Entertainment Expert: ‘Was “Brokeback Mountain” at all realistic?’

[William769]

Q: I have a question regarding the first sex scene in Brokeback Mountain (in the tent). Has anybody been surprised about how easy and unreal that first sexual intercourse is? It may convince straight viewers, but no gay can believe it can be so easy for two virgin guys to “enter” the gay world! — Gwenhaël

A: Well, keep in mind that this is movie sex which, we all know, is nothing whatsoever like real sex.

Still, I’ve written about this before, and was so curious about that particular scene that I even asked the movie’s producer, James Schamus, if they “consulted” with anyone about the mechanics of it.

“We didn’t hire anyone,” he told me, “but Ang is not shy about his research on everything, from what kind of jeans shepherds wore back then to what the sex would be. I know he just talked to a lot of his friends and a lot of folks he met along the way until he was satisfied.”

http://www.365gay.com/topics/ent_sports/entertainment-expert-%e2%80%98was-brokeback-mountain-at-all-realistic%e2%80%99/

Have we really resorted to this kind of pettiness?

[Ian David]

1. "No... No... Dude, you're missing."

Pretty much how it usually is the first time, with straight sex, too.

"Okay, you got... aww, you fell out. Okay, now you got-- no."

[joeybee12]

4. Ow...not, not, yeah, that it's...ok,...oh, wait, give it a minute...

Oh hell, want coffee instead?

[Ken Burch]

2. If they had hired such a "consultant", how would he be listed in the credits?

n/t.

[RetiredTrotskyite]

15. Reminds Me of An Old Mad Satire of James Bond Movies

There was:
The Swim Team
The Ski Team
The Parachute Team
The Sex Team....

[joeybee12]

3. I didn't assume they were virgins...

There was nothing to indicate this was or wasn't their first time.

[Creideiki]

12. Definitely not Jack.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. Sex in the movies is always really realistic, as we know....

What? This is probably very crass of me, but my favorite review of the sex in Brokeback Mountain comes from the out takes on the dvd of 'Knocked Up'. Jonah Hill on Brokeback Mountain...
http://www.funnyhub.com/videos/pages/knocked-up-deleted-scene.html

[William769]

6. ...

:wow:

[TNDemo]

7. When we watched the tent scene,

we looked at each other and said, "Wow, that was quick!" So much for foreplay. I was wondering if Heath Ledger even had a clue what he was up to. But he found out pretty quickly.

[Ian David]

8. Remember in Fatal Attraction when they had sex standing up?

I was in awe, because I had tried that once.

Once.

It didn't go all that well.

[TNDemo]

9. Yeah, it always looks so easy in the movie.

And that would be because they are not actually doing it. Real sex can be quite unattractive...

[Ian David]

10. The inbetweeners - Funny Sex Scene

The inbetweeners - Funny Sex Scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O69PnWLelXU

[TNDemo]

11. Oh, the awkwardness

of the first time.

[kenny blankenship]

13. I thought it was terrible. Like gay sex as it's envisioned by straight guys grossing each other out

in a high school locker room conversation. yeah and then the one guy jams it up the ass of the other guy who's always on bottom... SICK DUDE!!!
Way too many straight people involved in making that movie - actors, director, screen writer, source novelist. I think every one of them was straight.

Gay men -most of them in my experience at least- are interested in each others' bodies in all kinds of ways - that don't simply mimic or line up with straight Hollywood depictions of vaginal penetration. First he kisses her a couple times, and then wham bam thank you ma'am. Then again, most straight sex probably doesn't match very well to Hollywood depictions of hetero- penetrative sex.

In any case, a SERIOUS lack of imagination and authenticity in the "romance" parts of that movie. Never felt less gay in my life than watching the "sex" scenes of BBM.

I don't think you have to demand either "gory realism" or "airbrushed aestheticism" to avoid being downright appalling.

[NMMNG]

14. The sex scene in the movie

isn't too far off from that of the novella. And, of course, a "mainstream" film couldn't really do much in the way of a gay sex scene for fear of being slapped with the dreaded NC17 rating.

[Prism]

16. What, doesn't everyone just jam it on in?

Yeah, that scene is wince-worthy. It doesn't really have to do with whether or not they knew what they were doing, but more the simple logistics of ramming it on home like that with minimal prep. The only way that works is if Ennis was a dinker or Jack had already been plowed more than central Iowa.

The funniest part of seeing that movie in a theater was the gasp in the audience during penetration. It was the kind of gasp that accompanies scores of gay men mentally going "Ow ow ow ow ow!"

[Search and Destroy]

17. Watching Brokeback Mountain has been on my "to do list" for a very long time

I'll probably watch it this weekend. The Godfather is another one I've never gotten around to watching.