountain about a week ago and enjoyed it...one of my favorite parts about the movie was the lack of dialogue, it gave me time to observe the emotions the character's were feeling.
it seems like many movies give you so much to contend with on the screen that you go into sensory overload.
and i can't believe that no one has mentioned it already, but that first sex scene in the tent was smokin' (tell me i'm not the only one aroused by it).
oh yea, i am a relocator too...i don't think i would have had the courage to date women had i not moved clear across the u.s. to the east coast where i didn't have the pressure of my family being a part of that journey...i felt that i had to do it by myself without judgement. i probably would have stayed in the hetero box and banged my head against the wall playing the "what if?" game
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