Posted on 03/06/2006 11:46:45 PM PST by nickcarraway
Did Hollywood wimp out by not giving the Best Picture Oscar to Brokeback Mountain? Were the electors of the Motion Picture Academy quaking in their Gucci loafers at the thought that red-state America would rise up in fury at the insult to traditional American popular culture represented by a couple of gay cowboys -- or, more accurately, sheep-boys? "Despite all the magazine covers it graced, despite all the red-state theaters it made good money in, despite (or maybe because of) all the jokes late-night talk show hosts made about it, you could not take the pulse of the industry without realizing that Brokeback Mountain made a number of people distinctly uncomfortable," wrote Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times. "So for people who were discomfited," he went on, misusing the word, "by Brokeback Mountain but wanted to be able to look themselves in the mirror and feel like they were good, productive liberals, Crash provided the perfect safe harbor." Tom Shales of the Washington Post also questioned whether the award to Crash "was really for the film's merit or just a cop-out by the Motion Picture Academy so it wouldn't have to give the prize to Brokeback Mountain."
This sounds improbable to me. Not that I have any very high opinion of the movie industry's courage and daring in tackling the hard subjects or rewarding those who court controversy. But the controversy about Brokeback was mostly hype. The blue state liberals who make up most of the movie audience, certainly for films like this one, take it for granted that homosexuality is a perfectly valid "lifestyle," while the red-state types who think that gays ought to be in jail don't go to the movies anyway, or not unless Jesus is putting in an appearance. Anyway, the various controversies stirred up by gay rights advocates -- the demand for same-sex marriage, for example -- are hardly touched on by the film. In fact the gay theme is really incidental to the more mainstream (and pernicious) message about following your bliss, especially when it comes to sex, regardless of the damage to spouses and children.
Of course it's true that this is a theme which Hollywood finds entirely congenial and to which it often returns, though perhaps not quite so often these days as in the boom years for "convention"-bashing of the 1970s and 1980s. In fact, the taking up of an ostensibly gay subject matter could be seen as the film-makers' way of attempting to revitalize the otherwise moribund spirit of sexually "liberationist" triumphalism. If, once the novelty of the film had worn off and the self-congratulations of the tolerant and open-minded progressive film community had been reverberating for a couple of months, people began to think: "Been there, done that," who could be surprised? Yeah, yeah, people ought to be free to love as their glands dictate. Where, even in the movie, are the conservative moralists saying otherwise? You've got your gays and you've got your gay bashers, but in between there is only dumb suffering.
In other words, the villains in Brokeback remain faceless and voiceless. In one way the picture benefits from keeping their shadowy threat almost entirely off-stage for, once made visible and articulate, it would have been sure to have turned into a caricature. Instead, director Ang Lee and writers Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana -- all of whom did win Oscars -- almost managed to create the impression that the villain was once again "society," just as it was in the good old days when bourgeois respectability and puritanical sexual morality were still powerful enough to make it worth Hollywood's while to attack them. His heroes, Ang Lee was quoted as saying, "taught all of us not just about gay men and women whose love is denied by society, but most importantly the greatness of love itself." Ah, society. I remember that. I was very young, of course, but I can just about imagine what, back in the days of The Sound of Music, "society" (or what was left of it by then) would have had to say about a best song titled "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp." Not nearly hard enough, apparently.
Anyway, "society" in that sense is obviously long gone. Just like Good Night, and Good Luck, another losing nominee last night, Brokeback groped back more than forty years into the past to find a plausible bad guy who, as some of us dimly recall, wielded genuine power. Not, that is, just the accidental power of the gay-bashers or other criminals who catch their victim alone and unprovided with the means of defense but who, backed by "society itself," must have been genuinely frightening. Munich and Capote were similarly set 30 or 40 years in the past. Was this just coincidental? Crash was the only Best Picture nominee set in the present day, and it too was more than a little tinged with nostalgia for the highly picturesque "urban jungle" world of the '70s and '80s when crime-ridden ghettos were no-go areas for whites and innocent blacks were routinely victimized by racist white cops. Oh, to have those days back again, when "revolution" was in the air! That's why the performance on stage at the Oscars of the Best Song-nominated ditty "In the Deep" from Crash took place against a backdrop of fake burning cars.
