A very good film, actually a wonderful film. Well made. Well acted. I like the fact that well-known (and good-looking) lead actors and director picked up this heartbreaking material and made a sensitive film out of it. It is also an incredibly sad story and makes you wonder about the ability of society to face this movie’s ultimate statement of homophobia and call itself civilized. There are still hate crimes of the sort depicted in the film happening today in America. I wish they would end, but sadly too few people have seen this movie and perhaps even fewer understand how terrible the prejudice can be; and that fighting prejudice and for equality really is a battle for survival.
One of the subtle parts of the movie that I really liked was how Ennis gets really jealous at the idea that Jack went to Mexico to hire a ‘rent’ boy. When I read the short story, I didn’t understand the Mexico part of it, and seeing it a couple times with subtitles on, finally, it made sense to me. Ennis doesn’t blink twice at any of Jack’s fooling around with women or getting married; in fact he kind of laughs those off.
Now if the next few sentences sound like criticism, it is just a little of me wishing for a good story and good film to have been great. Heath’s accent was passable, but I kind of wish it had been a little better. The gay love story and the scenes were played a little too gingerly in parts. While it was faithful to the book, I wish it was played up a little more. I think it would be more realistic if played a little more passionately or maybe tenderly, although perhaps it’s just the incurable romantic talking. The short story has these semi-violent sex scenes. I understand that to be a portrayal of the rough Wild West, but that part makes not too much sense to me. It’s like these guys had to horse around and rough house to express themselves most of the time. Maybe they are repressed, but out there it seems like Ennis and Jack didn’t have to answer to anyone’s idea of what guys should be like together when they are alone in the mountains. Perhaps it was ingrained into their consciousness. The jarring part I guess for me is that the tender gay moments are on the same level as the tender moments with their wives.
In watching the film, I couldn’t help but think of another gay-interest film of Western genre: My Own Private Idaho. That film made by a gay director and with a actor who may have been gay, seems bit more genuine. Maybe Ang Lee should have hired more gay consultants.
Still, I must say I very much liked the film and the short story.
One line from the written version of an intimate scene understandably missing in the film: "Gun’s a goin’ off…."
