Brokeback Mountain

The two movies Jarhead and Casanova are extremely different from Brokeback Mountain. Jarhead (Gyllenhaal) and Casanova (Ledger) are both movies that have main characters that are very masculine. Gyllenhaal and Ledger are both talented actors whose roles in films are very believable and could led people to believe that they are both gay. Clearly, both men were not comfortable with playing homosexuals. Gyllenhaal and Ledger chose these other roles, while filming Brokeback Mountain, to prove that they were not gay and wanted to prove their masculinity. Ledger’s maleness would definitely not be challenged after his role as a fast-talking, womanizer in Casanova. Similarly, Gyllenhaal’s reputation as a heartthrob among his female viewers would not be disputed after his role as a tough marine in Jarhead. Gyllenhaal’s effort throughout filming to prove he was not gay was to show that there were no correlations between him and his character, Jack Twist. I do not think Ledger’s relationship with his co-star Michelle Williams was to prove that he was not gay. It may have been a subconscious reaction, but I don’t think he started dating her for that purpose. I feel that the only reason why Gyllenhaal and Ledger might have felt uncomfortable with their roles were because of the media. They both wanted to prevent any false rumors that would interfere with their current or future relationships.