Gay Bashing
So I followed this Oscar season closer than I have in many years. Particularly because of how poor the press treated the run up to the awards. It was this overdramatic love affair with presumptions, assumptions and the slaughtering of movies into small phrases: gay cowboy affair, race drama, gay crime drama, terrorism drama, etc. Now, overall, the films were moving but maybe I am getting a bit jaded, none of them popped out at me as something supremely transcendent. You are always looking for that film: that one that changes your life and everyone else around you. Brokeback was pretty close, but it had the incompleteness about it, an austere emptiness in the middle of the film that made me lose concentration until the slow and meticulous climax and the tearful denouement.
And as my rant could go longer, I will go right out and say it: the Academy turned out to be cowards. The best movie of the year did not win. The best was Brokeback, and not Crash.
Why would I like Brokeback so much? Well, aside from the way it kind of tickled me to see a film actually deal with real gay themes, the movie itself was the most powerful of the year. Succinct, direct, beautiful, and as an ode to society: disengaging and enveloping at the same time. It was the most complete cinematic experience I had this year. And for sometime, most of the world agreed.
So what is up with this come from behind business? In queer irony, it serves to exclaim how controversy brews in society: so much so that society actually goes as far as to stereotype a movie. As a film-goer I am immediately attracted to stories of desolation and loss; of longing and hope. The paradoxical formations that most movies form (under this paradigm) can be uplifting or at its worse: parody. But there was something fresh, interesting and almost chic about Brokeback. It certainly did not live up to my dream of it being a hot gay love affair, but what I got was something slower, a pace that grabs you.
I should say the one weakness you feel in the movie is that the leads are almost so strong in their roles; you forget that they are (apparently) supposed to love each other. Notwithstanding my own complaints: this film has grown on me since December when I saw it and almost snidely left the film disappointed. It has shown resilience and beauty. As commentators have tried to describe it (only to concede they have never seen the film) it has begun to strike a chord with me. How could they not see it!? It was one of the most engaging experiences I have had with a film, so much that I can still hauntingly see the images on the screen, in that packed theatre, and the gentle nudge that I gave Matt as I told him: “In almost bitter irony, I am happy I was allowed to see this movie with you right next to me.”
posted by Anonymous @ 3:51 AM
5 Comments:
At 5:21 PM,
The Gentle Cricket said…
I was underwhelmed by Brokeback. It had hype of being so beautiful and touching, but it seemed very bland, in my opinion. There were certainly some interesting and touching moments, but they were weak, few, and far between.
I was overjoyed that Crash won. After seeing it in December of 2004 I was mesmerized. I loved it, and told people that it had a strong chance at best picture. I felt that the characters, though some were over the top, were far easier to associate myself with. I could see my own personal shortcomings in almost ever character in the movie. Furthermore, Crash said more about our society than Brokeback, and in a much more eloquent way.
At 9:38 AM,
The Oracles said…
I haven't seen either of these movies yet (haven't seen many movies at all recently), but I do just want to point out, Keith, that it is difficult to make the broad claim that the Academy backed down due to "fear and controversy." The voting process is far from monolithic. A diverse group of individuals watches the movies, be it at home or in the theater, then votes from the comfort of their home. Obviously, a lot of them felt that something broader than Academy pressure was moving them toward Crash.
The question then is, is Hollywood really ready for films like Brokeback to be in the mainstream? Or did crash win for a different reason than fear and controversy about Brokeback?
At 9:46 AM,
The Oracles said…
From Slate's Mickey Kaus:
"If the problem is really that Academy members let their fears win out over their better judgment--which I don't buy--isn't it more likely that the fears were not the Academy members own unspoken homophobic fears but fears of what their audience would think if they gave first prize to Brokeback? ... Fear of the audience--specifically, fear that the mainstream American audience will conclude you are a bunch of out-of-touch coastal liberal elitists--may in fact be the most pervasive fear in all of media. It's what makes the newsweeklies so clumsy, for example. ("Gee, they like American Idol. ... We must do a cover on American Idol.") It may have been what killed Brokeback's chance. But it's hardly an "unspoken" fear these days, is it?"
At 12:13 PM,
Ben A. Johnson said…
While I agree that it was shocking Brokeback didn't win (largely because of the hype surrounding it and Ang Lee's best director win) and I also agree that there was some political considerations being made with it's choice, I think it's problematic to dismiss criticisms of the movie based on "personal prejudices." I too did not think that Brokeback was a great film. As a gay male I am able to make this criticism that many heterosexuals cannot without being branded homophobic to some degree. For all its hype, Brokeback wasn't a new story. It's one that I've seen countless times before. The only thing that made it "brave" and "great" was that it got a lot of press surrounding it.
And of course, the problem with Brokeback is that it would have been a political decision to win and a political decision for it to lose. There's no way around it.
Brian: You should rent Crash. I suppose you should see Brokeback in order to remain culturally literate, but don't expect it to be as great as the hype.
At 9:07 PM,
The Gentle Cricket said…
You're right, Keith. Looking back at my original post I did seem to give Brokeback a fairly negative review. For clarity's sake, I did like the movie, though not to nearly the same degree as the hype surrounding it.
"[A] film that overwhelming won the support of society" could also very well describe Crash. It did well at the box office, and also won the oscar for best original screenplay, the BAFTA for supporting actress and screenplay, and the BFCA for ensemble cast (best-picture equivalent) and writing. And, aside from professional awards, it has won the praises of my friends far more than Brokeback.
"I think Brokeback provides a degree of energy I haven't seen in a film since the English Patient"
For me, I could say the same of Crash. Furthermore, Crash was able to manipulate my emotions (hope, fear, anxiety, grief etc...) so well throughout the movie. You could say I was enveloped. From highs to lows. I didn't get that with Brokeback.
Lastly, despite all our debate here on which is the best picture of the year, I will say that my favorite movie of the year was The Chumscrubber. Certainly not a "best picture" sort of movie, but I thought it was incredibly good (in the realm of Donnie Darko).
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