Brokeback Mountain

[Rod Hagen]

I saw this film tonight. I won't say much more than it does NOT disappoint on any level. December 9 it hits the coasts (NYC, LA, SF) and I think the producer, charming funny guy who did Q/A afterward, said it goes slightly wider 12/16, and then country-wide 1/8.

 

It's devastating, gorgeous, and entirely faithful to the story. What about the love and sex? As I said....

[Rod Hagen]

Actually, I will say one more thing. If I had to choose right now between Heath Ledger and Philip Seymore Hoffman for best actor 2005, I don't think I could.

 

http://www.RodHagen.com

310.360.9890

Fun, Fit, Friendly Fucker in West Hollywood.

-Rod Hagen

[bigguyinpasadena]

Rod-I have not seen Brokeback Mountain yet,but I don't think Phillip Seymore Hoffman really has a shot at an oscar this year.

Not that his performance was not outstanding in Capote-it was,but I just could not find a trace of empathy or sympatico in my heart for his(probably very spot on)portrayal of Truman Capote.If he was as vile a human being as portrayed in the film then he must have been despised by his friends.

PSH did an incredible film a couple of years ago-Finding Muhlroney(or something like that)that went way under the radar in the US.He really captured the deviousness of adiction in that film.

[Rod Hagen]

RE: Brokeback Mountain Day 2

 

Barely passed a scrap of sleep last night.

 

Deeply moving film. As stirring as the first time I read it, or At Swim.

[+ Oliver]

Rod -

If it's half as moving as the short story (which I read at your recommendation), I'll have to recover before I can leave the theatre. I can't recall being so wracked emotionally after reading something. ;(

[+ friendofsheila]

I'm looking forward to seeing gay men in an mainstream film shown doing something else besides being deviants, criminals or clowns. I cringed when I saw THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY (I'm glad I borrowed it from the library and didn't pay to see it). I enjoyed those moments in ALEXANDER when the two men looked and spoke to each other lovingly (even if I was a little bored by the rest of the film).

[JT Brooklyn]

The Village Voice Nov 30-Dec 6 Cover..Very Nice.. Article Titled "West of Eden" and photo of the Boys.. The Movie is definitely getting alot of Advertising..:+

[bigpeteratlanta]

Maybe a "lot of advertising" in your area, but I travel extensively

between Atlanta and Miami and have seen nothing about this movie

in any venue about this movie in either city.

[Rod Hagen]

>The Village Voice Nov 30-Dec 6 Cover..Very Nice.. Article

 

The V V review was far from flattering; and that's just fine.

 

I've read all the criticisms thus far, and don't entirely disagree with any of them.

 

Fortunately, there's a spread of distance b/w Wednesday night, when I damn near felt suicidal, and today when I can look at it more objectively. It is flawed, as all movies are, but it is not deeply flawed as one reviewer recently stated. And all my problems with it are just quibbles. Some friends of mine saw a different screening Wednesday night at Arclight and goddess Annie Proulx was there for Q/A afterward! She’s “mightily” pleased with it.

 

I hope A.O. Scott reviews this one; that would help a lot.

 

>Titled "West of Eden" and photo of the Boys.. The Movie is

>definitely getting a lot of Advertising..:+

 

On the West and East Coast, yes. The flyovers, particularly those w/o internet access, are still "in the dark" on this. Once it's nominated, there will be television commercials and that will be truly interesting. Were the TV commercials across the nation for Making Love in 1981? I don't remember.

[+ deej]

>>Titled "West of Eden" and photo of the Boys.. The Movie is

>>definitely getting a lot of Advertising..:+

>

>On the West and East Coast, yes. The flyovers, particularly

>those w/o internet access, are still "in the dark" on this.

>Once it's nominated, there will be television commercials and

>that will be truly interesting. Were the TV commercials

>across the nation for Making Love in 1981? I don't remember.

 

Like everything else, it depends.

 

The NBC "Today Show" ran parts of the screener this morning while announcing Jake G's appearance on the show Monday. That show definitely hits the flyover states. They referred to it as a "cowboy love story".

