So Brokeback Mountain is sad... | Pride Month Movie Reaction and Commentary

[@willynilly2545]

I love the ending. For me it’s one of those endings where at the ending the movie all comes together emotionally. Him saying “Jack, I swear…” shows his regret for not allowing himself to just be and love. He never let himself be open in any way because he was so afraid. It’s a very similar character to Cumberbatch’s character in POWER OF THE DOG

[@theshamelist]

_Power of the Dog_ was a phenomenal film! The comparatives between it and BBM are strong. It's nice to know there are other film buffs out there enjoying our reactions and content! Sincerely, Sam

[@darthvader3754]

when he says "Jack I swear..." it's also the promise to get his ashes and take them back to the mountain.

[@hashtagfilm]

It did NOT fall apart in the third act. It didn't fall apart at all. Sometimes, the harsh reality is that we are left with guilt and regret in our lives, and this movie perfectly personifies that. Ennis had a chance to live a happy life. He chose not to, and now he has to live with that regret for the rest of his life. Absolutely flawless, tragic, yet beautiful film.

[@geraldmcboingboing7401]

I agree wholeheartedly! There is a quote by Lewis Carroll that applies very deeply to this story: "We only regret the chances we didn't take, the relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make."

[@williamdrake6711]

She was right.. he was beaten to death for being gay.. the reason his wife gave was the practiced story. Ang.. said there was a scene in a draft script that had the 3 garage mechanics witnessing Jack saying goodbye to Randall Malone the ranch forman....which lead to Jacks murder.. this scene was deleted very early on as Ang did not want to dwell on Jack's violent end.. and the only place he could have inserted the scene was when Ennis comes to vist Jacks parents.. Ang said he felt it was unecessary and would distract from the focus ...which of course is Ennis's grief .

[@jessicablack9960]

One thing Id like to point out is the scene where Ennis finds the sheep dead. He found the sheep dead right after he and Jack had been together for the first time (foreshadowing of Jack's later death which resulted from him being with Ennis) also the dog was sitting next to the sheep and crying. The sheep that died is Jack and the dog is Ennis who was mourning his death.

[@darkblue4959]

the dead sheep might also symbolize a "death" of ennis' purity

[@jessicablack9960]

@@darkblue4959 that’s a good point. I never thought of that before

[@xpalan8728]

The ending scene was so sad and perfect. Heath Ledger, his look and body language, what a talent ♥

[@tuesdae666]

One of the most powerful gay movies I've ever watched. The struggles and the forbidden love are real. Gave you guys the like because you recognised the pain the wives went through + the prediction of who dies + the perpetuation of pain + the hats + the colours. One last thing was they ended with the closet. I think that's significant.

[@TTM9691]

This was done just a few years after Matthew Shepherd was horribly lynched IN WYOMING, in 1998, and frankly, little has changed so I don't find it outdated at all. The point of the movie is not to project a fantasy of what we'd like movies on this subject to be like; the point of the movie is sexual repression doesn't help anybody, including the kids and the wives and the collateral damage. It's historically accurate, and things like this need to exist as a reminder of how bad it could be (and is). Frankly, we could use a movie like this about abortion. It's one movie, it's not supposed to solve all of society's ills in one fell swoop. It's a tragic love story, the type they've been telling for centuries. There are plenty of sad love stories with heterosexuals dying (Romeo & Juliet anyone?) it's a tragedy and this movie never represented itself ever as anything else. As far as what "type" of sex is more in the movie, I never thought to count the seconds. "Brokeback Mountain" isn't about watching a bunch of sex scenes. There is certainly nothing "steamy" or titillating about the heterosexual sex scenes, they're there to show you how the characters are dealing with it. All I remember is the love story, and the two main leads making out passionately. THAT'S what stayed with me. I didn't find a single scene in this movie superfluous, there's not a bit of fat on it. Shoehorning a gratuitous sex scene would have just added to the runtime. It's great to analyze who is wearing the black hat and the camera angles (I do the same exact thing), but not to the point where it dilutes the emotional power (and point) of the story. I did like the reaction - it's a movie that should have way more reaction videos - and you guys are great, don't get me wrong. But if you find yourself pausing the movie every time there's a "meaty" scene - and laughing and making jokes - then it's no wonder why it didn't affect you emotionally. You didn't allow yourself to "get lost" in the film. Just something to keep in mind for future reactions. Don't kill the momentum of the storytelling.

[@blkluv100]

Yes the constant pausing does not allow you to immerse yourself in the movie. I also imagine constantly looking for symbolism can also affect your attentiveness. Having said that, watching this movie the first time I didn't cry. I think that was because the movie had a mood of sadness and melancholy from the get-go and never let up. So I stayed in that mood. Most tragic movies gives you moments of great happiness and sadness, pushing emotion out of you. This movie only gave you the great sadness and it left me in a depressive funk for two weeks.

[@TTM9691]

@@blkluv100 Ditto. I saw it on a date, actually, so I wasn't going to cry right there! But I definitely had that lingering depression that I couldn't shake, not unlike seeing "The Deer Hunter" for the first time, which I remember having a hard time shaking for quite a few days.

