Brokeback Mountain vs Crash
Recently, there was so much hype about 'Brokeback Mountain', the gay movie directed by Ang Lee, based on a story written by Annie Proulx, a Pulitzer Prize winner. I too got all excited about it...the gay theme, an Asian directing a cowboy movie, the many awards it picked up...I just had to watch it on the big screen. Verdict: it was a touching movie that tackled the conflict between societal rules and personal desires.
Then I saw 'Crash', the movie that beat 'BBM' to the Best Picture Award at the recent Oscars. Written and directed by Paul Haggis, it's a politically correct film. That's what I would call it. The story revolved around a diverse group of people whose lives intertwined in the most unexpected ways. It dealt with racial prejudice issues the society normally is reluctant to broach, due to its sensitivity. It also demonstrated the importance of maintaining a clear mind in this highly stressful society. A wrong decision can be so detrimental to this world while a right decision can make this world a much better place to live in.
Being a Chinese, I would love to stand on the side of Ang Lee. But the truth is, I enjoyed 'Crash' more than 'BBM'. It had more entertainment value in terms of the plot and the way the characters and their stories were inter-weaved together.
I don't normally go around dissecting a movie and pick on its flaws after seeing it. Whether a movie tackles social or identity issues, I just want to be entertained when I pay to watch one.
posted by yeelee @ 2:44 pm
2 comments
2 Comments:
Can't comment on Crash as I haven't watched it. Enjoyed BBM because it did not make me think that it was a gay love story. Just a love story. If there was any achievement or special about it, it was this fact. But I do wonder too, like many people, I wonder if it would have achieved as much attention if the 2 leads were not as good looking?
Nevertheless, Lee Ang did a wonderful job and the 2 leads did well. But no, I didn't cry leh.
Same sentiments...it's a good love story but that's about it. I was honestly trying to figure out what's so spectacular about the movie that it deserved so many awards. My conclusion, i really don't know. But I secretly believe it had something to do with the influence of a certain community. That's how Saving Face made it so big in Taiwan, where it won the Audience Choice Award at the Golden Horse, with the help of a specific community there. You know which one!
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