[lbo-talk] Re: Brian on Brokeback Mountain

Miles Jackson cqmv at pdx.edu
Wed Feb 1 19:06:09 PST 2006


BklynMagus wrote:
> Dear List
>
> Doug asks:
>
>
>>I'm wondering, though - it's Hollywood. What do
>
> you expect? Militance? Complexity? Profundity?
>>From Hollywood?
>
> Not at all. What surprises me is the warm embrace
> this film has received from people I thought were
> savvier than they now appear to be.

So anybody who disagrees with your interpretation of the movie (e.g., Joanna) is not savvy? Are you really arguing that the only reasonable and meaningful interpretation of the film is the one you presented? How about this: works of art can be interpreted using various incommensurable values and standards, and people who disagree with you are not evaluating the work according to your standards.

I emphasize this point because it is a major cause of misery and mischief in human relations: people noncritically assume that their own perspective is the universal standard by which all others must be judged. Thus we get "she disagrees with me about Brokeback--she's not savvy", "they disagree with my take on the war in Iraq--they're traitors", "he disagrees with my religious beliefs--he's supporting the enemy in the Holy War".

Miles



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