[@moppet1214]

On the black hat/white hat thing.. the story is told from Ennis' perspective, which is not objective. A part of him (the internalised homophobia part) needs to believe that it was Jack who was the corrupting influence, because if he can believe that, then he doesn't need to face up to the fact that he actually is queer, and what that means for his notions of right and wrong. So Ennis sees Jack as corrupting (or at least as disruptive), hence the black hat - but I don't think that the movie agrees. The second time they sleep together, Ennis comes into the tent clutching his hat in front of him like a shield, but then he sets it aside and allows himself to actually be vulnerable and real with Jack. To me, this represents Ennis setting aside his idea of what society expects him to be and choosing to just be himself instead. You could read this as a critique of the argument that being gay is unnatural - it's not nature that judges Jack and Ennis, but society. I believe the film looks at the hats not as objective markers of good and evil but rather as society's judgement of right behaviour and wrong behaviour. The movie is expressing the idea that it's not the relationship between Jack and Ennis that is the problem, but rather the social morays of the time. It makes this argument in other ways too. When they are alone together on the mountain, in nature and free of society's gaze, there's a sweetness and sense of joy and freedom to their relationship. They're able to be themselves. Once they come down from the mountain and have to deal with the judgement of a hostile society, they lose their freedom to be who they really are and have to live lives that are unnatural for them. It's society that's the problem here, not the relationship. It's why I don't think this movie really fits the trope of bury your gays, even though on the surface it seems to. Yes Jack is (presumably) murdered in the end for being gay, but the movie isn't condemning him, it's condemning the society that couldn't accept him. The movie doesn't argue Ennis was right (or wrong) to hide who he was simply because he survived. There are no winners here. Ennis was better at conforming to what society expected him to be (white hat) so his life was longer than Jack's, but it was also lonely, isolated and constricted (emphasised by the small, cluttered trailer he's living in at the end). Jack couldn't conform to the extent that Ennis did (black hat) so society killed him, but he never stopped trying to live an authentic life. Once he realised that Ennis would never 'ranch up' with him, he found someone else and tried again. He never got to live that dream but he also never gave up on it. I think the movie wants to see that as much as it wants us to see the tragedy and the horror of his life being cut short.

[@MinervaDobbs]

This comment is spot on and beautifully put!

[@jonathanramos8414]

As bleak as the ending is I think it wouldn't have had that impact without it.

[@theshamelist]

Super agree - the understated nature of the film's ending makes it powerful and gives it staying power that resonates deep within people's souls - love, Sam

[@brianbanta6398]

Thanks for pointing out subtle director and writer choices that I have never noticed after watching this a hundred times.

[@barryscott8041]

I was watching on live TV the night Brokeback was up for the Best Picture Oscar. Jack Nicholson opened the envelope, and looked as stunned as everyone. "Crash," a garbage movie, took the trophy. Everybody knew Brokeback was 100x a better film, but.......Hollywood wasn't ready.

[@valmacclinchy]

Jake earned a well-deserved BAFTA for his performance, though. The British recognized this masterpiece of film.

[@veera9718]

Thanks for your interesting commentary! I agree that the anticlimactic ending, while it worked as intended, was a little hard to stomach after a movie that was already so emotionally crushing. However, sad as it was, I never felt like the movie was telling me that being queer was the problem, or that Jack's death was some sort of cosmic punishment for being more comfortable with his sexuality. Even as a kid when I first watched this (and long before I acknowledged my own queerness), I saw the culprit as the forces of bigotry, shame, and repression they all lived under, and every single character was a victim of those forces. While I also want more sappy feel-good queer movies, I don't think that just because this was a tragic one makes the message problematic.

[@theshamelist]

That's a fair point, and we appreciate you sharing. It's always nice to hear other perspectives, and things we maybe hadn't considered. Thank you for taking the time! ❤️Jacqui

[@MRoriz-ls8hg]

" 'jack, i swear..' he said, though jack had never asked him to swear anything, and was himself not to swearing kind"

[@theshamelist]

It’s SO SAD 😭 - Sam

[@barryscott8041]

It was just an expression, meaning I love you.

[@dameinnoble3995]

Born 82, this film was out of this world for me here in New Zealand. I fell in love at 12 with a family friend of the same age, we kept our love secret, he went on to be a farmer and he went on to marry and have children. I've never been in love since and think about him till this day. He would of just turned 40, I'll be 40 in September.

[@田山川-s4w]

❤❤❤

[@Sara01977]

When I was younger, I used to always need that climax with clean ending all wrapped up. As I got older and watched more indie and foreign films, I started to “get” to appreciate real life stories. In fact, some movies have no conclusion, although I felt this one did. I loved this movie when I saw it and cried my eyes out at numerous points. I just felt that anguish from Jack and Ennis not also from the women in their lives. I’ve watched at least a dozen times and adore it more and more.

