#65- Brokeback Mountain

Quick recap: This is the one about the gay cowboys.

Fun (?) fact: Annie Proulx, author of the short story of which Brokeback Mountain is based on, sent autograph copies to the two main stars. She addressed one to Jake Gyllenhaal but the other she accidentally addressed to Ennis instead of Heath Ledger, because she felt he was the perfect representation of that character.

My thoughts: I saw Brokeback Mountain for the first time in 2005 at a small theater in Lufkin, Texas. I had recently ‘come out’, so to speak, as liberal and felt that this is the sort of movie I should see. I can’t say that I have always been an ally for LGBT rights, but in sitting in that theater and listening to the slurs being yelled out to the screen from the audience, I knew it was the right thing to do.

I don’t believe Brokeback Mountain to be the best representation of the gay culture, past or present, but I do think the movie serves a purpose to a certain extent. For a girl growing up in Texas, I really didn’t have much knowledge about what it meant to truly be gay. I guess I always saw it as a sexual thing, since that is what everyone focused on, instead of the more simple idea that two people love one another. And then when I saw the relationship between Jack and Ennis in the movie, it really opened my eyes to the whole concept of homosexuality. In watching the film a couple of nights ago, I still didn’t find the sex scene very romantic, or many of the other scenes when the characters made out. But I recognized the love and passion the two had for each other. It was even more evident when contrasted with their marriages to the women they settled with. The kicker for me was the last scene with Ennis and the shirt. I normally don’t hold back on spoilers,but I did on that one because I reacted to it the same way I did back in 2005. It broke me.

As for the ‘technical’ aspects of the film, I felt that Jake Gyllenhaal was more recognizable as a gay character but it was Heath Ledger who really owned the emotional mess his character was in. And because of that, I agree with Proulx that his acting was more believable. The scenery was gorgeous and still makes me want to visit the area at some point in my life. I also loved the choice of music: simple so as not to distract from the plot, yet helping the emotional scenes resonate even more.

Despite all of the victories this year for LGBT rights, we are far from over. There are many places where being called ‘gay’ is still the worst thing you can say to a person. And even for the more liberal cities in America, a stereotype still lingers as to what ‘gay’ looks like- and it’s certainly not a pair of cowboys. I’m not sure people who are homophobic would watch this movie and turn their beliefs around, and in fact, with a few of the explicit scenes, it’s bound to cement what they believe even further. But the movie is a good reminder of how things used to be, and in many parts of the world, still are. And hopefully, maybe in 20 or 50 years, Brokeback Mountain will be the kind of classic that we look back on and have trouble fathoming a world in which so much inequality and hatred existed.

Final review: 4/5.

Up next: Murmur of the Heart or Kiss Me Deadly

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#59- The Thin Red Line

Quick recap: War is hell, you guys. Especially during World War II. The focus of this story is on the battle at Guadalcanal against the Japanese.

Fun (?) Fact: The original cut of the film was just under 6 hours in length. In getting the film ready for release, many stars like John Travolta and George Clooney were almost completely cut out of the film. Adrian Brody in particular had a major role during filming, but by the time the movie had been shortened, he was left with about 5 lines.

My thoughts: Before I get to my review, first a little background: when I finish watching a movie for the blog, the very first thing I do is go to random.org, which gives me the next number to watch. I then go to a list and find the movie that corresponds to the number chosen. So, this movie was chosen several weeks ago and actually I had planned on watching something else, until a friend suggested this one. All that to say that it was completely unintentional to watch a movie about war so close to Veteran’s Day. And since it happened that way, I would feel like a jerk if I turned this into a lighthearted post. I’ll lay off the memes for now (no Hitler cats this time), but there will be a double dose the next time around (Hitler cats for all!)

Seeing as this was my first Terrence Malick movie, I knew nothing of his director trademarks. Which I suppose is a good thing because it makes everything seem fresh. There are a billion war movies out there, but this one has its own perspective and to me, stands out above many others. One of the more brilliant parts of the film, and now I know, a trademark, is the focus on nature. At first, the long shots of the forest and ocean seemed to slow everything down, but later became poignant once the battle started. In a way, it made the war seem even more real, rather than just watching people’s heads being blown off. I’m still not sure the entire meaning, but in focusing on the birds after watching mass casualties, it was as if to say that war is hell, but life will continue. This island is being torn up from both sides, and yet, life continues. And after everyone has left, the earth will repair itself,albeit with scars, and then life continues.

The movie did seem to drag on from time to time. I’m not a big fan of war movies to begin with, so I admit to some bias against the genre. The first battle scene just seemed to continue forever, and it was frustrating to keep up with everyone. I would see someone die on screen and then try to remember if they were a main character or not. Which I guess is another point of the film? The characters were ultimately not as important as the themes, such as nature. Once I gave up trying to find everyone, I enjoyed the movie much more. And in looking back, I imagine that the many battle scenes are much closer to how it really was- no one knowing who all was alive or dead, everyone on their own, trying to survive. That’s not to say that anyone was selfish, but in that situation, I wouldn’t be thinking about America, just about keeping myself alive.

It’s hard to say, but I feel like Malick did a wonderful job capturing how frightening war really is. I know about World War II and the sacrifices made, but seeing it through the eyes of these young men made me stop and think. Many were just kids, with about as much experience as the next guy. They were forced into something they knew next to nothing about and were told to fight. And through all the terror and pain, they did their job and they did it will. It might not be the message of the film, but it’s the one I’m taking home.

Final review: 4/5. The movie went over my head many times, especially during the voice-overs. It was all very philosophical and confusing, for the most part. This isn’t your typical shoot ’em up war movie and not everyone will appreciate it. But I think it’s an important film, and it’s refreshing to see a different story being told.

Up Next: The Lady Eve

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#56- Scream

Quick recap: Teenager Sidney Prescott, whose mother was raped and murdered a year before, is now being stalked by a sadistic serial killer (is there any other kind?)

Fun (?) Fact: In the scene depicting football player Steve’s death, a chair was used with no back so that the actor’s head could be seen, but with a fake torso.

My thoughts: Since this movie came out at around the time I was in middle school, it was shown at practically every sleepover I attended for the next couple of years. Although I don’t remember specific scenes, I do remember the sheer terror I felt while watching that movie. It would be several years before I would answer a phone when I was home alone, and to this day I still get anxiety looking out at my patio, just in case there is a gutted dead body. Besides all of the psychological torture, it was a movie that I couldn’t turn away from. Although I knew I would be scared and probably not be able to sleep that night, there was that accomplishment of having sat through the entire film without a complete break down.

Cellular phones are more trouble than they are worth

Flash forward to today where I am an adult and thus beyond the average age of murdered victim in a horror movie. It’s not that I can’t relate anymore, but I suppose I now prioritize my fears. And on my list, a creepy mask just doesn’t cut it. Or at least, that’s what I thought before starting the movie. Director Wes craven is a master at building suspense and dread. Even though I knew what Casey would see when she turned on the porch light, a part of me was hoping that this time it might be different. I had apparently completely blocked out the scene where Casey herself had been gutted and left to hang from a tree because when that image showed up, I jumped so hard that I nearly threw the laptop off of my lap. And for some reason, that reaction also made me happy because I knew that for the next two hours, I would be entertained. Scream is the perfect blend of horror and comedy- with lines that are insightful, said alongside disgusting images of teens being murdered. I think one of the scariest scenes for me was the one where Sidney was in the bathroom and could overhear a couple of girls talking about her mom being a slut. Sidney walks out of the stall after the girls have left and then hears someone calling her name. She frantically looks under the stalls, but sees no one. She is beginning to get more panicked and then a pair of boots hit the floor and she can see the black robe being pulled over the pants. It frightened me completely that there was no way out, even though I knew what was going to happen.