 

I don't get the feeling it's being sold short. But being in LA I tend to see the advertising aimed at the LA market instead of what's aimed at the flyovers. I'd love to know how it's playing in Peoria!

 

And no, the flyovers knew nothing of "Making Love" when it was running. I heard about it in the Greyhound station from a lady that was SCANDALIZED that "they were kissing".

[JT Brooklyn]

Rod..I meant The Cover "Drawing"..Homos on the Range...Very Nice...

I like the Who is Top and Who is Bottom Pose! LOL :+

[bigjake8]

Just please tell me this isn't going to YET ANOTHER movie about how sad it is for the poor estranged wife sitting at home crying. "We don't need another "Making Love" Part 2, Home on the Range. I would like to see one really well doen romantic movie where being gay is NOT the main plot device. I think we deserve that now.

[Rod Hagen]

It's true to the short story. That situation exists in the short story, and was an unavoidable component, given the time of its setting.

 

Forgive it. In both the film and the short, the real story is the love story.

[Rod Hagen]

>Rod..I meant The Cover "Drawing"..Homos on the Range...Very

>Nice...

>I like the Who is Top and Who is Bottom Pose! LOL :+

 

 

Homos On The Range is funny, but it's getting a bit overdone; hope this was the last of it. I knew you meant the cover, but I can't find an online photo of it and the Village Voice is, understandably, hard to find in L.A. Can you post a link to the photo?

 

http://www.RodHagen.com

310.360.9890

Fun, Fit, Friendly Fucker in West Hollywood.

-Rod Hagen

[JT Brooklyn]

Rod..Sorry No can do. Maybe one of the "PC Literate" is equipped to do that. The Cover is a very well done Color DRAWING, of the 2 Guys, riding on a Horse. Heath has his arms around Jake's waist. Jake has his hand on Heath's Leg, sort of pulling him closer..Like a Bottom would do to a Hot Top! LOL :+

[OneFinger]

I'm sure this isn't the picture you're looking for but I thought it was worth posting. :+

 

http://pds.egloos.com/pds/1/200401/31/92/a0002692_234121.jpg

 

-------------

"We need to have more respect for each other. Things have just gone really crazy, out of control. ... We're on a very weird kind of cycle." Stevie Wonder

[OneFinger]

Below is a link to the Village Voice and a couple of their articles on the movie. Sorry but I couldn't find a link to the cover.

 

http://www.villagevoice.com/film/

 

 

-------------

"We need to have more respect for each other. Things have just gone really crazy, out of control. ... We're on a very weird kind of cycle." Stevie Wonder

[Rod Hagen]

Thanks one.

 

Here are two very telling quotes, nearly back to back:

 

"As for the idea of Brokeback Mountain as a reinvention of the western genre, Andy Warhol went much, much further with Lonesome Cowboys back in 1968."

"The truth is, there's not much mystery left in stories of this kind anyway, no matter who's riding high in the saddle."

 

No, Gary Indiana (what the fuck kind of name is that anyway?), the truth is that while Andy Warhol's LC may have broke deeper ground earlier on, nobody west of the Hudson saw the fucking movie.

 

New York-centric, pretentious rag.

[poiuyt]

I plan on seeing it (and probably like it since I'm a sucker for this sort of thing), but I get the impression the distributors are aiming at women rather than gay men.

 

It seems a bit like "shounen-ai", romantic gay Japanese manga written for adolescent girls.

[Luv2play]

Actually, that's not quite true. I saw Lonesome Cowboys in Toronto (which is somewhat west of the Hudson) in 1970 or thereabouts. It was the first Warhol/Morrisey film I saw and I went on to see most of his others when they were shown. Just the other day I saw a young Joe Dallesandro staring out from a video cover and it brought back all the memories of the Warhol flics.

[spiro3]

I saw "Brokeback Mt" on NOv. 19th a a Denver Film Festival,and have been waiting a bit for other reactions before I chimed in.

 

My Take: Heath and Jake are equally excellent as the main characters in the movie (tho Heath has gotten most of the oscar buzz). The cinematography is spectacular of the Wyoming-actiually- Montana scenery, and there are moments of real emotional power through-out the film.

