One of the stories from TDS this week.
Revisiting: “Brokeback Mountain”Elijah RobinsonIn a country where heterosexual white men rule, there is a certain amount of privilege allotted to lower class white men. This goes back to Bacon’s Rebellion.
Virginia settlers teamed up with different groups of people to rebel against the British upper class. It was an attempt to get the upper class to recognize the interests shared across all classes of people.
As a response to the unrest, slave codes were strengthened, making unity and organization with Virginia colonizers near impossible.
You’re probably thinking: Why is this history lesson in a movie review?
For this instance, it provides a great set up for the exposition in the film. Two ranch hands, wannabe cowboys of the old west struggle make a living. They come from backgrounds that are breeding grounds for unstable masculinity.
Low income households, neglectful families, and constant reminders of their expandability as men, despite the makeup of the county making them look better than that.
Western films like
“The Searchers” and “A Fistful of Dollars”, and male icons such as John Wayne, and Clint Eastwood represents the allure of the old west—independent strong white men as protectors, providers, and executors of justice.
https://buffstaterecord.com/14688/showcase/revisiting-brokeback-mountain/