Watching this movie also gave me a strong sense of nostalgia that I wasn’t expecting. Seeing all of the outfits really brought back my own memories of middle school and high school. Although I haven’t thought about it before, Scream and Clueless are great symbols for the ’90s. I mean, even Courtney Cox is in the movie! I especially loved the scene where everyone is in the movie rental store, taking all of the horror films. It has been forever since I have been in a Blockbuster and for a split second I realized how sad it is that my child will never get to experience that. But then I remembered that I was watching this movie on my laptop and that I have literally thousands of titles at my fingerprints.

So ’90s!

Final review: A solid 4/5. The ending,although I know it was a joke on the horror genre, grated on my nerves as everyone kept popping up from the dead. Also, in looking back from having seen this movie when it originally came out, how could I ever have thought Billy WASN’T the killer?

Nightmares? Thankfully, no. I did however, run like hell upstairs after the movie was over. I also won’t be looking at the porch during the night time any time soon.

Up next: Alas, Horrorfest has come to an end. Next movie up should be Amélie, where I’m sure my two months of learning French will surely come in hand!

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#54- Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Quick recap: A small town gets invaded by aliens (typical) who grow and harvest pods who sprout people (not so typical). The people are the exact duplicates of residents in the town, except devoid of any emotion and with a penchant for getting up early on Saturday morning.

not ripe yet, best to leave it unrefrigerated

Fun (?) fact: The film originally had a much grimmer ending, with the doctor running into traffic and yelling, ‘You’re next!’. Not wanting to offend the delicate sensibilities of the audience, the movie was given a more optimistic (lame) ending.

My thoughts: By today’s standards for horror as well as alien invasion, this movie was rather tame. There were never any moments that frightened me, although the pods spewing people was a little creepy. However, after finishing the movie and then allowing myself time to let everything sink in, I realized just how unsettling Invasion of the Body Snatchers is. That’s really rare for a film to do that, since most horror movie moments that frighten us tend to vanish once daylight hits. Going back to my childhood fear of aliens for a moment, I used to wake up from nightmares frantically searching for a clock because I remembered reading that most abductions happened between 1 and 3 in the morning. I knew that if I could just survive until 3, I’d be alright. And then the next morning, I would feel incredibly silly for believing something like that. But this movie is different. Daylight seemed to highlight just how wrong everything was and made me question what was real.

My favorite scene of the movie happens when Dr. Bennell and Becky glance out the window and see practically the whole town awake and moving about, even though it was only 7 in the morning on a Saturday. It was one of those moments that seemed a little off but grew into a more unsettling feeling as the characters realized how wrong everything was. As in the beginning of the movie, the duplicates were impossible to detect, and yet loved ones knew something was not right. The boy at the beginning who runs away because he thinks his mother has been replaced is later seen hugging her and smiling. No one had to mention anything to know that the invasion had happened, but watching that brief scene said it all and made it all the more frightening. The subtle horror moments are what really makes Invasion of the Body Snatchers stand out.

My one criticism comes not from the movie itself, but from the (I believe) over analyzation of the plot. As most of us know, the 50’s signified the heyday of McCarthyism and the Red Scare. It’s impossible to sit through this movie and not think about that. However, trying to write off this movie as a metaphor for its time really does the bigger theme a disservice. The invasion of ideas, good or bad, can be frightening no matter the time period. I am currently reading Maus by Art Spiegelman, a graphic novel about the Holocaust. I could easily compare the alien invasion to the quick rise of Nazism, how seemingly nice, well adjusted people suddenly turned on each other and became the monsters we know of today. Or, I could compare Invasion of the Body Snatchers to a comment forum in an online article- how the discussion starts civil and soon turns into a mess of racial slurs, sexist remarks, and threats of violence. Seemingly normal people become devoid of emotion and have no guilt at what they are saying. My point being that this movie is best viewed as a constant reminder of how quickly things-and people- can change.

Final review: 4/5. Not scary, but a truly significant film

Up next: Horrorfest

1001 Movie Nights

Tag Archives: 4/5

#65- Brokeback Mountain

#59- The Thin Red Line

#56- Scream

#54- Invasion of the Body Snatchers

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