My first brother is leaving again after my cousin's wedding this week, so I decided to bring him to watch a movie yesterday as a last get-together. Thus after meeting a friend for lunch, I met him at the mall where my mum brought my brothers for a meal of western cuisine.
We initially wanted to watch just one movie, "Brokeback Mountain", but since time allowed, we squeezed in another movie, "Casanova", as well. Come to think of it, I actually watched two shows starring Heath Ledger in a day. Not bad actually, although I would much prefer it if it is Brad Pitt or Orlando Bloom.
Heath Ledger is quite versatile. While in "Brokeback Mountain" he plays a gruff, silent cowboy who has messed-up emotions but remained true to his true love, in "Casanova" he is a suave, charming playboy who has just as messed-up emotions but changed for the one woman he really fell for.
The two movies are of different genres (one a heart-wrenching drama and the other a light-hearted romantic comedy), but one element that is common to both shows is love. In "Brokeback Mountain", the movie conveys a message that true love can transcend even genders, and one does not know how to really treasure one's love until he is gone.
In "Casanova", he finally finds it meaningless to conquer so many women, and decide to turn over a new leaf and be faithful to the one woman he truly loves. He goes so far as to be willing to die for her, and that was when the lady in question realises he is true to her.
Heath Ledger's character (Ennis) in "Brokeback Mountain" knows his feelings for Jack Gyllenhaal's character (Jack) is true, but he tried to suppress them in light of social discrimination, and led a normal life with a wife and two daughters, until she divorced him for a richer man.
Jack married the daughter of a rich man and they have a son. However the two guys never let go of their feelings for each other, and looked forward to the yearly rendezvous back in Brokeback Mountain where they could then consummate their love for each other, while telling their wives they were off "fishing" or "hunting".
The end of the movie really brought tears in my eyes as it was on Ennis receiving the news of Jack's death, and he started to regret the way he treated Jack so shabbily (often refusing his requests to meet up more often by giving numerous excuses so as not to be found out). He realised just how much he loved Jack only after he is gone.
The entire movie is essentially a love story, the couple in question quarrels like any other couple. There is jealousy, adultery, passion, torture on the little time they manage to get away and meet each other, joy and happiness taht the partner has divorced, craving and pining for each other, tears and hysterics when they separate.
In other words, there are all the petty tiffs and everything that a couple truly in love will do, except this couple in question are both of the same gender. Normally in an unorthodox relationship such as this, one will think that one of them is the more masculine and the other the more effeminate, but in this case it is not true.
Both guys are as manly as can be. They are good husbands, good fathers, good providers and care-givers to the family. Even when Ennis divorced and his ex-wife got the custody of the girls, he would still yearn to see them, take them out and spend time with them.
Jack teaches his son how to ride the tractor, disciplines him when need be, and assets his authority as the head of the family. Thus this is not just a love story between two men, but two "real" men, which makes it so special.
If this story happens in modern times, it will be no big deal because people of the same gender can fall in love and be with each other. But it was a forbidden love for the two guys as it was set in early 1960s to late 1970s America where love between people of the same gender was still practically unheard of, which was why they felt so tormented.
Despite the movie being uncut, there is hardly any nudity or sexual scenes, no more than most other normal shows. Thus, perhaps the 'R' rating may be a bit too harsh. Maybe the content of the show warrants an 'R' rating due to not wanting minors to be exposed to the overall message, but then kids these days have been exposed to worse things anyway.
But if a show this controversial can be allowed to be screened here, it shows that our local society is finally opening up, then in which case, I do not see why it should not be a M-18 or NC-16 rating.
The show itself is slow-moving, but the message, emotions and acting skills deserve the win at the Golden Globes. Although where Oscars are concerned, I will hope for "Walk The Line" to win as it is a real excellent show, possibly the best of the Oscars contenders.
But then, if "Brokeback Mountain" is not on two men in love but just an ordinary love story involving an ordinary man and woman involved in a tryst, will it have done just as well, I wonder?
We initially wanted to watch just one movie, "Brokeback Mountain", but since time allowed, we squeezed in another movie, "Casanova", as well. Come to think of it, I actually watched two shows starring Heath Ledger in a day. Not bad actually, although I would much prefer it if it is Brad Pitt or Orlando Bloom.
Heath Ledger is quite versatile. While in "Brokeback Mountain" he plays a gruff, silent cowboy who has messed-up emotions but remained true to his true love, in "Casanova" he is a suave, charming playboy who has just as messed-up emotions but changed for the one woman he really fell for.
The two movies are of different genres (one a heart-wrenching drama and the other a light-hearted romantic comedy), but one element that is common to both shows is love. In "Brokeback Mountain", the movie conveys a message that true love can transcend even genders, and one does not know how to really treasure one's love until he is gone.
In "Casanova", he finally finds it meaningless to conquer so many women, and decide to turn over a new leaf and be faithful to the one woman he truly loves. He goes so far as to be willing to die for her, and that was when the lady in question realises he is true to her.
Heath Ledger's character (Ennis) in "Brokeback Mountain" knows his feelings for Jack Gyllenhaal's character (Jack) is true, but he tried to suppress them in light of social discrimination, and led a normal life with a wife and two daughters, until she divorced him for a richer man.
Jack married the daughter of a rich man and they have a son. However the two guys never let go of their feelings for each other, and looked forward to the yearly rendezvous back in Brokeback Mountain where they could then consummate their love for each other, while telling their wives they were off "fishing" or "hunting".
The end of the movie really brought tears in my eyes as it was on Ennis receiving the news of Jack's death, and he started to regret the way he treated Jack so shabbily (often refusing his requests to meet up more often by giving numerous excuses so as not to be found out). He realised just how much he loved Jack only after he is gone.
The entire movie is essentially a love story, the couple in question quarrels like any other couple. There is jealousy, adultery, passion, torture on the little time they manage to get away and meet each other, joy and happiness taht the partner has divorced, craving and pining for each other, tears and hysterics when they separate.
In other words, there are all the petty tiffs and everything that a couple truly in love will do, except this couple in question are both of the same gender. Normally in an unorthodox relationship such as this, one will think that one of them is the more masculine and the other the more effeminate, but in this case it is not true.
Both guys are as manly as can be. They are good husbands, good fathers, good providers and care-givers to the family. Even when Ennis divorced and his ex-wife got the custody of the girls, he would still yearn to see them, take them out and spend time with them.
Jack teaches his son how to ride the tractor, disciplines him when need be, and assets his authority as the head of the family. Thus this is not just a love story between two men, but two "real" men, which makes it so special.
If this story happens in modern times, it will be no big deal because people of the same gender can fall in love and be with each other. But it was a forbidden love for the two guys as it was set in early 1960s to late 1970s America where love between people of the same gender was still practically unheard of, which was why they felt so tormented.
Despite the movie being uncut, there is hardly any nudity or sexual scenes, no more than most other normal shows. Thus, perhaps the 'R' rating may be a bit too harsh. Maybe the content of the show warrants an 'R' rating due to not wanting minors to be exposed to the overall message, but then kids these days have been exposed to worse things anyway.
But if a show this controversial can be allowed to be screened here, it shows that our local society is finally opening up, then in which case, I do not see why it should not be a M-18 or NC-16 rating.
The show itself is slow-moving, but the message, emotions and acting skills deserve the win at the Golden Globes. Although where Oscars are concerned, I will hope for "Walk The Line" to win as it is a real excellent show, possibly the best of the Oscars contenders.
But then, if "Brokeback Mountain" is not on two men in love but just an ordinary love story involving an ordinary man and woman involved in a tryst, will it have done just as well, I wonder?
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