Chapter 430: Resonance

Chapter 430: Chapter 430: Resonance

The entire internet was in a complete uproar.

Viewers defending the film and netizens supporting diversity and inclusion engaged in fierce debates with extremely conservative netizens who were vehemently boycotting it, turning the comment sections into a chaotic, round-the-clock battlefield.

The more abuse and boycotts it received, the higher the topic’s popularity soared; the originally niche and low-profile art film completely broke out of its circle, becoming the focal point of nationwide discussion across the United States.

The curiosity of ordinary passersby was completely piqued at this moment.

Many people were left wondering: what kind of film could win a top European Golden Lion award, yet suffer such massive, nationwide boycotts and harsh vitriol?

The stark contrast in public opinion sparked a desire to watch the film among countless ordinary viewers who had previously had no interest in art films.

The originally unpopular film, purely by virtue of the controversial public opinion, began to see its box office numbers climb.

As a large number of ordinary viewers went to see it, the tide of public opinion across the internet began to quietly undergo a subversive reversal.

On Christmas Day, the fireworks on the streets were gentle, and the city atmosphere was relaxed and lively.

Jane and Susan, a couple in a secret relationship, began their exclusive holiday date as promised.

Both of them were gentle and introverted by nature, and hindered by the current conservative social environment, they dared not make their relationship public, maintaining only the facade of close friends to the outside world, carefully hiding their love for each other, and quietly protecting this tenderness that was not tolerated by society, managing to remain undetected all this time.

After finishing a warm Christmas dinner, neither wanted to part ways early, so after some discussion, they decided to go to the cinema together to watch the most controversial film of late, Brokeback Mountain.

As members of the new generation of internet users, they were, of course, well aware of the overwhelming abuse and boycotts across the internet.

At the same time, as normal people with the ability to think independently, they saw through the essence of the public opinion at a glance: the vast majority of netizens who were insulting, boycotting, and rejecting the film had never even stepped into a cinema to watch it; they were simply carrying stereotypical prejudices, rejecting minority emotional groups, following the trend to smear it, and wantonly venting their emotions.

In contrast, all the promotional materials released for the film—the vast mountains, the gentle twilight, the beautiful and healing visuals, and the high-quality, delicate cinematography—showed absolutely none of the unbearable state that the outside world had demonised it to be.

The strong contrast and curiosity made them increasingly want to step into the cinema and personally understand this film that had been maliciously smeared across the internet.

The two arrived at the cinema together and successfully purchased their tickets to enter.

They had originally assumed that such a controversial art film would have very few viewers on Christmas night, but upon entering the screening room, they discovered that this hundred-seat theatre was already more than half full, with seats scattered with all kinds of viewers—young couples, passersby watching alone, and art enthusiasts—all of whom were waiting quietly for the film to start, filled with curiosity and anticipation.

The lights dimmed, the big screen lit up, a gentle and ethereal soundtrack began to flow, the vast and desolate western mountains slowly unfolded, and the story of Brokeback Mountain officially began.

From the initial meeting and acquaintance of the two lonely cowboys and their time herding sheep together, to the gentle companionship and budding feelings in the undisturbed mountains, and then to the restrained and innocent love that quietly sprouted, bringing salvation to one another.

Ang Lee’s lens was gentle and delicate, without deliberate sensationalism or exaggerated emotional outbursts, using only the simplest and cleanest cinematic language to tell the story of the loneliness and deep affection of two ordinary people.

Jane and Susan sat side by side, holding their breath throughout, completely immersed in the emotions of the film.

Watching Ennis Del Mar and Jack in the uninhabited Brokeback Mountain, shedding all worldly disguises, being honest with each other, and warming one another, they smiled gently along with the screen, feeling warmth for the meeting of these two lonely souls.

But as the plot progressed, the smiles on their faces gradually faded.

Walking out of the wilderness and returning to society, the two had to face the shackles of reality, the chains of life, and worldly prejudices, forced to hide their love, start separate families, and be separated from each other.

The brief annual reunions, the long, indefinite waiting, the restrained longing, and the involuntary regrets piled up, weighing heavily on their hearts.

They watched the two struggle, endure, compromise, and feel helpless under societal pressure; watching two people who clearly loved each other deeply but could only be together in secret, silently caring for one another, unable to love and be together openly for the rest of their lives, the resonance and bitterness in their hearts instantly flooded out.

No one understood the difficulty of this secret love better than they did, nor the grievance and helplessness of hiding in the shadows, not daring to go public, and carefully protecting their love.

The regrets and restraint on the screen precisely struck all their worries and vulnerabilities.

When the film reached its finale, with Jack passing away with lifelong regrets, and Ennis Del Mar keeping the old shirt alone, silently missing him towards the distant mountains for the rest of his life—that unspoken confession and the unfulfilled togetherness becoming a lifelong regret—the sound of soft sobbing echoed in the theatre.

Jane leaned on Susan’s shoulder, tears falling silently, her chest aching with soreness, her heart filled with lingering regret.

Throughout the hour-plus viewing process, the two followed the ups and downs of the plot, from gentle infatuation to bitter silence, and finally to tears streaming down their faces, completely moved by this pure, deep, yet incredibly regretful love.

The film ended, the lights came on, and the theatre was silent; not even a soul moved, as everyone was unable to pull themselves out of the sad and gentle atmosphere for a long time.

It was not until the cleaning staff came in that everyone seemed to stir.

Jane and Susan slowly stood up and walked out of the cinema; the evening breeze was cool, and the streetlights were gentle.

On the busy street, they could no longer restrain the emotions in their hearts and hugged each other tightly.

Jane, with reddened eyes, leaned into Susan’s embrace and whispered softly, her tone full of determination: "We must not be like Ennis Del Mar and Jack, trapped by society and burdened by regrets; we must be together properly and never part."

Susan hugged her back tightly, nodding gently, her eyes full of tenderness and certainty: "Yes, we will always be with each other, year after year, never to be separated."

On screen was a tragedy of lifelong regret and unrequited love; off screen was the tenderness of cherishing each other and moving towards one another.

This film made them understand even more that secret love is never shameful, and being able to be together and accompany each other is, in itself, the most precious good fortune.

Back home, the two, whose emotions had not yet settled, simultaneously opened Facebook, wanting to record their viewing experience and share the feelings stirred within them.

The moment they opened the social media platform, they were pleasantly surprised to find that the tide of public opinion across the internet had quietly reversed.

Countless viewers like them had spontaneously spoken up after watching the film, posting their ticket stubs and writing long reviews to vindicate Brokeback Mountain.

More and more viewers stepped out of their prejudices, stating bluntly that this was not a so-called "sensationalist controversial film," but a purely romantic film that was extremely gentle, extremely beautiful, and extremely moving—unrelated to gender, and only about deep affection and regret.

Countless people expressed their resonance in the comment section, recounting the moments they were healed by the film and moved by the story.

Jane and Susan followed the example of the others, uploaded their ticket stubs, and earnestly wrote a long review:

"This is the most gentle and beautiful love film we have ever seen. It has no sensationalism, no distortion, only the mutual salvation of lonely souls and the gentle regret that society cannot resolve. All sincere love in this world deserves to be respected and treated with tenderness."

The sincere and delicate words precisely struck the hearts of countless netizens.

In just ten minutes, this ordinary review quickly surpassed ten thousand likes, garnering countless resonance and empathy.