[@scottsaunders5087]

Gosh I cried buckets at the end in most of the 20 on times I’ve watched it! The fact it’s not wrapped up just made it feel more real and thus more emotional

[@dansmart3182]

Ang Lee directed this, he has the craziest imdb page. He directed sense and sensibillity, two small films, crouching tiger, hidden dragon, a few shorts, Hulk, brokeback mountain, then life of pi... wild ride.

[@theshamelist]

The man is a master of his craft! - Sam

[@JoeCool7835]

I was living in the South when this movie came out, & I heard all the rage from conservatives when it did. Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I think the rage was for more than just how mainstream this movie became. For the longest time, the cowboy was the quintessential example of rugged manliness thanks to John Wayne, Clint Eastwood & Marshall Dillon from Gunsmoke. Seeing cowboys going gay shattered that image for them, something they weren't prepared for & absolutely refused to accept.

[@darthvader3754]

I am a straight man. I did not go see this movie because I have gay tendencies or I felt the need to shock myself with visuals and story lines that violate my senses. I went to see this movie because I had seven gay men on my work crew, and they were, and still are, very close friends. I went with them, and five straight male friends and they brought their girlfriends or wives. 18 of us walked into that theater together, giddy, excited, poking fun at each other making the typical gay jokes. 18 of us walked out of that theatre transformed. For the gay guys, this movie was pure and simple validation, for the women, it was life altering, but for the straight guys, all I can say is that 17 years later, it's one of the most powerful films we have ever seen or ever been made. No one in that theater walked out those doors with dry eyes and unscathed. It's a case study in filmmaking on how to make a true Masterpiece. This is a phenomenal film that constantly subverts your expectations and takes you on a journey you could never have planned for, and as a result, could never get to the destination. The color pallets used in each scene is brilliant. You don't just get to see it, you experience the locations as the characters do. The music is kept to a minimum so as the viewer, your left in the same vast emptiness of the scene and you feel the same loneliness or tension the other characters feel. It really is that well crafted. The story is a super tragedy and man it hurts. Even after all this time. This movie was a quiet and graceful invitation for heterosexual people to experience life as the LGBTQ community did at that time in history. You get to walk in their shoes, while still being forced to stay in your own. The villain is social prejudice, so I got to see myself in the story, not as a character, but as the undefined villain. If ever there was a film that deserves the full attention of a society, this is that film. I loved your banter throughout and just want to say thanks for reacting to one of my all time favorite movies. I credit it for helping me to become a better human being, and to see everyone as deserving of respect, compassion and love. Still rooting for Ennis and Jack to finally have the happy ending they were robbed of. Maybe in Heaven.. I got something weird happening with my eyes right now, I need to go and handle that.

[@Powhart]

31:56 - Jesus Crhist Dude... artistic things are not conveying what they are saying. They are conveying the impression that they make. Ennis is saying here that "You shouldn't be wanting anything more, cause you're in this and that position" but the impression is saying "Yeah, and it shouldn't be that way". Learn the difference. I'm writing songs where I'm singing as "I" where I can be considered to be clearly a villain of the narrative, but it's just a way to make people realise that, see that, and think otherwise. It's that simple, why does the young generation cannot get their head around that simple idea?

[@caleb_güero]

It's ironic how when I was young, I refused to watch this movie because "Ew, gay sex." Now at 29 I'm struggling to come out as Bi to my family and friends. It's just a shame that so many men and women lived this life in the past, unable to be themselves.

[@williamdrake6711]

As far as the 2 shirts go.. the light shirt was actually Ennis's and the jean shirt was Jacks.. so when jack had it hanging it was Ennis's shirt inside and when Ennis had it hanging it was Jacks shirt inside...

[@Saphthings]

This movie is filled with stereotypes/tropes, created so many homophobic jokes and etc, but you know what, at the end of the day it truly did start a golden area of lgbt representation, so I can't be mad at it. I can firmly say that media and even our rights would be different today without this shaking things up back then. So it's a landmark key moment in lgbt history. And watching it back then, it was such an amazing moment being lgbt and seeing us in a movie so mainstream.

[@sandersGG]

Fr this movie could be interpreted in many ways but if you come from a place of understanding it's definitely good lgbt representation

[@labbetuss]

The movie didn't create homophobic jokes. People did. When Brokeback Mountain was released, gay marriage was illegal in 49/50 states. Don't ask, don't tell still existed. People forget history so easily, and especially how backwards things used to be.

[@Saphthings]

@@labbetuss Yep, although today it may "seem" different, it's also a key contributor to the progress we've had to be able to even judge it that way. Being a closeted middle schooler when it came out, even having people around me speaking ill of it as a sinful movie at least put the word "gay" into the air. It made it real, the word, and not so much a secret. It created forums, conversations to feel people out. I have deep respect for it and how it affected my life.

[@Powhart]

I think somebody put it best when described this movie. Brokeback Mountain was not made for LGBTQ community, it was made for straight community to understand LGBTQ community. And it succeeded in that.

