Grant (Gold Coast Australia)

If the homoerotic elements were censored out of the film itself (as they arguably were in “Brokeback Mountain”) it would be a travesty. But the way I see it, these trailers’ main gimmick is to build a sense of mystery and beauty around the film, and in that sense I think the less explicit second trailer is more effective.

And in both cases, they’ve succeeded in moving a movie I’ve never heard of to the top of my list to see this year. No harm done.

And I think that’s absolutely the correct approach. One complaint I’ve never had as a queer person is that there aren’t enough advertisers trying to sell me stuff, but I’d certainly be happy if they helped more and better gay narratives take their rightful place in the culture at large.

Since neither ad actually reveals “central plot points,” but both feature very subtle flashes of homoeroticism, I don’t find Gwen’s comments all that relevant. The latter ad zeroes in on the film’s big stars and its Oscar prospects, and these are the things that fill seats for serious dramas at this time of year. I’ve never heard of the actors playing Firth’s lovers, so I can’t imagine why their names would attract me to the film. But I’d watch Julianne Moore read the phone book.

I’ve only seen a handful of films directed by a gay man. “Drugstore Cowboy,” “My Own Private Idaho,” “Elephant,” and “If…”, which I don’t believe really utilize the male gaze, unless it is from a gay perspective. “If….” is definitely from a gay perspective, though it is never really made explicit in the movie.