This essay will critique the representation of masculinity and homoeroticism in the film industry from the 1990s to the mid-2000s, centered around the relationship between two male characters. In particular, the film ‘Brokeback Mountain’ by Ang Lee (2005) will be considered. To evaluate the film, David Greven’s definition of the double protagonist genre will be outlined but also critiqued. This definition will then be applied to the selected film to break down each of the protagonist’s brands of masculinity, and then examine the dynamics and homoerotism present within their relationship, to illustrate that homoerotic desire is never completely successful in breaking down traditional masculinity.
As defined by the work of David Greven in his cinema journal ‘Contemporary Hollywood Masculinity and the Double Protagonist Film’, the double protagonist genre is a “new kind of manhood film in which two stars share and compete over narrative power” (Greven, 25). While the genre is not necessarily exclusive to men (the history of film is largely built upon the classic male-female duo, and there are a number of examples of female-female protagonists), the male-male setup remains by far the most popular and will provide the most insight into representations of masculinity. In terms of history, the double protagonist film is a relatively new genre, emerging in the late 80s, but remaining popular ever since. It stems from several classical Hollywood genres, most notably westerns, noirs, and the buddy film. The wide success of the genre can, on a surface level, be attributed to its superior marketability; studios can use “two major actors to sell one film” (Greven, 25) (a few recent examples being the casting of Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt in Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ (2019), and Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson in Robert Eggers’ ‘The Lighthouse (2019)). Far more interesting, however, is the ways in which this genre allows filmmakers to break down homosocial relationships and have honest discussions about masculinity in a way that was never possible with just one lead. In his paper, Greven discusses the idea that each protagonist falls into one of two necessary roles: the narcissist (who embodies dominant and traditional masculinity), and the masochist (embodying the ‘feminine’ role, the masochist challenges the narcissist for narrative power). Greven further argues that the masochistic “male position contains within it a potential challenge to conventional masculinity precisely through its destabilizing insertion [...] of homoerotic desire” (Greven, 32). That the dual protagonist film has only allowed there to be a “frank treatment of homosexuality” (Greven, 249), homoerotic desire has yet to be able to destabilize traditional masculinity.
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Ang Lee’s ‘Brokeback Mountain’ (2005) chronicles the life of Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, two young cowboys who fall in love in the mountains herding sheep in the 1960s. The film follows their romance and how they manage ‘Brokeback Mountain’ has been praised by many as it was one of the first gay romance films to be extremely successful in a mainstream audience, however, this is arguable because to “assert the legitimacy and beauty of romantic love between men [it endorses a] more traditional narrative of manhood and masculinity” (Keller and Jones, 21), which makes it more tolerable for a heterosexual audience.
Since the double protagonists are both so traditional in their masculinity, it can be a bit difficult to determine their roles in accordance with Greven’s definition. By examining which character spurs homoeroticism between them, it can be determined that Jack is the masochist, while Ennis is the narcissist. To begin with the masochist again, from the very first time Jack is on screen (posing seductively on his truck) to their first sexual encounter (which he initiates), Jack leads all of the homoerotic and homosocial tensions in the film. It is however important to recognize that his character is also deeply entrenched within conventional masculinity heteronormativity. Take for instance his passion of wanting to become the best rodeo bull rider. In this typically male-centric event, “he engages in a very dangerous port with a high risk of injury' (Keller and Jones, 27). Furthermore, his reason for wanting to be the best rodeo bull rider is that his father was a professional, but never bothered to teach him. This paternal motivation just spurs his determination to create a manhood based on competition. Thus, it is not very shocking to say that it would be very difficult for Jack to subvert traditional masculinity when he embodies it so strongly.
As for Ennis, he embodies what most people imagine when one brings up the image of a cowboy; he is “physically adept, hardworking, verbally silent, responsible, [and an] ethical western hero” (Keller and Jones, 24). Another aspect of some of Ennis’ toxic masculine traits is his extreme difficulty with domesticity. Despite returning to his fiance and getting married after his summer on the mountain with Jack, he takes very little responsibility for his family. For example, “he refuses to serve […] dinner when his wife accepts an extra shift at work” (Keller and Jones, 28) and always favors going to work instead of staying at home with his family.
Jack and Ennis themselves have internalized their culture’s most enduring prejudices about homosexuality and homosexuals. A lot of their relationship is based on some degree of violence. Even their first sexual encounter is arguably more violent than it is loving. When Jack touches himself with Ennis’ hand, Ennis rips away like a scared animal. They grapple and grasp each other, bodies rigid and jerky until Ennis finally throws Jack down roughly, and they give in to their sexual desires for the first time. By taking on a ‘hypermasculine form’ in what one might expect to be the most tender of moments, it builds a strong “opposition to the traditional gay romance that codes men as weak via sentimentality” (Keller and Jones, 26). Furthermore, the most important and tragic symbol in the film is tied hypermasculinity and fighting. When Ennis visits Jack’s parents to ask to take his ashes to Brokeback Mountain, he is given the opportunity to go up into Jack’s childhood room. In the closet, he finds one of Jack's old shirts that he wore on Brokeback Mountain, stained with Ennis’ blood from the time they wrestled. Inside Jack’s shirt is one of Ennis’ own denim shirts he thought he had lost. Essentially traditional masculinity and fear of persecution ruin their relationship.
While Lee’s “adaptation of the Western genre to the gay subject matter” (Keller and Jones, 23) is unique and might help too, with the “exception of the object of desire, [‘Brokeback Mountain’] does not challenge [...] forceful prescriptions of American manhood” (Keller and Jones, 24). While this theory may work for many mainstream Hollywood films in which homosexuality is subtextual, it does not function in the same films in which the characters are explicitly queer. In the end, the masochistic male will ‘lose the fight’, and conventional masculinity remains unshaken by homoerotic desire.
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