[@iemand2612]

I love your commentary!!! Another great movie for pride is Pride (2014) :)

[@theshamelist]

Aw! Thank you! We'll have to add that to the list. ❤️ Jacqui

[@Wuffskers]

I'm a gay guy from Georgia who just watched this movie for the first time recently since it's pride month and I'd never seen it. I was 13 when this first came out and of course I'd seen all the memes which now I find pretty absurd considering how deep and serious this movie is, I don't know why I never watched it sooner, maybe some part of me when I was younger intentionally wanted to avoid the gay cowboy movie and then later I just knew it was probably gonna be a bummer to watch so I avoided it, and while it was a bummer this movie also has a fucking chokehold on me and I've been looking up all kinds of reactions and reviews to like relive the experience and see what other people think. I obviously grew up in a later era and a not quite as extremely rural conservative environment, but growing up in the south I found so much of this to be immensely relatable. The intense yearning and secrecy and paranoia but also those moments of relief when you have someone and when you're with them it almost feels like this transcendent experience and you can find safe places you can be yourself but it's all too fleeting and not enough and you even feel physically ill when it's over and the normal closeted days end up feeling like you're just counting down until you can do it again and those memories of those times feels like it's all that keeps you going. It also probably doesn't help that despite growing up in Georgia some of my most cherished romantic memories are from some time I spent in the mountains in Colorado, not Wyoming but still. I thankfully haven't lost someone in the sense of them dying but even just going through a break up while in the closet is a rough experience so extrapolating that to real grief of losing someone in the way Ennis lost Jack I literally can't stop thinking about that final scene with Ennis swearing to Jack with tears in his eyes and likely pulling himself together before heading out because he's not allowed to openly grieve like that. I definitely get some of the criticism of like certain tropes ya know bury your gays and all that but I honestly feel like the tragedy and reality and also the kind of lack of closure is what made this movie have the profound effect it had on me. I honestly wouldn't change anything about this movie, but I do think we just need more happier gay movies to balance it out. Even though I think the story is powerful as is and I also think it's important as it is I do find myself yearning for a similar story that has a happier ending.

[@amyelizabeth1783]

I LOVE hearing your analysis it's so interesting!

[@theshamelist]

Thank you! We're glad you enjoyed it!

[@kaneshirorain9070]

Brokeback mountain is the movie that make me fall in love to Jake Gyllenhaal I remember how I'm crying and can't help my self to stop my tears after watching this movie 😭 He is really amazing and adorable actor Love all His movies 🤩🤩

[@valmacclinchy]

He really is one of the finest, most versatile actors around. He'll be back on Broadway next year, in Othello.

[@Ryan78336]

This film was a sucker punch to the soul. Saw it once, quite enough.

[@deadassdgaf100]

red is witty & gorgeous sis is adorably gravitating both brilliant just wanted to drop these 💐 off. (btw i thought 'i would've answered: i usually last more than 8 secs 😉' after Jacqui's line : "it took him more than 8 secs to get it, but..." lol. loved that back-n-forth. y'all are cute.

[@lostwave4880]

I think a perspective shift is required when watching this movie. It was made for heteronormative audiences, to put in front of them the harsh realities that were/are created by heteronormative expectations. The movie was not made to provide an uplifting or positive message for other groups. The harsh reality is required to be portrayed to get the message across about all of the impacts and consequences of forced heteronormative expectations. Although it is an interesting exercise in analysis by affected/impacted groups, it is most important to analyze any impact the movie might have had in shifting heteronormative expectations in the real world. The movie is left open ended and unfulfilling/incomplete because the issues being raised are also remain unresolved in reality. The love story while relatable or the focus of the movie for groups who can relate, the messaging to any intended heteronormative audience is not about the love story itself. The movie is intended to leave the audience thinking, not satisfied or fulfilled or uplifted.

[@rickberglund2134]

1:48 “saw anus...” really? That’s landmark? Btw, you don’t see anus in this movie.

[@сиднипрескотт-щ3л]

Same i was like wtf

[@Juan-lv1vy]

First time being here so hello! I really enjoyed your reactions and the comments about the details in the film. I've seen this movie many times and I've never pick up the symbolism with the colors because I thought it had to do with time period.

[@theshamelist]

We're so glad we could help give the film more depth to you! Thank you for watching, cowboy - sincerely, Sam

[@GreigStott]

Hey guys, just revisited this film recently and found your commentary, enjoyed tuning in, all the best!

[@theshamelist]

So glad you enjoyed your time with us! Hope to see you again in the future 😘 - love, Sam

[@erzdev5669]

You both have great chemistry! I had a lot of fun watching this movie together with you :)

[@theshamelist]

Thank you!

[@harold-thedutchguy]

Thank you both for this great, fun and clever reaction/analysis of this beautiful but sad movie. I think you both would love 'God's own country' (2017) for Pride month. It's in a way 'Brokeback Mountain' 2.0. It's beautiful, sad but also, and in that sense different, very uplifting and heartwarming at the same time. Keep up the good work:)

[@80hdbb]

this is the only movie that I will forgive the 'bury your gays' trope for, because it's not meant to be a love story. it's about what being outcasted does to a person. as annie proulx said "It’s about homophobia; it’s about a social situation; it’s about a place and a particular mindset and morality."