 

And yet.........I felt the movie just missed living up to Prolx's short story. Maybe it's an impossible job to match the beauty of what is considered one of the best short stories written in the past 25 years. Perhaps part of the difficulty of translating this to a 1 1/2 hour movie is that some of the scenes added in between the main episodes of the story (their first summer together, their susequent "fishing" trips, and the powerful shirt scene) seem like so much filler. I came away feeling that I had already seen the most affecting parts of the movie in the trailer.

 

That said, I certainly would not discourage anyone from going to see it. As has been mentioned previously, it's a rare experience to see a flick where gay men are portrayed as average guys ( well, maybe not many who look like Jake!) who happen to be into other guys, and not as pathetic losers or homocidal maniacs. Nice.

 

BTW, The director Ang Lee attended the screening......it's truly amazing the breadth of this man's ability (ranging from the "Hulk" to "Ice Storm" to "Crouching Tiger" and now buggery on the plains!LOL

 

He was asked about any "dicomfort" two straight actors might have felt doing the love scenes, and he replied that both Jake and Heath were thoroughly professional in all their scenes ( tho most were done in one take) and did NOT use body doubles.

 

And for those who are interested in this sort of thing, Jake clearly comes across in the "bottom" role here.

[traveler1954]

I saw the movie in a crowded Walter Reade Theater for a special showing.

The audience did not know what movie they were going to see. Smiles abounded at the finish. The buzz was very positive.

The movie was long but you did not stop to check your watch or go to the bathroom.

The sex scene was nothing much other than a few thrusts and grunts in a darkened tent.

It was one of the most emotional moving pictures that I have ever seen; a tour de force.

Oscar quality acting brought it all home.

Yes, it was shot near Calgary instead of the Wyoming location, but the cinematography was breathtaking.

All thumbs up on this winner!

 

DP, NYC

[Yeswell]

Lots and lots of people saw Warhol's movie--not the sort of people who provide the main audience for blockbusters, but people who care about serious films. And I don't know what kind of name "Gary Indiana" is, but he's one of your country's best writers. I thought his article about the film was interesting, and it wasn't really an attack, so (with all due respect, affection, and fond remembrance) I'm not sure why your knickers are in a knot about the whole thing. Proulx's story was very good, but it's not A la recherche des temps perdus, now is it?

[Rod Hagen]

Gary, a PoMo-styled Vidal-wannabe, maintains that while the public and the press have been beaten over the head with the assertion that never, or rarely, before Brokeback has a major release film gone this gay, when the truth is Lonesome Cowboy (and many other independent films) went further and earlier.

 

But that's apples and pig shit. Someone could say the same thing of porn, but that'd be another false comparison. Those earlier films simply did not have the same reach. That's not to say they were insignificant, just not accessible. Not visible. Only a certain kind of person, people who "care about serious film", will see Lonesome Cowb (et al.) Millions and millions will see Brokeback.

 

Not everyone in America is a NYC art fag.

[Luv2play]

>Gary, a PoMo-styled Vidal-wannabe, maintains that while the

>public and the press have been beaten over the head with the

>assertion that never, or rarely, before Brokeback has a major

>release film gone this gay, when the truth is Lonesome Cowboy

>(and many other independent films) went further and earlier.

>

>

>But that's apples and pig shit. Someone could say the same

>thing of porn, but that'd be another false comparison. Those

>earlier films simply did not have the same reach. That's not

>to say they were insignificant, just not accessible. Not

>visible. Only a certain kind of person, people who "care

>about serious film", will see Lonesome Cowb (et al.) Millions

>and millions will see Brokeback.

>

>Not everyone in America is a NYC art fag.

>

I went back and read the Gary Indiana article and you are misstating his assertion that Brokeback Mountain does not break new ground in depicting male-male relationships in the cowboy culture reflected in the history of cinema. He did not say "mainstream" film. He simply stated that Warhol had examined the subject 35 years ago. Any director making a mainstream film such as Brokeback would have to be familiar with Warhol's ouevre, if a relative hick like me (in matters of film history) is in the know. And I'm no NYC art fag! :+