When Society Fails On Love

Love Is A Force Of Nature

Today's marathon centers around the theme of two people of different cultures or genders crossing paths and finding this emotional attachment that ultimately becomes a force of nature for them, but also ends up being what tears them apart due to society's lack of understanding and ignorance in their respective times. These romances range from a Native American woman named Pocahontas falling for an Englishman man named John Smith, a Capulet and a Montague meeting and falling in love while the two families rift, two young lovers from two diffetent gangs called the Jets and the Sharks, a 1950s housewife falling for a black man in a racially segregated Conneticut while her husband carries on a homosexual affair with another man, and finally two gay cowboys who meet while sheepherding on Brokeback Mountain and end up sharing a lifelong connection that society looks down upon. All of these story arcs set the stage for an epic night of intense drama, and a reflection on what society fears and tolerates. We have on our menu for this evening:

The New World 2005, Romeo and Juliet 1968, West Side Story 1961, Far From Heaven 2002, and Brokeback Mountain 2005.

With the inclusion of all these films in tonight's lineup, the stage is set for an evening of utter heartbreak. Some of the most iconic and powerful love stories on film are represented in all their glory with each outcome getting more powerful as the marathon goes. Neary every major ethnicity and gender is covered in this marathon making the theme hit home to everyone with it's universal message that love can ultimately take many forms, and can't be written off. The first movie of the night is Terrence Malick's 2005 epic romantic drama titled The New World. Nominated for an academy award for best cinematography making it one of the most visually stunning and poetic romances ever filmed, this film depicts the true story of Pocahontas and John Smith meeting and forming a special bond during the English exploration of Virginia. Pocahontas is shown to have two major romances that she endures such as the one with John Smith played by Colin Farrell, which ultimately ends due to their cultural differences and pressure from both sides, and John Wolfe played by Christian Bale, who knows that Pocahontas heart still belongs to John Smith. The romance between Smith and Pocahontas is shown as one that's a force of nature but ultimately ends because of society pulling them apart due to cultural differences. The second film in tonight's lineup is Franco Zefferelli's 1968 world renowned epic titled Romeo and Juliet. One of the world's greatest love stories in literature, this story centers around two star crossed lovers meeting, one belongs to a family of Capulets, and the other a Montague, meeting and sharing a forbidden romance while the two families rift over each other. Their romance is cut short because of society failing to understand that a person's name or family ties should never come in the way of true love. Romeo and Juliet was nominated for a total of four academy awards and has become required viewing in most High School English classes due to it being written by William Shakesphere. The third film in the lineup is the 1961 musical epic West Side Story, which also follows the same formula as Romeo and Juliet. In this film, two youngsters from two rival New York City gangs called the Jets and the Sharks meet and fall in love, however tensions between their respective friends builds towards a tragedy similar to the outcome of Romeo and Juliet. West Side Story remains one of the worlds most honored pictures winning a total of 10 academy awards, and like Romeo and Juliet has become a great cinematic achievement. The fourth movie in the lineup is Julianne Moore's 2002 critically acclaimed drama titled Far From Heaven. Nominated for four academy awards, the film takes place in 1950s Connecticut where a housewife faces a marital crisis and forbidden desires as racial tensions increase in her area. It is revealed that her husband secretly lusts for men while she begins a friendship turned romance with a local African American in her neighborhood, drawing the attention of prejudiced neighbors and friends. Far From Heaven's story is the perfect lead into Ang Lee's 2005 critically acclaimed drama titled Brokeback Mountain. Winner of three academy awards including best director, screenplay, and musc, the film centers around a intense yet secretive relationship between two cowboys and their lives over the course of several years. Perhaps the most controversial and powerful of the lineup of films, Brokeback Mountain is a film that still resonates with many people today and provokes heavy discussion. It is also the film that ties all the movies together in the marathon driving home the theme of society failing on true love.

So what are these movies ultimately trying to say? The New World says that invading one persons culture rarely ever ends peacefully and that a great love that emerged from the change was ruined by society's ignorance. Romeo and Juliet says that a person's name or family association should never stand in the way of something as powerful as love. West Side Story says that whether a person is a Jet or a Shark, no one is better than the other and should accept each other for who they are. Far From Heaven says that sometimes things are not what they appear to be, and what we truly want and desire is out of our reach. Brokeback Mountain says that love and passion can endure the most difficult times and situations, and that homosexual love can be just as vital as heterosexual love.

Our heroic couples for this evening: