Critical Film Analysis


1
Critical Film Analysis

• Lesson 2 The role of movies in society
  Brokeback Mountain

2
Great movies change the way society thinks about
issues

• Guess Whos Coming to Dinner changed the way
  people thought about interracial marriage
  
• Kramer vs. Kramer changed the way people thought
  about women and parenting
  
• Brokeback Mountain changed the way people thought
  about what it is to be gay

3
Images of cowboys before BBM
4
... and after
5
How far have we come really

• The Chicago Board of Education was sued (by a
  student and her grandparents) because a teacher
  showed Brokeback Mountain in class.
  
• Link to article Classroom viewing of Brokeback
  Mountain brings lawsuit published in The
  Advocate May 16 2007
  
• The community of Austin Texas was in an
  uproar when the original short story Brokeback
  Mountain was included as an optional reading for
  high school seniors.
• Link to article Viewpoint Censorship money is
  not worth it published in The Daily Texan
  September 30 2005

6
Social attitudes towardBrokeback Mountain

• The movie is recent so you know what the social
  climate is like today
  
• You probably know someone who is gay and may
  have heard their opinions about the movie
  
• Imagine what it will be like for your children to
  learn about the movie in 30 or 40 years theyll
  wonder what all the fuss was about
  

7
Roger Eberts review of BBM

• Read it here
• Who are Matthew Shepard and Teena Brandon
• Ebert says The more specific a film is the
  more universal. This statement is a
  contradiction in terms. Do you agree or
  disagree
• In what ways did you relate to the characters of
  Ennis and Jack