Brokeback Mountain Essay

Submitted By emibby22
Words: 1128
Pages: 5

Taking place in the year 1963, two cowboy men unexpectedly fell in love with each other. During these times it was forbidden for any man to be involved with any other man in any sexual activities, and most were killed if they were caught. In this movie, Jack twist and Ennis Del Mar, met during a summer job. Both showed masculinity at the beginning of the film, as it progressed and once one was more comfortable with the other, things took a turn. Both tried very hard fighting the feelings, with much anger involved. The anger projected mostly off of Ennis. After the summer job, both Jack and Ennis moved on with their live’s, and were married with children. Throughout the movie, both would meet occasionally every year, and would tell their wife’s it was just a “fishing trip” with an old friend up in brokeback mountain where they first were together. This movie helps one show that both men did not know who they truly were. Living two lives, and living in fear of getting caught to the world. I believe the central message in this film is men struggle to try to be who they are, also society plays a big role because they see men in a certain way and it should be in no other way. Men are suppose to be men, and not act in any feminine way what so ever. In the film, Ennis makes a comment on which Jack response right after, after their first night of intimacy they shared, “You know I ain’t queer.”, “Me either.”. This statement between both of them clearly shows they do not accept it, and try masking their true passion and care for one another, because being “queer” is not okay. The background stories for both of these men, were very harsh on the idea of boys living with one another. Ennis explains a story to Jack in which, two men who were found living together, were brutally killed and one had been laying dead out in the open, which his own father took him and his older brother to see, to give his sons a message that this will happen to them if they ever turn gay. Ennis was raised and grew up to learn that it was just not acceptable. Men did not, and could not live together alone. I personally took away a negative message, because of the ending of this film. Both men fell in love with each other but were living an every day lie. Both were able to see each other and reunite every so often, but had to sneak off away from their wife’s, children, and society for this to occur. Ennis and Jack were both married with their wife’s, but did not share the same intimacy or passion like they had together. Leading their wife’s on, with Jack’s wife never truly knowing her husband was in love with a man, and Ennis’ wife who caught them red-handed kissing passionately just outside her home, in which you could see the torture in her teary eyes, which sooner led them to a divorce. Bound by their secret and fueled by their love, these men continue their affair through the following 20 years. Ennis never really could move on and advance his life in a positive direction, living from paycheck-to-paycheck, but he continues with determination to survive and provide for his family as a “man”. While Jack marries a daughter of a wealthy farm machinery businessman. And as the years roll by, both men end up wrecking their own lives and those around them. This film does not give a clear message, and does not make a clear straight statement. It is left with one man dead, and the other alone, a very unhappy ending. Things have truly made a change, and the fear of a gay man coming out is not as terrifying or wrong in the culture we live in today. Gay men are now getting more support from family members, friends, and the communities around us. It is slowly being accepted into our culture, and in some parts of the world. We still have a long way to go, but we have made much progress. In terms of societal attitudes, we now are seeing many gay communities, gay clubs, gay organizations, and states around our country are now legalizing same sex marriages. There are