The Idea of brokeback

I have to tell you that it took me seven years before I finally got the chance to watch that much downgraded gay cowboy movie "Brokeback Mountain". It is a story about two cowboys in love with each other but had to hide away from the judgmentally sociohomophobic tendencies of the people around them circa 1960 to 1980s. A love they found true but could hardly relish and grow to its fondest as such genre of intimacy and connection between two people of the same sex has always been a taboo and punished with death. A love which not only affected these two men but also the likes of their wives and children. Brokeback is not a story about gayness. It is a story about restrictions, suppression, tragedy, deceit, and pride.

The movie was very simple at its superficial level. It is just about being gay. But underneath this simplicity lies the complexity of life, of loving, and of regrets. It hits the moviegoers to their core. The enigmatic ridicule of the society contrasts the beautiful scenery of Brokeback Mountain. The lines delivered by the actors were so thrusting that you could actually feel it right in the midst of one's being. It was flawlessly acted that you would even think you were part of the movie, privy to the details of the lives of these people -- Ennis, Jack, Alma, Laureen, not to mention Joe Aguirre.

This is a story that constitutes a lot of symbolism and analogy. The essence bringing about a perpetuating realization upon the society that, as introduced in a sexless relationship, some morales, some themes, some values that the people have need re-looking into; that such needs to be revisited to enable one to ponder as to its veracity and applicability as to its being just and fair to everyone with anyone. Albeit, denial reigns against the clarity of truth given its nature and of need.

Weeks have passed after I watched this moving film when I got the chance to visit a friend. As I have always been an avid moviegoer, seeing a pile of DVDs would always catapult me into browsing the titles and seeing what could be worth watching. Looking through and pointing my finger starting from the top of the pile going downwards, it struck me seeing the special edition of "Brokeback Mountain". It gave me some sort of wonderment and disbelief that such people have this kind of film in their house. I thought, the heck, give them the benefit of the doubt. I was trying to be positive.

As I was done copying the titles to help me get through my plan of purchasing the titles I liked from Amazon, I went back to the table where we had Italian Spaghetti and black Cuban brewed coffee. Joining three others at the table, I started to have a clear grasp about what they were talking about -- questioning purportedly romantic relationships of one of them. As I heard the word "not acceptable to date because she is engaged", I interjected my thoughts with a bases from Brokeback Mountain. I thought, I said, "you are kinda brokeback mountain -- like Ennis, not like Jack." She responded "her reluctance can't be related to brokeback because it was a gay movie and it's immoral, not allowed." I smiled and decided to just say a line to her: "You watched brokeback at its superficial level. You never understood what it actually meant." She did not even understand what I was talking about.

This is exactly what Ang Lee had feared the most as his directed movie was downgraded as a mere gay cowboy movie. Many assumed to have watched it, indeed, but only a few understood what it meant. Until then.... I swear....