Queer Cowboys on
Brokeback Mountain
by Dylan
Mitchell
 BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is
much more than a gay cowboy movie, even though many
straight folks are fond of describing it as such.
And given that I was starting to feel like the only
queer dude in the world that had not seen this much
talked about (and admired) flick: I finally made
myself watch it on DVD recently. And it was the
saddest love story I've ever seen.
I knew one of the
characters died. And I'd also heard about the quite
moving scene with the shirt (I won't say more than
that--just in case there still might be another soul
out there that has not seen this film yet). But all
my friends failed to tell me about the gay bashing
scene. I mean, the movie was already a tragic one:
Two men painfully coming to terms with the intense
love they felt for each other. And how society kept
them apart--except for those few times they were
able to reunite in the wilderness.
Brokeback Mountain
was their home. Only then were they truly happy. And
miserable while apart. Society had already harmed
them deeply. But that wasn't enough. Someone had to
be killed for being a homosexual. And the survivor
left to spend the rest of his days--filled with
regret and feelings of guilt and a never-ending kind
of sorrow. In truth, homophobia had killed two
men--not one. The movie was nothing like I expected
it to be.
I knew it was tragic.
But I did not know it would turn out to be one of
the saddest stories ever told. Both
Heath Ledger and
Jake Gyllenhaal (the "gay cowboys") are outstanding
in their controversial roles. Their characters are
tough, sexy, sensitive, and sympathetic.
Brokeback Mountain is not just a gay cowboy movie: It is a
tragic masterpiece about what happens to a pair of
queer lovers in a homophobic society, and how even
the threat of death cannot stop us from loving
someone of the same sex.
Note: The DVD has a
wonderful special feature in which Heath Ledger
talks about why he decided to be in the
controversial movie, and what it was like playing a
queer character.
Dylan Mitchell was born and raised in Chicago.
He is a widely published queer poet, and was the
editor of Walt's World: an online literary journal.
His first book of poems, FORGERY, was published in
2000. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon. You
may read his poetry on his blog,
Famous for 15 Minutes.
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