Cinematic Invisibility in Brokeback Mountain Essay

Introduction

Cinematic invisibility is a technique of making films where the director tries to hide them from the audience and can only be noticed from a keen perception of the film. There are a number of cinematic invisibility tools that can be used in a film such as camera lenses, shot composition, lighting, editing, sound effects, color transitions, space, match cuts or props. These tools are usually used in a film by a filmmaker in order to try and hide a point of view from the audience. This paper seeks to review the use of these tools in Brokeback Mountain film, as used by the filmmaker to hide the use of violence and bisexuality in the life of the characters. The filmmaker uses these techniques to express violence in the character even though the violence is an expression of dissatisfaction with the bisexual nature of the two main characters in the film.

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Summary of the film

The film is a flashback film. It begins when one of the main characters, Ennis has just woken up at 5 am in the morning on a ranch. The owner of this ranch has sold it already and Ennis has to move out. He is unsure of what he will next. He doesn't even know where he wants to go. His thoughts, however, sink back to a man named Jack Twist.

Ennis and Jack Twist are two friends who are strict in their ethics in work but are weak academically, signal by the fact that they dropped out of school. Ennis had lost his parents when he was young but grew up under the care of his two older siblings. During the summer of 1963, they get together to go and herd together at the Brokeback mountain. Something unusual happens between the two; they develop intimacy towards each other even though neither of them thinks of himself as a gay. At the camp, one cold evening, when the two were sleeping together, Jack reached out to Ennis and places his hand in his groins. He then entered him from behind. This was the first time Ennis was having a gay sexual affair. They keep this affair until the summer ends. They proceed in different ways though there love between them still exists.

After four years, both of them are married and have kids. One day, Jack showed up at Ennis's door. The embrace and hug each other with an intimacy of which, Ennis's wife notices. They brush it off even though Ennis's wife noticed and never asked too. Some items are not visible in this part of the movie which shows that editing has been used as a cinematic tool at this stage of the film. Jack and Ennis excuse themselves into a motel and the relationship starts afresh.

The following twenty years, there are sporadic meetings in motels and they have multiple camp trips. These acts piled up to drive Ennis's wife away. Jack's family remains intact despite the fact that his wife is aware of all that takes place during the summer. Jack feels that they can no longer continue in the same way but actually keeps to himself these feelings.

Unfortunately, Jack passes on when his tire blew up. However, Ennis thinks that he is a code for Jack being beat to death for a crime of hate. Ennis and Jacks's wife talk about the death on phone. Ennis again talks to Jacks parents trying to convince them to leave alone Jack's ashes even though Jack had wanted to be buried at the Brokeback Mountain. Ennis is unable to convince them. He finds a pair of tops that Jack had put on at the Brokeback and goes away with them as gifts. He hangs the shirts in his trailer. The memories of his friend are all but painful even though he is the cause of all these.

Cinematic Invisibility Tools

Cinematic invisibility tools have been used in this film to conceal the bisexual nature of the two main characters in the cast as well as the inner violence that they are facing.

, the masculine identity that has been given to the two characters in the film speaks about the invisibility and the unacceptable behavior that the two men are engaging in. This has been demonstrated through the use of violence in the film. This is evident during the thanksgiving ceremony at Jack and Laureen's place. The television is turned to a football game and Jacks father asks him if he does not want his son to be a man. The question the way it has been used in this case eludes violence. The use of the football game too in this scene is as well a cinematic invisibility tool to demonstrate the use of violence in this film which is being concealed. Through the activities in the film, it is quite evident that Jacks father is actually a heterosexual man. This is quite contrary to what Jack is demonstrating with his bisexual tendencies. When this scene ends, we see when Jack is taking control of his house. The power play comes in also at this scene in a hidden manner when Jack takes over the carving the turkey from Laureen's father.

Second, the use of cinematic invisibility in the film has been used to interestingly bring out the violence between Jack and Ennis. Even though they were intimate to each other, they faced inner struggles that were characterized by outward violent rages. The director uses the camera lenses to show us how the hugging between the two characters became stiffer each time they did. This is to show the growing love between Jack and Ennis. The filmmaker uses cinematic techniques like sound in this case to show anger in the characters. This, in real sense assists in demonstrating the unacceptable nature of the gay relationship that they are engaging in. The two know what is going on in their lives and they do not want it because it is a taboo. At one particular point, the anger boils over Ennis and their otherwise portrayed wonderful play ends up in Ennis punching Jack. It is, however, notable that the violence between the two characters in this stage is not brutal. This is put in this manner to show that the anger was actually a demonstration of dissatisfaction with the taboo act that the two were engaging in. This is just but turmoil in trying to make reconciliation with their inner self on the invisible nature of their bisexual act.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the filmmakers of the Brokeback Mountain have used various cinematic tools to express the inner violence the characters had to face in the bid to conceal their bisexual nature. The use of football match is used in this film is used to demonstrate the use of violence. Camera lenses and sound effects have been effectively used to express the violence within the characters to express their satisfaction with the gay character that they have.