If you're of the persuasion that homosexuality is a behavior that is chosen rather than genetically acquired (which is the conclusion that science has begun pointing to) and that people can "catch" homosexuality, this movie is not going to be one you initially might be drawn to see. However, I recommend it to you. It will dispel any thought anyone might have that homosexuality is an attractive lifestyle. Instead you will witness the excruciating pain it causes two otherwise normal heterosexual men who unsuccessfully attempt to resist the deep attraction that that draws them to each other. The attraction haunts them ever afterward, ruins their marriages and much of their lives, and ultimately causes tragedy. No one who sees the movie would ever think of homosexuality as desireable. It's an uncommon love story that deeply affected me and made me intensely feel the hugely conflicted emotions of the two principal characters, the deep but confused love, the happiness and pleasure when together, the frustration, loneliness, and sadness when apart, the struggle to keep their secret from the rest of the world. It's about common human emotions we all have experienced, albeit in different contexts, but the context of homosexuality adds dimensions that us straight folks probably have never considered. It's intensely sad, encased in beautiful geography and photograpy, and superbly acted. The most likely result from viewing this movie is an increased empathy and tolerance for homosexuals as fellow human beings, albeit with different sexual preferences. I can only hope that all people experience love, regardless of their sexual inclinations; loneliness and not having someone to love has to be a very sad existence.

If you like something different, if you're openminded, and if you know someone who is gay and have to live with a lot of prejudices, a lot of bad comments, than you will understand that ... maybe we're living in 2006, but we're also barbarians with people who are not exactly like us. I hope that movie will open doors for understanding all differences.

I commented on the RIA side under this listing how Martha tricked me into taking her to see this flick. I mentioned how it opens a new genre, the Reverse Chick Flick. I fumed for two or three weeks, but now I came up with a joke for her. Q: What do you call a place where the cowboys ride sidesadle? A: A gay ranchero.

So I sent an e-mail to my buddies for our plans Friday night. I suggested we go out for tea and biscuits before viewing Brokeback Mountain over at the Clay. I got laughed at, then beat up and kicked out of the circle. Ok seriously now...so we all knew that this movie would get great reviews. It's crossed into new boundaries, what a superb acting job by these young risk-taking lads, etc etc. We also knew this flic would pack the theatres in San Francisco, but what about the rest of the country? About 5% of the population is gay, so figure most will see it. But will straight guys go see this? Will straight women go see this? Will couples go see this? My guess is that most straight people looking for a romantic drama will avoid this one.

Of course there is no real criticism of the underlying amoral tenet or socio-political philosophy of this film in the run of the mill amoral homophile sub-culture that is Hollywood but it is somewhat curious that a Chinese director of films which could only be categorized by his previous works as portraying the Chinese in the fantastic, mythic and laudatory manner but chooses to examine the American cinematic and historic icon in such a despicable fashion. It is a ironic twist that homosexuality is a perversion that the Chinese will become more accustomed and accepting of once the demographic impact of the past 30 years of murdering their daughters for sons reaches it full potency. China at the that time will enjoy all the benefit of the nihilistic narcissism that is the true root of homosexuality as it collapses as all homophile cultures do.