[@teslatwitterofficial]

0:58 wrong, this movie is from 2005 and The Devil Wears Prada was from 2006. So this movie is before.

[@cyrilmauras4247]

It always drives me tears in the last scene where all Ennis has of Jack is his jacket.

[@BanthaTube]

I stumbled upon your channel a few days ago and have been loving your reactions and analysis. My favourite part (for all the wrong reasons) of Brokeback is the scene where the family is fighting over watching football at the dinner table and Jack finally stands up to his father-in-law. I recognize the game on the TV. It isn't a big college bowl game... It isn't a big Dallas Cowboys vs Houston Oilers clash... It's the 1976 Montreal vs Edmonton Grey Cup - the championship of CANADIAN football! You see Canadian football all the time in the background of American TV and Movies. I assume the rights to the Canadian Football League are cheaper than American football. I find it hilarious watching this big dramatic scene over whether or not the family can watch a Canadian sporting event at American Thanksgiving. 🙃

[@theshamelist]

Wow! Thank you for the kind words, and for pointing that out! It actually does make the scene that much better, and reinforces that isn't not really about the game, it's the fight for dominance between Jack and his father-in-law. We had a lot to say about it, and I was disappointed we had to cut it for the KZbin edit. ❤️ Jacqui

[@willynilly2545]

Great commentary. Serendipity, cause tonight I went to a 35mm screening of BBM at The Los Feliz Theater and was actually just at a wedding where Anne Hathaway was also a guest. I haven’t seen this film since it came out and I forgot how beautiful it was.

[@theshamelist]

This is the most LA thing I've ever heard and I love it. So glad you found us! - sincerely, Sam

[@beatyz2]

Yeah this video should definitely be watched in two or three parts. I just got through the intro and I feel like I died. It's a lot. And the movie itself is a lot so I would suggest space between whatever that bombshell introdump and the tone there to appreciating Brooke Black mountain

[@CrystalMouse1]

Story time: I was becoming trans right before puberty hit when I realized that I’d be given less love from my caregivers. But also I just never felt cis but didn’t have a name for it in 2005. I grew up religious. As a disabled person I knew I’d have to marry into a family who could support me cuz my education system and caregivers dumped me out on my own at 17. I married into a cult. My then husband was closeted and I was without knowing it. Funny enough, I wasn’t upset that my husband was with a man even though I was religious and taught to hate. So this also began my polyamorous self as well. But the family was abusive and told me that because I’m not a cis woman, I didn’t belong. I had a mental breakdown and I’m disabled now. I left the family and in the homeless shelter I watched this movie. I cried because I realized that not only was he gay, but I was queer too and we had both been survivors together without knowing it. But he divorced me anyway and I moved on. Today I’m out as a pansexual and non-binary witch and this movie changed my life. Representation saves lives 🖤🤍💛💜

[@Leathurkatt]

Two movies you two should watch together - "To Wong Foo, thanks for everything. Julie Numar" and "The Birdcage".

[@jessicablack9960]

I absolutely love this movie. I just watched it recently and now I am obsessed. The acting and the directing is phenomenal and I think this is an important message for people to see especially people who are a little bit homophobic. Hopefully it's movies like this that will help to make people realize the damage homophobia can do. Also I myself was frustrated by the ending. Mostly because I didn't know it was a sad movie and so the whole time I was holding out hope that it would be a happy ending. But I do think the tragic ending was necessary to leave the impression it did and make the film as extraordinary as it was. And the ending is one of those endings that makes you feel hooked because it leaves you hanging and unsatisfied. It makes you want to watch it again and again.

[@montist1]

Love you guys. Thank you so much for it all

[@tedmartin5239]

The good guys always wore white hats, the bad guys black hats!

[@deadassdgaf100]

i ALSO, for some strange reason, react THE SAME EXACT WAY with Stranger Things. i dont know WHY that fills me with glee, but it does 🤷🏻‍♀️ i absolutely relate.

[@AnnekeOosterink]

Yeah, I get the "the gays always die" and fridging the wife tropes are very prevalent. I love dramas, for the tears, but it is true that there are millions of happy endings for hetero couples and maybe three for non-straight couples. For some depression antidote I always put on heartstopper, which is the opposite, in that it is happy and while not carefree, it is definitely light in tone, and that can make a bit unconnected to reality. I would argue that heartstopper is also grounded, there is drama, there are just also emotionally mature and well adjusted people who communicate and apologise when appropriate. (which granted is not super realistic) Brokeback mountain does make me feel things, the pain of mourning a life you never got/get to have even though you really wanted it just hits me. I can totally see though why it didn't for other people. :) The tragedy of it feels inevitable, which it should be, that's hwo tragedies work, but that can also be very frustrating, when you're just screaming at characters to just talk to each other for once in your goddamn lives! But yeah, Ennis is too afraid and Jack is too optimistic to really truly acknowledge that fear. The answer to "but what if [reasonably realistic fear] happens?" is not "we'll be fine".