But Crash had something more than nostalgia for the comforting moral and political certainties of that revolutionary time. It had the monumental smugness of those who, like the Academy itself this year, think it a virtue in itself to be "aware" of social problems and who, in thinking about such problems, fancy their own sophistication as moralists, their own concerns for "society's victims," than their less enlightened fellow picture-goers. Crash, like the Oscars themselves, blatantly appeals to the taste of the "movie community" for self-congratulation. Movie people swallow its intolerable preachiness and easy didacticism because they think it is good for them, not because it is good in itself, let alone entertaining. They watch themselves watching Crash and think, not for the first time, "What fine fellows we are for thus showing that we care about racial prejudice in society." That word again! In Crash, as much as in Brokeback Mountain, they want "society" back so that they can have something to rebel against. Until then, they have to play at being rebels and revolutionaries as well as serious moralists and political activists. Each pose is as false as the others, but by handing out awards to themselves for their serious-mindedness, the progressives of the movie community are able to sustain themselves -- and quite a lot of other people too -- in the illusion for just a bit longer.
James Bowman, The American Spectator's movie critic, is a resident scholar at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and media essayist for the New Criterion.
An easier formula to follow might be to avoid the poor, since they account for a massive percentage of crime.
I did not see the Cloony film. I thought that was a bunch of political propaganda that was very slanted, The MUnich film I sort of felt the same way on and decided not to spend the money on it. Brokeback Mountain I went to go see for a few reasons. First I was a little misinformed on the time period. For some reason I though this occurred at point decades ago. I was curious partly for that reason to see how it would be portrayed.
I believe that homosexuality is a sin. However its pretty clear to me that alot of this has being going on for a long time by a lot more people than just the average homosexual. I would classify alot of "homosexual" behavior as not being practiced by homosexuals but by bisexuals or more to the point alot of straight guys that have some occasional flare ups of same sex attraction. You cant go to a rest area or a public park or a mens restroom and look at the stalls without seeing that there is alot of straight guy cruising bi or other straight guys stuff going on. So yeah subcultures have always fascinated me. The taboo and the way that society ,in it own ways, allows certain unsaid outlets for that activity is something that is pretty fascinating. PLus, I suspect that some guys I know prob had some little "same sex experience" that went on in their past days and have needless guilt over it thats exhibited by some of their attitudes that at times gets tiresome. So I was interested in the subject matter. On the whole I thought it was good movie. I didnt agree with all the moral points but I know alot of that stuff goes on. So for that was the interest for me. PLus and I had this disscusion before on here. I think there is a real silent reveloution going on sex wize that is going unnoticed. I think that the attitude of females and esp males in this 16 to 25 age group has really changed. So I was interested in crowd reaction to it also
I don't think race plays a part anyone more its culture. Black people who act like the average middle class american kid, fits in 100% with white kids on my campus. Its not even fitting in, they are a part of our culture. Now the black kids who dress like thugs, they hang together. Is it race that keeps them from white people, maybe, but its more likely their culture. If you can't speak english, dress like you a thug, and act like a jackass, only other people like you are going to hang around you.
I thought Crash was really good actually, I thought it was going to be political correct crap, but it was a great story. Hard to pick best pic of the year because most movies where terrible this year. The only movies I enjoyed weere Batman Begins, Sin City, Serenity, and the new star wars to a lesser extent.
I haven't seen the movie "Brokebutt...back...brokeback Mountain" but I cannot believe that 2 young cowboys would be gay with all those good looking sheep running around. (A joke! No really a joke! I did not look at those sheep much! Honest! I am telling the truth, this time!) Sarcasm - not a joke.
