Research Paper on LGBTQ Experiences on Brokeback Mountain

Introduction

Many people give an impression that it is 2012 and some states have legalized gay marriage, that there is much to be done in terms of treatment of homosexual being. Society as a whole does not appear to be aware of the violence enacted on gays every day or discriminations they face. When the movie Brokeback Mountain came out, critiques and judgments about the movie exploded. Brokeback Mountain is a film which features two famous actors who are straight in real life: Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. Jake plays a role of Jack Twist, who is a high school dropout and ranching hand from Wyoming. He loved the rodeo and wanted to do more with his life than just work on a ranch. He meets Ennis Del Mar role played by Ledger who was uneducated ranch hand from Wyoming, and they fall in love. They meet at Brokeback Mountain while they were herding their sheep

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Isolation from the world makes them carry on with their love affair. Both were married and with kids. After four years they left Brokeback Mountain, Jack writes a letter to Ennis saying they should meet again. Michelle Williams played a role of being Ennis' wife Alma, becomes an unaware witness not to share a secret of two men kissing. They resolved to go back to Brokeback Mountain to recharge their romance, where jack told Ennis that he wanted a healthy relationship with Ennis, but Ennis rejected because he was afraid of his sexuality, how he saw men ruthlessly killed for living with another man and how brutal his father would have acted upon him.

One night jack and Ennis went to a motel to spend a night, and the next day Ennis tells Alma that he will be going for a few days to the mountains with jack. Ennis got a proposal from Jack that they move together and build a cabin in the mountains for themselves but Ennis refused, saying they both have duties and families to take care of. Both Jack and Ennis decided to hide in the wilderness, but their hearts were only felt with frustration, emptiness, and misery. Ennis tells Jack of a story about two of his friends who were gay, and of how the community and their bodies killed they were left to rot in the dessert. Jack and Ennis decided to be meeting once in a while and go into the mountains together.

They took cautions since Alma knew that her husband was sleeping with Jack and said nothing. Eventually, Alma decides to seek divorce and had custody of her girls. When Jack knew about Ennis's divorce, he went to him, but Ennis informed him that they would no longer continue with their relationship. This, as a result, made Jack go to Mexico to look for a gay prostitute to sleep with.

Ennis' wife Alma marries another man and gets pregnant. After thanksgiving Ennis ask jack if his wife knew about their relationship but Jack assured him that she knew nothing.

Jack and Ennis started spending less time together since Ennis had a duty to pay child support. Jack takes the situation lightly and still went to Mexico while Ennis figured out that Jack was sleeping with other men. Ennis tried to find and have another woman, but things did not work for him, for he was dumped.

Jack and Ennis feel in love while at Brokeback Mountain but they were unable to express their feelings or overcoming their fears, or never would they admit that they were gay. They decided to both try and lived a life according to the society by going their separate ways.

Unfortunately, they discovered that they were unable to get separated or even forget their happy memories. The two men's lives got destroyed together with their families. Jack became a man with a false affection for men while Ennis' marriage ended with a divorce. Their affair continued for about twenty years, causing conflict in their homes, including children and wives. One fine day, Ennis received a postcard that said jack was deceased, he decided to call jack's wife to know what happened. As she was explaining his death was as a result of an accident tire blowout, in Ennis' mind, a category of kids killed Jack because of his sex orient; thus his fear for his feelings was recharged. Lureen told Ennis that half of his ashes would go back Jack's folks. Ennis makes an effort to go for the ashes and spread them back to Brokeback. This did not go well since Jack's dad needed to prove he's a top dog while Jack's mom tried to be excellent.

This plot of this movie is realistic since it is possible to happen in a real-life situation, where two men meet while herding their sheep and fall in love. The only difference is that during that time, been gay was illegal and a brutal death would punish one. Unlike today our society has changed and it embraces LGBTQ. To see two men dating or romancing is a healthy thing today. Despite the two actors been straight in real life, it also attributes to accepting the relationship shown onscreen, which is approved by a huge mass audience.

Scenes That Mostly Reflect the Themes and Concepts From Texts and Articles

The story illustrates themes such as romance which includes gay lust. It also expresses raw, gritty, brutal and harsh blunt tone of argument.

The Theme of Brutality

The theme of brutality is portrayed, where the society punishes men who practice homosexuality by brutally murdering them and leaving their body to rot at the dessert.

The Theme of Romance

The theme of romance is illustrated where Jack and Ennis meet and fall in love with each other, despite them knowing there is a death penalty and destroying their marriages.

The Theme of Love

Love is the crucial theme in the novel. The two characters Jack and Ennis are in love, both of them deny their feelings from one another at the beginning. Love present here is not convenient because it is between two men and at this time, this kind of relationship was in danger. Regardless Ennis and Jack found a way to be close to each other. They both made sacrifices to be with the one they loved and lived a double life just for them to be close. When Alma tells his husband Ennis that she knows about the two of them, Ennis seems not to blame jack for the uncomfortable situation that he is. His love for Jack was real such that Ennis realizes how unique Jack was to him. His action for taking Jack's shirt full of blood was out of love. Another scenario where the theme of love is portrayed is Jack does not care if he will be guilty of loving Ennis

The Theme of Homosexuality

Brokeback Mountain is a film which for many people say it's a gay film, meaning the content is gay, the characters and nothing else. For others some think the film was a straight film, even though the content was a queer, the characters proclaimed themselves straight. Apart from seeing the love story of Jack and Ennis, the movie tried to educate and give ideas of what was not acceptable and what is in a romantic relationship should be between two people

The Theme of Masculinity

The film puts a sense of masculinity and what it takes for one to be a man. In those days gay is a character associated with masculine and would be punished by the society. Cinematography contributed a significant role by creating an overall feeling for this movie. The movie has motion picture which shows Jack and Ennis kissing. This we know since Ennis wife saw Jack and her husband kissing.

Reference

Mountain, B., Gyllenhaal, J., Hathaway, A., Ledger, H., Lee, A., Prieto, R., & Williams, M. (2006). Brokeback Mountain. Focus Features.