Brokeback Mountain

I saw Brokeback Mountain on Monday and have been haunted by the story ever since. After I left the theater, I couldn't decide if I liked the film or not. I have since come to the conclusion that I loved it -- but I don't think I ever want to see it again. First of all, the movie is technically beautiful and deserves its four Golden Globes and probable Oscars. The visuals and the soundtrack were stunning, and the directing and acting deserve the accolades they are receiving. .

That said, I think this is the saddest movie I have ever seen. I also think that it is a different movie from what everyone is saying it is. I don't think that this film is about glorifying or justifying homosexuality. Would Jack and Ennis have had good lives if only society had let them love each other? No. This movie is really about two incredibly broken people. They both experienced deep suffering, neglect and probable abuse as children. Neither of them were given any love, affirmation or joy in any way. Their childhoods were portrayed as horrific and drenched in deep, deep poverty (both physical and emotional.) They also had no input into their lives about what it truly means to be a man. Jack's father was verbally and probably physically abusive and did not care about teaching his son anything. His father-in-law emasculated him at every opportunity. Everyone in his life poured into him the message that he was useless. Ennis just grew up with nothing. In fact, he barely knew how to talk to someone else and clearly had no idea how to relate to another human being on an emotional level. This is played out in the film in both his relationship with Jack and his wife, Alma.

The tragedy here is that Ennis is literally a broken man. It is not surprising that an inappropriate physical relationship began with Jack. It was the first time in his life that anyone saw him with eyes that communicated value. I highly doubt that anyone ever touched these characters with kindness until they met each other. It's not surprising that their friendship took the turn it did.

Ennis continued to live his life a broken man. There was no hope. And as a viewer, I left the theater in tears. Not so much for the character, as for all the people who have lived out that story. No affirmation, no one telling them that they are valuable, that Jesus loves them and they have great value to him. There are people around us every day who have an inner life like that of Ennis. Do we see them? In this film, Ennis' struggle with his sexual identity is secondary to his deep struggle to connect with anyone and the debilitating emotional scars on his heart. I'm fairly sure that few people would agree with me, but that's my take.

If you want to read another view, I thought that Christianity Today's movie website had a pretty balanced view of the film. Brokeback Mountain review.