Brokeback Mountain, Ancient Greek Angst and Smallville fic recs

[dangermousie]

Saw Brokeback Mountain yesterday. Since we were in Dupont, this was the most male audience I've ever seen a movie with, including the Matrix.

aliterati thought it was "overwhelmingly OK" but I liked it more than she did. I thought it was an understated, moving film that isn't my fave movie of the year but defenitely deserves the bunches of awards it's been getting. I especially liked Heath Ledger. Whoa, who knew he could act. When I think of him being in Roar, mind kinda boggles. I was especially interested by the thought that HL's character problem wasn't even that he was gay in a society that couldn't accept that (I think that was JG's character's problem) but that his upbringing and life left him emotionally crippled. There is a reason he barely talks, a reason he is so awkward with tenderness. I found the scene in the mountains where Jack just holds him and kisses him utterly moving because you can tell Ennis isn't used to giving or recieving tenderness and he is both starved for it and not sure how to react to it. How heartbreaking. He is half-wild. And of course there is that bit with his kissing Jack when they see each other after 4 years (btw, winterspel people in our theater laughed too and so did I. Just the sort of "revelation" to the wife IS somehow funny. Maybe because I never really was invested in her as a character). There is passion and love there, but there is also desperation in having one person who brings him out of the meaningless stupor of his life. I got the feeling that he couldn't have had a happy marriage with his wife even if he was ramrod straight, because he didn't know how to open up to anyone but another person who was just like him, another cowboy. The reason Ennis could "work" with Jack was because they both were from very similar environment and worlds.

In other news, I was rereading one of my favorite novels, Frank Yerby's Goat Song, which is a book published in 1960s and is angsty and complicated and great. It's set in Ancient Greece in the time of Socrates. The main character, Ariston, is a Spartan youth (the book starts when he is 17) who after various complicated events ends up suicidal and captured by the Athenians during the endless wars of that century. He is sold into a brothel (for men) but eventually extricates himself and tries to build a life for himself in Athens. This book almost maxes out my angst buttons (there is a good reason he is suicidal and his life doesn't get better from there) but I love Ariston, who is drop-dead-gorgeous but comes to hate physical beauty and view it as a curse (it resulted in him being a sex-slave after all), who really wants to love someone but believes he isn't worthy because he just brings death on all those he loves, and who goes through life believing he doesn't deserve happiness, etc etc. aliterati, you won't like it, because even though he has bi leanings in the beginning of the novel, his time as a sex slave to men effectively knocks those out of him forever, uderstandably so. I also love the secondary characters, from the real historical persons of Socrates, Alcibiades, Autolucos, Kritias to the various clearly invented ones. I am also sappy enough to adore the love story with Kleothera, and the fact that he eventually finds happiness and respite from his demons. So, good read I highly recommend locating. The funny thing is, after ODing on Smallville when I was rereading GS I was imagining Tom Welling as Ariston, because he has that almost inhuman beauty with a slight girlish tinge and the air of innocence and he looks the right age. True, he can't act at all, but he looks exactly right.

Btw, aliterati, you were looking for more Clark/Lex stuff, here are three sites that have a lengthy list of recs:

List of good stories recs

Crack Van recs

Three pages worth of really detailed recs

Comments

[winterspel.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you liked BBM, dangermousie. As I've read your review, I realized that it's not my favorite movie of the year either (don't have one yet), but it is one of my favorite movies of the year. When I watched the film, my brain kept going back to the short story, which I practically memorized sections of, and so that informed my experienced hugely. I have a lot of thoughts about Ennis' character (I'll probably end up writing a character profile because he fascinates me so) - but you're right, he is an emotional cripple, with anyone, even his daughter as well as his wife and Jack. I'm going to put more thoughts in my own LJ to avoid massive film & story spoilers here, though! Thanks for sharing your review.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I'll probably end up writing a character profile because he fascinates me so

Oh yes, please. I'd love to read your take on him. I do think it's his upbringing (or lack thereof) that makes him so emotionally unable to function.

[linaerys.livejournal.com]

That book sounds somewhat like The God in Flight, with the angst and physical beauty. The God in Flight is in 1870s Yale instead, but has tons of angst and beautiful writing.

[katranna.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, now aliterati has to read it. :-) And maybe if she likes it, get friends at Yale to re-enact scenes from it.

[linaerys.livejournal.com]

There is lots of men having sex in it, just as a warning. It might even leave one with the impression that all the boys at Yale in 1870 were making the beast with two backs, but it is still a lovely story.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

You don't know aliterati. This fact will probably make her day :P

[linaerys.livejournal.com]

Heh. Sounds like my kind of woman =).

It doesn't detract from the true love, difficult characters, and beautiful writing. And not difficult in the way of A Sundial in a Grave where our main character is a pompous ass. More difficult because they are so wounded and prickly they have trouble connecting, even though they are crazy in love.

I'm going to stop before I spoil it.

[katranna.livejournal.com]

Especially since after her first semester she was gleefuly telling us how everybody at Yale is gay.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, this sounds interesting. Maybe I should look it up!