Despite the well documented and numerous arguments against it's nature as a Queer Film, Brokeback Mountain is certainly not beyond analysis as a film that does in fact reflect the values and the struggles of the queer community. With regards to Mancuso's reading of the film, Brokeback Mountain embodies characteristics that grant it reprieve from harsh criticism of not actually being a "queer" film.
Mancuso points out that the lighting and mise-en-scène of the film can contribute to both the interpretive value of the film as well as reinforce non-verbal and symbolic elements within the film. The film provides lots of material that can be read between the lines, which causes the viewer into a sort of forced perspective. For example, the scene in which the two embrace shirtless simultaneously leaves a lot and nothing at all to the imagination as the viewer is forced into the perspective of the herd owner. The lighting is bright and youthful, indicating a sort of blissful innocence as the two men explore their sexuality (more or less) beyond the judgmental eyes of the outside world. With this in mind, a clear connection to the hidden and sometimes surreptitious "down-low" lifestyle that gay men have faced in antiquity.
Furthermore, the strength of the mountain as a dual metaphor for both masculine sexual freedom and sexual oppression adds to the overall "queerness" of the film. In a way, the mountain almost becomes a third character in the film, imbued with all the pent up emotion and passion entwined within the two men. The mountain is perhaps the most authentically queer aspect of the film, its symbolism able to transcend interpretive credibility.
Leave a comment