[@jondishmonmusicandstuff2753]

This is just my opinion but it's a period piece being portrayed correctly. This was a no-no back then especially in that part of the country. But trust and believe the audience, most of them anyway, is rooting for them.

[@gacchan]

I would love to see the two of you do Everything Everywhere All At Once after watching this review of yours. Great channel, subbed!

[@theshamelist]

It’s coming in November! 😊 thank you for the sub, and we’ll see you then! ❤️Jacqui

[@mysticdigital5936]

I love hearing both of your perspectives on this as someone who isn't well versed in filmmaking! I do love some critical media analysis though. I relate to Jacqui constantly making predictions during a movie. The first time I watched this film was at a shoeing my university did. I definitely teared up nese the end. It's a good movie, even with its flaws and it undeniably is an influential/important movie. That said, I honestly am not sure if I'd say i like it or not. I think I prefer more hopeful films?

[@rickberglund2134]

2:45 Brokeback Mountain should have won best picture. This was a rape.

[@garyglaser4998]

You felt "empty" at the end because it didn't show Jack's death on-screen and because it didn't wrap things up in a nice little bow for you? Film school seems to have provided you with very rigid and limiting concepts. Sad. May I suggest you free your mind and open your heart?

[@theshamelist]

Well, they do say gingers have no souls, but I try to defy stereotype as much as I can 😊 Thank you for watching and sharing your opinions! We appreciate it. ❤️Jacqui

[@garyglaser4998]

@@theshamelist You're not "soulless". Maybe just a little too caught up in the "rules" you were taught in film school. 😘

[@bobcarn]

Such great commentary from both of you. I really enjoyed that. I picked up on things I hadn't noticed before. I had seen the movie a lot when it first came out (I think most gay men above a certain age did), and it was nice hearing your observations. What a great film. Ang Lee did an amazing job on it. It's such a simple story, but simple ones can be even more effective since they have less clutter to them to distract you. If you never heard the story of how Annie Proulx came up with the story, it's pretty interesting (and simple). She was at a country bar on a Saturday night and noticed an older ranch-hand-type person wearing his best jeans and shirt and hat. The man was watching other men play pool and seemed to be watching the men more closely than the women, and Annie wondered if he might be "country gay". She wondered what it might be like for a gay man to be growing up in that environment where they had to hide their sexuality, and the story developed from there. She took his approximate age, counted back to when he would have been about 18 or so, and came up with a young Ennis in the early 60s. Since you can't have a story about being gay if there's nobody for your character to be gay with, she invented Jack. And then spent quite a while developing an incredibly direct and impactful tale.

[@theshamelist]

I never knew that! Thank you for sharing, and for the kind words! ❤️Jacqui

[@OzyEdoTorrealba]

My only problem with this video is that he was too conflicted about the "message" he got from the movie and she was too cerebral about every important part of it. He was an outraged activist and she was writing an essay...

[@blkluv100]

I agree, I find watching reactors who are film students frustrating because they take all the fun out of a movie. It almost always feels like they're showing off. It's like let me show you how much I know about film making. It sometimes comes off as insufferable. I sometimes think that they over think things a lot too.

[@gregfeasel5874]

1999's "Boy Don't Cry", starring Hilary Swank and Chloe Sevigny, was a big Oscar movie back in the 90s. It is a sad/tragic movie too and based on a real life person. It's about a real-life transgender male who ends up getting murdered. Important movie about the dangers of transphobia and hate in our society. Other good ones are The Imitation Game, Dog Day Afternoon, Call Me By Your Name, TransAmerica, Moonlight, The Kids Are All Right, Philadelphia, and Bird Cage (very funny).

[@theshamelist]

Wow! Thank you for the recommendations! The Imitation Game moved me to tears, and I think I actually wrote a paper about The Kids Are All Right in school. We originally had Call Me By Your Name and Moonlight on the schedule for this month, but since we couldn't squeeze them in, we're going to find another time to do them. I'd like to eventually do "Oscar Sundays," or something like that, so that may be where we fit in several of those films. ❤️ Jacqui

[@jthomann71]

Two movies you should really react to, especially for Pride Month, are And the Band Plays On and The Normal Heart. Powerful, extremely well-done.

[@theshamelist]

Thank you for the recommendations! I haven't seen either of those, so we'll definitely have to do them in the future. ❤️ Jacqui

[@jthomann71]

@@theshamelist You're welcome! They're very much based on real stories and I apologize for the tears. Also a much more well-known movie that you've probably already seen is Philadelphia, that earned Tom Hanks one of his Oscars. These are all 3 AIDS epidemic-related movies and tough watches.but I love them because I was a teen during the 80s and grew up during that plague and went on to work in medicine during the 90s, occasionally working with patients who had AIDS. And the Band Played On was an HBO movie in 1993 and The Normal Heart was an HBO movie in 2014. They're not fun or light-hearted but they're very good depictions of what gay men went through during an unnecessarily tragic time.

