Before I came to the US, I thought of the US as if they were the “perfect land”. I thought here I was going to find freedom and tolerance and people able to understand others' needs. I had my first shock when I took a class on family and marriage (structure, social function of the family, etc.). In that course, I learned that only a few states in US recognize homosexual relationships as legal. I thought that Americans could understand "diversity"; I thought Americans were “civilized people” and as such they would accepted same-sex union. The course I mentioned and some harsh critique (for example, Christian critiques) of Brokeback Mountain were like a “breaking news” for me.
I do not think of Brokeback Mountain as a modern western, but I considere it a love story that never falls into sentimentalism. What the audience receives is the “hard fact” of the relationship between Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist. Such “hard fact” suggests how American society was back in the 60s. Here is when the movie becomes a lesson – “teach us something” – and mirrors today’s society. It creates a reality without which the love between two men wouldn’t exist.
Homosexuality is not a sin; it is not a deformity nor a shame. It can be love, friendship, passion. Watch Brokeback Mountain with open eyes and see what love may be....
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