God's Own Country (2017)

It is hard not to compare God's Own Country to Brokeback Mountain. Both are about male sheep farmers who fall in love despite the closets they live their lives in. Both are impeccably beautifully filmed movies which reach a deep emotional place. And both feature honest depictions of male sex acts. The film makers and promoters have tried to distance themselves from the more famous film, but in realty the two do share a great deal, including both being wonderful films. But despite its similarities to Brokeback, God's Own Country does offer a rich experience of its own.

One big difference, and it is an important one, is that God's Own Country is not a tragedy. While I find Brokeback's heartrending narrative not only beautiful but an essential part of the queer male canon, there is also value in telling romantic stories which end positively for the protagonists. God's Own Country is patterned more after a typical romantic comedy, without the comedy, it's a rather dower tale despite being uplifting. Boy (whose life isn't going where he wants) meets boy (who he has no expectation of having a relationship with), boy looses boy (by being, well... a typical boy), and has to chase him down to win his love back at the end. But what makes God's Own Country not just another typical romantic film is two things, it's incredible beauty and a sincere honesty in its story telling.

Gay sex in films can be overly glamorized or sanitized (yes I'm looking at you Call Me By Your Name). Here it is both raw and powerful. The connection between these men is palpable there is this beautiful transition in their sexuality. They move from a fairly toxic masculinity approach to sexuality that morphs, slowly and realistically, into a connected tenderness. The film isn't just a "gay love story" it's a comment on masculine culture and the way it destroys men. It is the queerness between them that saves them, and not only them but their family and the family farm. The film is making a case for queerness as salvation and it's glorious.

And as I said, director Francis Lee films the cold, bleak Yorkshire countryside in a manner which makes it so lovely we can't take our eyes off it. His leads aren't supermodels they are beautiful in an earthy way and their passion is gorgeous not because it feels polished or "sexy" but because it feels real. They have sex like men actually have sex together. It's messy, it's clumsy, it's real.

And the film is a testament to that love. So while it may share stuff in common with other films it is also just wonderful in its own right. I hope that Francis Lee, now having broken out with his first feature, branches out from here.

God's Own Country
Starring: Josh O'Conner, Alec Secareanu, Ian Hart, Gemma Jones
Writer/Director: Francis Lee