[@theshamelist]

​@@jthomann71 I have nothing against sad movies. The heartbreak and tears can be incredibly cathartic, and it says a lot about a film, and the subject matter, if it can move you to tears. I was fully prepared to cry at Brokeback, and I think if I hadn't been aware of it for over a decade, (or hadn't gone to film school) I would've been a sobbing mess. And thank you for sharing your experiences. I can only imagine what that must have been like for you to witness, both as a teen and as a professional, so your recommendations carry a lot of weight. We'll see if there's a way we can include those, and even if we can't, I'll add them to my personal watch list. ❤️ Jacqui

[@jthomann71]

@@theshamelist Thanks for the kind words. I came for the Ted Lasso reactions, I'm staying for the reactors.

[@theshamelist]

@@jthomann71 People like you are the reason I actually really enjoy reading the comments (and we all know that's not always a good experience on the internet). You all have embraced us so much, and even after just a few weeks, this has already become such an important part of my life. Sam is completely (and lovingly) mystified by the response we've gotten, and it's so gratifying to know that we have a community here. So thank you again! ❤️ Jacqui

[@plasticien007]

Quand on voit un film comme celui ci. Retourner au cinéma est bien difficile...pour ma part c'est un chef d'œuvre. Avec des acteurs immensément juste...un chef d'oeuvre

[@christopherking4932]

Love this movie so much ❤ I still can't believe it's two straight actors performing in this movie. I understand people not liking the messages in this film.

[@theshamelist]

It really is an incredible, but very complicated film. Definitely one you can never forget. I've actually had their little guitar theme stuck in my head for days ❤️ Jacqui

[@sadfaery]

Have y'all seen the new Netflix series Heartstopper yet? I know Pride month is over, but it is a remarkably masterful queer teen love story.

[@theshamelist]

It's on the list! We're not sure when yet, but we definitely want to do it. Thank you for the recommendation! ❤️Jacqui

[@robertshows5100]

The whole academy voted for best picture. Most of the conservatives are in that group. And conservatives were a little angry about it.

[@christopherbarahona8983]

Absolutely great movie. But being ruined. I can’t.

[@crystalk98]

I've never understood how someone like Jack could fall in love with someone like Ennis....he's just so closed off and tbh, completely boring.... and never once looked actually happy. Did he ever even laugh throughout the whole movie?? If ever the saying "opposites attract", was more true, I guess its shown clearly in this movie.....

[@cwdkidman2266]

One of the best and most riveting movies ive ever seen. Not a tragedy though. As defined by the Athenians, a tragedy is a bad ending for a lead character brought about by his/her own hubris. Jack didnt cause his own murder. I'll wager his wife said the wrong thing to the wrong person. Women have a harder time with this film than straight men. The intelligence behind every scene, every line every frame mept me glued to the screen. But women? i dont mean to sound anti-female but ive seen a lot of normally progressive women of all ages lose their minds in anger when a handsome gay man is shown or they know one in real life and he's not a drag queen or Nathan Lane identifiable as gay. Women seem to hate that, IMHO. And ive also know several marriages where the wife outed the closeted gay husband and tried to get labeled as a Possible Child Molester. True. I think its due to women usually having the moral high ground until something like this movie shows up. The sympathy is definitely with Jack and Ennis. Women are used to The Burning Bed and Sleeping With The Enemy. Not here. If Jack and Ennis hadnt married women, they'd start to get strange looks and angrier looks. From women and men. Drag queen movies? Bring them on, honey! Mantan Moreland! Steppin Fetchit!! Gay minstrel shows! The Birdcage? Bring on Nathan Lane!! Brokeback Mountain? Too long too slow too anything i dont have to see that makes me look bad. Anyway i appreciate the brains behind this story that didnt have a happy ending nailed on by the accountants running the studio. This is almost like a film from New Hollywood, 66-78, the most creative period in film history. Until Star Wars and movies by committees took over. The segment in Blow-up where the unnamed fashion photographer starts a fifteen or so minutes of working with his park photos to see if he can figure out what happened, a segment with no dialogue or music, is fifteen of the most suspenseful minutes i've ever seen. And you're just watching someone working. He is not going to die or be injured but somehow Antonioni realizes the pleasure an audience can feel in watching someone highly skilled work on something that might be very interesting. All of Brokeback Mountain is me watching Ang Lee show off his talent. Roman Polanski films are like that: you're in very capable hands. Howard Hawks does that. For me. After that it's hit or miss. Love every frame. Respect and admire and honor the story.

[@cyrilmauras4247]

Great reaction from you both.

[@jondishmonmusicandstuff2753]

I find it interesting that the gay guy is so uncomfortable watching it's like why are you uncomfortable I mean this is what the movie is about you know it that's what it is about and you are rooting for them so why can't you watch it I mean I'm not being mean I'm finding funny that you're being very modest about it

[@barryscott8041]

I'm straight but a gay friend had me go to the theater to see this. I found it realistic, beautifully acted and photographed....but in the end, two guys who had wives and children.....threw their lives away. I thought it was very depressing

[@dansmart3182]

I think there are good movies that are entertaining and I will watch over and over. Then there are movies that are worthy, but I don't want to watch again, Schindlers list for example. This is a worthy movie.

