'Brokeback' explores 'last frontier'

[kweerwolf]

There's no doubt that a $13 million quality movie like Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain," which has wowed festivalgoers and reviewers in Telluride, Venice and Toronto, will play well in big movie markets around the country. The question is, how broad will it go?

No one knows that answer, because no one has ventured into this territory before. The movie is a groundbreaker. There's never been a homosexual cowboy movie, and while the indies have been supplying gay romances to the art house circuit for years, and gay series like "Queer as Folk" and "Will & Grace" have been pulling big numbers on TV, there hasn't been a mainstream gay love story since 1982's "Making Love," which bombed and was blamed by many for damaging Harry Hamlin's career. "It's the one last frontier," says Lee.

<snip>

It's been 12 years since Jonathan Demme's "Philadelphia," which starred Denzel Washington as a homophobic lawyer defending AIDS patient Tom Hanks, who won the Oscar; the movie grossed $77 million in North America. But "Philadelphia" was less a romance (the gay couple didn't kiss) than a courtroom drama about fighting for justice. Last year's "Alexander" was an epic adventure with a gay subplot, but Oliver Stone's movie didn't disappoint at the box office just because of its candid depiction of a bisexual conqueror. It was a badly reviewed muddle of a movie.

In an industry that happily explores the outer limits of gore and violence, movies that smack of realistic intimacy are taboo - especially between men. Gallup polls have shown Americans as growing increasingly tolerant of homosexuals, but movie audiences have never been confronted with a gay western. Conservative blogger Matt Drudge has already weighed in on "Brokeback Mountain," asking, "Will a movie even Madonna calls shocking sit with the heartland?"

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/movies/articles/1117brokeback1117.html

Kind of says a lot about our culture when most people are more comfortable seeing men holding guns than holding hands or men killing each other, but not loving each other.

[bigmonkey]

1. Isn't the review wrong about the "unprecedented" step?

Wasn't Peter Fonda's "The Hired Hand" about the protagonist's romantic attachment to his friend and his equal attachment to his family?

I haven't seen it, but I could swear I recall the controversy.

[David__77]

2. Matt Drudge is a big fat queen!

I'm gay... I'm allowed to say it!

[davidinalameda]

3. does anyone really care what Madonna or Drudge have to say

Madonna's movies are shockingly bad

Drudge is shockingly stupid

this movie is going to make money; it's going to win awards; will it change people's attitudes-doubtful but we can always hope

[kevinbgoode]

4. I want to see this so badly. . .

but I'm afraid this will generate every cowboy fantasy I've ever had. . .and I've spent too many years waiting for a white horse to ride up to my door...hehehe.

[swimmernsecretsea]

5. Ang Lee has been one of the most interesting filmmakers in recent memory

His work is varied, different, and his handling of subject appropriate to the material. The only misfire was his version of "The Hulk" with Eric Bana, but even that was a very original take on the graphic storytelling vision. A couple of his movies, "Sense and Sensibility" and "The Ice Storm" are counted among my favorites for their attention to detail of the time frame depicted in the film, and the humanity of the storytelling. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is simply one of the most beautifully rendered films I've ever seen, but with a spiritual center that is rare in movies of this subject. The emotional depth that he is able to attain from the actors is only matched by the incredible imagery he is able to create.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing this one. The previews look great, but I'm staying away from watching them so I can fully enjoy the experience.

[dsc]

6. If you haven't seen the Wedding Banquet

it is a must see. The Ice Storm is also magnificent.

[swimmernsecretsea]

9. What amazes me about "The Ice Storm"

is his eye for detail of the '70's. The story also has unexpected touches of humor, and follows a very unconventional form. Quite good.

"The Wedding Banquet" is also a favorite of mine. I saw it at the City College of San Francisco in a class called Gay and Lesbian film.

[kevinbgoode]

7. Excuse me...but what about "Making Love"

Wasn't that like..1982 or so...Kate Jackson, Michael Ontkean, Harry Hamlin - it played most theaters and I thought there was a kiss between Hamlin and Onkean...

[Rowdyboy]

12. I took my only ever blind date to "Making Love".....

It blew me away. He, on the other hand, was even less impressed with me than I was with him.

[BR_Parkway]

8. Hell, I broke that frontier more years ago than I care to admit to.

[dickthegrouch]

10. I'd count American Beauty as a main-stream movie

Which had a major gay theme in it (and included same-sex kissing).

I admit I shunned it in the local movie-plex because its advertising turned me off. When I happened upon it on cable I ended up staying up for several more hours than I had intended to watch the beginning in the re-run and liked it so much that I watched the second half twice.

My Beautiful Launderette "suckered" a lot of non-gay people in to see it in England. I enjoyed being one of the only two people laughing at some of the jokes in that one.

But I will agree that there haven't been many.

[kweerwolf]

11. "Maurice" was a decent gay-themed movie

but being a Merchant-Ivory production it was mostly limited to the art house circuit. Same with "Prick Up Your Ears" about Joe Orton and his lover (probably the first mainstream movie to feature tea-room trysts).

Gay-themed comedies have done well at the box office (Birdcage, In and Out, To Wong Foo, etc.) but they've not been really popular with LGBT audiences because they cast gay characters as modern minstrel show participants.