This is a personal blog. All opinions expressed are my own personal opinions, not those of my employer.
On Brokeback
Thu, 06/04/2006 - 08:58 — zhasper
I know I'm late, but there's just one thing about Brokeback Mountain that I haven't seen anyone else say, which I think is fairly important.
I don't thank Jack and Ennis were gay. Well, Jack maybe, but certainly not Ennis.
True, he had sex with another man regularly. True, he fell in love with another man. Is that enough to make you gay?
Bookmark/Search this post with:
Trackback URL for this post:
http://zhasper.com/trackback/207
Comments
What is gay?
I don't think there was enough information to make an assessment one way or the other. The word "gay" has implications not just of sexuality but of culture and socioeconomic status. That is why I prefer the word "queer" as being more inclusive. Many of the men in the western suburbs who have sex with men would not consider themselves gay. They are not much different to the characters in BM.
It is a question that I struggled with. The distinction doesn't bother me too much. I don't consider myself bisexual and never have. Nor do many gay men who have had sexual relationships with women. Some gay men find it impossible to have a sexual relationship with a woman. Many don't.
So am I gay? On what basis would you decide that I am or I'm not?
I'm not sure what the basis
I'm not sure what the basis for being gay or not is: I'm just sure that Ennis isn't (although Jack probably is).
I think that, as far as I'm concerned, a major discriminant is whether or not the individual identifies as gay; another would be being sexually attracted to men.
Ennis wasn't attracted to men - he just happened to fall in love with one. Ennis didn't consider himself gay.
I'm unclear about Jack; he's depicted (in both story and movie) as having slept with other men at least once, but it's not clear whether that's because he's attracted to men in general, or whether the mexican boy was just an Ennis-substitute.
I consider you gay, mostly because that's how you seem to think of yourself.
--
There is nothing as despicable as a man who quotes himself. -- Zhasper, 2005
Times have changed
I was very aware of the ambiguity when I read the story and saw the movie. The story resonates very much with my own experience. I am sensitive to the possible meanings hidden beneath what we see.
That Jack is gay, I have no doubt. I doubt that the Mexican boy was simply an Ennis substitute. You may be right, but equally you may be very wrong about Ennis. I know how some people, such as myself, can suppress their inner selves more effectively than others.
It is very interesting to read the biographies of people like John Marsden or Edmund White, who are as old as my eldest brother. The situation in which they and I grew up is fairly similar and very different to what you have experienced. You are seeing the story through the eyes of a young gay man. I am seeing it through the eyes of a man nine years younger than the characters in the story.
We all respond differently to the pressures that existed. I found it extraordinary that there are men who have been married and divorced twice before they came out. We are all different.
So just because Ennis doesn't reveal very much, doesn't mean that there is not a lot happening below the surface. We can only guess at what that may be. It is taking me time to work out exactly what it is beneath my surface.
You are seeing the story
You are seeing the story through the eyes of a young gay man. I am seeing it through the eyes of a man nine years younger than the characters in the story.
That's exactly why I value your viewpoint and contribution - it's so different from my own :)
I tend to agree zhas - I
I tend to agree zhas - I don't think Ennis was gay, just in love with Jack.
Who knows - maybe Tom was genuinely in love with Nicole too?
Think it's a fairly safe bet to label Jack a big fan of dropping anchor in Poo Bay, however.
Oh - that was me, btw.
Oh - that was me, btw.
Post new comment