"O God, I know that you are only pleased with honesty, sincerity, and a truthfulness of heart." Psalm 51:8
Brokeback Mountain can be difficult to watch, but not for the reason you would expect.
The pain of this story is the dishonesty that its two main characters, Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger, in one of his best acting performances to date) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), experience both with each other and in their everyday lives.
This is a film about broken relationships, scarred by dishonesty and clandestine actions to hide a love story that society could not accept (and in many areas, still cannot accept). Ennis and Jack were forced to keep their real feelings a secret from those around them, and that forced silence created the pain that exudes from the screen as we watch this movie.
How often are we held back from being really real with those around us, so that we can live up to the sometimes false expectations set by others and by our world?
For some, that experience happens all too often.
What Brokeback Mountain tells us is that, if we supress these feelings, if we hide what's truthful, sincere, and honest about who God made us, then we can expect a hard and unhappy life. Christ said "the truth shall set you free" (John 8:32), and without truth, it would seem, we are trapped, we are imprisoned by our own demons.
What occured to me as I left the threatre after seeing this film was how much I wanted to re-write the story, to allow Ennis and Jack to be fully honest with their wives, and experience the freedom Christ desires for each one of us when we are finally honest with ourselves, and with the world around us.
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1 comment:
Paul,
These are some good things to really think about and ponder. I liked how you talked about broken relationships and how these characters had to hide a love story. Do you think that fits into the category of dealing with a mental illness, such as I do?
Just curious.
What kinds of false expectations do you think are set by others?
I hope that society changes its rules and allows for people to be unique and themselves.
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