[@theshamelist]

We agree! Some movies need to be seen, but they really only need to be seen once. Schindler's List is a great example of a movie that only needs to be seen once. - sincerely, Sam

[@blkluv100]

Agree about "Schindler's List", add The "Shawshank Redemption" to that list.

[@GriffinUSA]

Just found your channel and loved this reaction! Something tells me you have both seen the movie "Psycho Beach Party", but I would love to hear your commentary and discussion if you have not seen it.

[@theshamelist]

Thank you so much for watching! Neither of us have seen Psycho Beach Party, but we had a blast looking it up, and if we can, we'll try to find a space for it on the channel. ❤️Jacqui

[@GriffinUSA]

@@theshamelist Something tells me it would be a blast watching you both watch it since you have not seen it. Thank you so much and I hope you both have a great Independence Day Holiday! 💖

[@mmjb53]

You should watch the teaser for My Policeman!

[@johanluisrivas8016]

Prayers for Bobby, please 🖤

[@darylesells19]

Ugh that movie is so incredibly tragically beautiful.

[@davidmaholchic6146]

Good luck guys my favorite movie love you

[@meerkat7142]

1:45 i thought he said anus

[@cyrilmauras4247]

Rough trade cowboys?

[@Hey_Jamie]

It is a bit strange to me that you two keep referring to this film as a story and Jack and Ennis as characters. You _do_ know this actually happened, right? These were real people. The emotions and period feel real because this is a true story.

[@Hey_Jamie]

55:34 uhhh, yeah I feel like you don’t realize this was a true story.

[@zblglr]

what is the true story???

[@sandersGG]

​​@@zblglr girl yeah most likely in a homophobic era not with exact characters of course

[@zblglr]

@@sandersGG of course!! I thought they meant a confirmed couple and was curious since I hadn’t heard that before

[@tonyandrich]

The film is an adaptation of a short story written by Annie Proulx. It may or may not represent a story about real persons.

[@Tez.92]

❤️❤️

[@thomasx58]

too much chatter

[@katieroberts7731]

As someone that likes to learn and grow, respectfully, why is this controversial for the queer community? Is it just the bury your gay perspective? Or did i miss a different viewpoint? ❤️❤️💜🧡💛

[@barryscott8041]

I agree; the only 'controversy' I can see (for gays) is that it all ends very, very badly, with their wives and children abandoned. The reality of consequences.

[@LenaDee666]

Still not a fan of the movie, only watched it once fully tho. It just never caught me. like my friends were hyping the guys and omg it's gay, and I'm like yeah but not my kinda gay😅 also the beeting up scene/memory? reminded me of Mathey Sheppard, like what I heard about his death....storywise decades late but still

[@сиднипрескотт-щ3л]

The story was probably inspired by his murder

[@roberttanas7842]

I was married twice and they both didn't work out in 3 years later as I just was living life this guy comes up to me and starts talking and we had a connection no matter of seven eight months I had them moving with me he was with me for 8 years when I met him I had a 8 year old daughter and every other weekend he was my roommate but he was my love and he came home from work and I bought him a car a white fire bird with sea tops and for 3 days he had to go somewhere to just drive it and then I will send my kitchen and I heard squealing a tires and it intersection and it was a semi that T-boned him and killed him he was only 42 and I was 46 all these years later I'm worn him I think about him before I go to bed when I wake up but if his spirits with me he just won't let me be with anyone very handsome very rugged he was born in shape he never had to work out I was overweight and he loved me with all his heart I've had no one ever loved me like that in my life some people would take it as smothering but deep down I really loved it because I never had it now he's gone I remember him like yesterday I remembered the things he's done to jokes he played on me even though he died my soul died with him I just can't get happy I haven't smiled one day in 20 years so if you have something don't take it for granted enjoy every day never go to bed mad always let the other person know you love them or just make love to him there's a time you have sex and there's a time you make love figure the difference out and just do it because one or the other will be happy we all don't die together

[@trentroberdeau1462]

@The Shame List lol, both characters in the movie are selfish, petty cowards, perfectly fine with ruining other peoples lives. They both deserve what they got. The ending is perfect because, that lifestyle is a dead end.

[@barryscott8041]

I agree. It's odd to see Reactors "rooting for" Ennis and Jack to get it on----What about their wives??

[@jijitters]

​@@barryscott8041 Gotta be the straightest takes I've ever read. Their lives with their wives were them playing pretend. It's pretty common for gay men or women to get into a straight marriage as a way of trying to ignore their identity and try to be like everyone else, even if it makes them miserable and doesn't feel like what they want. It is deluded of you to act like these were happy fulfilled marriages. You're obviously both homophobic commenters, deficient in empathy, but that doesn't mean you also have to be deficient in intelligence.