Thursday, September 15, 2005

The Homoerotic Subtext of Countless Westerns

eastwoodwponchox2

(images via imagesjournal)

We thought we know what from what with regards to film until Lou Lemerick flipped the script on us. Lou Lemerick of the NYPost writes from the Toronoto Film Festival:

"Fresh from winning the top prize at the Venice Film Festival, Ang Lee's heartbreaking 'Brokeback Mountain' digs beneath the homoerotic subtext of countless westerns and presents a very good Jake Gyllenhaal and an extraordinary Heath Ledger as a pair of smitten '60s cowhands who carry on a longtime homosexual affair during periodic 'fishing trips,' even though both eventually marry and have kids."

Fishing trips? The (Academic stuffy voice) "homoerotic subtext of countless westerns"? Now it all makes sense! The possies in pursuit, the breathtaking settings and open landscapes and , the neckerchiefs, the bow-legged morning-after struts, the denim-and-boots motif, and, last but not least, the telltale attitude of I've-got-your-back (quite literally) was all masking what can only be properly contrued in hindsight as illicit man-love. Hereafter, the genre "Spaghetti Westerns" will be refered to as "South by Southwest Rigatoni Sautee." Now, let's deconstruct:

Unforgiven

(Averted Gaze) We wouldn't forgive him either if he mistook Steuben glass for Lalique crystal (Two snaps and a neckroll). Lemerick's revelation, though, entirely changes the Morgan "Easy Reader" Freeman-Clint Eastwood dynamic. Entirely.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

You may want to check the viscosity on this, but we don't think those are ... raindrops that keep falling on your head, Old Blue Eyes.

A Fistful of Dollars

He was worth it!



2 comments:

oudemia said...

I've always found Unforgiven quite a bit like the Iliad. Pat Garrity and Billy the Kid, too.

The Corsair said...

you cutie!