Finally a movie about rural gay men

Rating: 10/10 (10 February 2006)

I lived in San Francisco for a decade during the decadent 70's, as a reporter, and in the rural parts of the West for two decades, and as a man in my fifties, I can testify that Brokeback Mountain truly reflects for the first time, the real situation of life for rural men who find themselves feeling deep affection or love for each other.
The other movies of rural gay life, like "BIG EDEN" are mostly a fantasy, though hopeful, they do not show how it really is. Brokeback hits hard at the heart of the matter. The bigotry, intolerance and murderous stupidity that people in rural areas can inflict upon men who love each other is real and this movie shows that truth. Gay movies that have in the past shown only the mincing, effeminate queens have left me unaffected, but Brokeback Mountain rings true for millions of rural men.
This movie shows how jobs and promotions are denied or lost. Ruinous marriages are created, and children are born -- all because gay men must conform or face punishment or isolation or even death. The courage of these two characters to at least acknowledge their feelings to each other is the tough love I see everyday in my rural town. I know who these men are, who have confessed their hearts, take a momentary comfort and then bury their true natures to survive the social pressures. All we should learn to expect from each other is to be authentic.
Misery and suffering is created and inflicted upon those rural men who remain single and therefore are immediately suspect and targeted for punishment or worse. Thank god for everybody who helped to make this movie and bring the searing truth to the consciousness of millions, and hopefully a slap to the consciousness of those guilty of their cruelty.