Call it "profiling" if you wish but I play the odds and when 14% of the people commit 42% of the crimes why take the risk?
Hollywood is absorbed with "self", ergo cannot comprehend love for fellow man, and which is why they LOVE to hide behind the chimera of more turbulent times. As tho.
My favorite film critic.
It portrays Los Angeles not as the liberals' fantasy "melting pot," but as an ocean of isolated and disconnected people, "lonely and fearful in the crowd," surrounded by other races they despise as monolothic groups.
In the end, the story is written in such a way to bring the characters toward personal redemption in such a way that they are seen as having decency beneath a pervasive, racist surface.
It turned out to be a better and deeper story than I thought it might be.
From "Windmills of Your Mind" to the pimp-ho song.
We've come a long way, baby.
Shot in the 1960's in NYC, I crossed the street, turned the corner, or ducked into a store; when a group of white youths walked down the street.
The JDs of the day considered 10 to 1 fair odds.
By FAR the best movie I saw last year. The actually story is a little tired, highly talented 50's era star haunted by drugs, hurting people he/she loves, etc. The subject - Johnny Cash - is very interesting. You don't have to love his music to love the movie, but it sure doesn't hurt if you do. What made the movie special was the acting. The weaving together of Johnny's life with the other stars of the era was also very good. Shooter Jennings, Waylon's son played his father in the movie.
What this movie had that most don't is it tells a very good story. That's what gets rational people to the movies. I saw 8 Below this past weekend. It tells a very good story about a mans loyalty to his sled dogs in a life setting - Antarctica - that most of us know little about. I sincerely doubt it will win any awards next year, but it was a good show.
Both of these movies gave me what I want from a movie. To briefly share a believable life experience and to get a glimpse of life experiences I will likely never have, in a manner that generally makes one feel better about society.
That was A LONG time ago. These days, the only group of white "youths" you see in NYC walking in tight packs are a group of homos coming out of a Chelsea bar or a group of Scandanavian backpackers (as opposed to fudgepackers). ;-)
Was this really neccessary?
latinos & muslims are races ?
whites avoiding living among blacks is racist ?
The effects of 9/11 lasted for all of one month in NYC.
That's not true. I see echos of it everyday. In subtle ways it did transform the city.
I grew up there, and I think this is an accurate description of it...
Bi-sexuality "is" gay behaviour. It too is a sin. I think your answer for going to the movie is interesting. It's full of excuses and reasonings for going to a movie that glorified homosexuality and even tried to envoke sympathy for it in an effort to make it more socially acceptable. This movie played on peoples sympathies.
We are warned that Satan will work on us in many ways,.. I have no doubt this was one of his venues. (Just one.. for there are a multitude).
His ways can look very beautiful and feel very heartfelt and emotional. But it is a trap!
His ways are still dark and evil. From what little you just told me.. I think you've experienced more in life than you ever should have already. I can assure you not all men, nor the majority of them have had bi-sexual experiences. But men that have, can find freedom from the guilt and sin of it. They can seek God, ask forgiveness and be free from the evil that threatens them for "eternity".
For those who are living in a gay lifestyle, there are ministries that work specifically in that area. They are extremely successful in helping them live a healthy normal life.
Many men and women have been helped and NOW know the peace that comes with having God in their lives. They got tired of the turmoil and pain in their lives and decided to not let the dark side win!
Just walking into that movie theatre was a win for the evil one. I don't need to see a video of evil doing evil to know it is wrong. Nothing about it interest me. You have to ask yourself why the movie drew you to it.. what entity drew you to it? Answer; Satan did!
I hope you will think about it. I pray you will see how wrong it was to even encourage a movie like that by buying a ticket. And, I pray you will have a change of heart in the movies you promote by viewing a movie like that in the future. The morale decay of man in the last 25 years has been depressing. But change has to start somewhere. And it starts by changing the hearts and minds of men and women.
God Bless...
A lot to do about nothing.
In fact I would not have posted except I am bored this late at night.
Thank you. Well said.
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