The enemy within Yourself

Rating: 10/10 (12 March 2006)

Finally, after months of waiting in anticipation for BBM, I've seen it here in Germany. And i didn't get disappointed. It's almost everything said about the film and i just can say "Thank You !" to Ang Lee, Heath, Jack, Michelle and Anne and the rest of the crew for that amazing experience. I've seen it twice now. The second time in the original version. The emotional impact on me was much stronger at the second seeing, not only due to the original voices. There are so many tiny details, You probably miss at first. The most I liked on that film is, that no character can be seen as a victim or culprit. And unlike many people or critics remark (even here), it DOES matter, that the lovers both are gay men. To replace one of the characters of Ennis or Jack by a female character, would make absolutely no sense. It's a story about a live "in the closet", internalized homophobia, self-hatred and therefore a typical gay experience. Romeo and Juliet didn't have any problems with their identity. "It's Your fault, that I'm like this. I'm nothing', nowhere..." sobs Ennis and accuses Jack at the same time. In my opinion one of the key sentences in the story. The society not only destroys them physically (gay-bashing), but also by teaching them, to hate, and furthermore, destroy themselves. By the way: gay-bashers are often supposed as being men with hidden homosexual tendencies. Ennis probably could have turned out as one, if he wouldn't have met Jack before. Their first sex in the tent was balancing on a knife's edge for a few seconds, I suppose. What could be more cruel? How can You love somebody, if You hate Yourself?