A Video Analysis Report on Boys Don’t Cry There are a several themes and sexuality issues that are addressed throughout the movie Boys Don’t Cry. Brandon Teena is dealing with gender identity, searching for acceptance, and wanting someone to love. Brandon Teena is portrayed as a charming, sweet, and fearless young man. Brandon’s behaviors and appearance show all the signs of being anatomically male. Brandon Teena is actually Teena Renee Brandon from Lincoln, Nebraska. An interview with a police officer reveals that Teena is struggling with a sexual identity crisis.
This may be better known as transgenderism. Our textbook defines transgenderism as “a condition in which people strongly desire to be of the other anatomic sex and live the gender roles of the other anatomic sex”. When the police officer asks for Teena to explain what that is, she is, with good reason, unable to explain it to the police officer. How does one explain what it means or how it feels like? For Teena, not only believes she is a man, she feels as though she is a man trapped in a woman’s body.
Some examples of her behaviors that support this include binding her breast and using a sock to imitate the appearance of a man’s penis. Teena wore men’s clothing, had a short haircut, and even took on stereotypical male roles like working as a mechanic. It seems that despite his outwardly transformation, Brandon wants what most others desire as well. Love. Brandon meets Lana Tisdel. According to Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love, there are three building blocks. These building blocks are: intimacy, passion, and commitment.
With intimacy, which is a feeling of connectedness, Lana and Brandon form a friendship. Over time, Lana and Brandon build upon the foundation of their friendship. Commitment is added as Brandon expresses his intentions to marry Lana and stick things out together. Lastly, passion moves their relationship forward as their sexual desires become fulfilled. As an outside viewer, it would appear that Brandon and Lana have a consummate love, which includes all three building blocks. There is additional evidence that would support their consummate love.
Lana chooses to bail Brandon out of jail, even after finding out she is a being held on the woman’s side. Lana declares to her family and close friends that she has seen Brandon in the flesh. Despite the hardships and conflict from others, Lana chooses to trust in their relationship. In its truest form of acceptance, Lana accepts the truth about Brandon who until this point was falsely identifying himself as a man. Despite being transgender, it appears that Brandon experiences relationships similar to heterosexual couples.
Our textbook highlights research studies that have shown that the therapeutic experience of a transgender couple is comparable to that of a heterosexual couple. For example, transgender couples also face sensitive issues, such as infidelity. Although research may show the similarities between heterosexual and transgender couples, much of the focus is spent looking at the differences. Teena Brandon lived in the rural area of Lincoln, Nebraska. In order to find acceptance as the man she felt she was, Teena moved to an even smaller town called Falls City, Nebraska.
A group of misfits, including ex-convicts, a single mother, and Lana Tisdel accepted Teena as Brandon. This group opened their homes to him and allowed him into their social group. In this small town, Brandon had found what he was looking for all along. However, choosing to live as a man proved to have its challenges. Previous legal issues, including forgery and grand theft auto, takes Teen back to Lincoln. A telling scene shows Brandon reacting to his legal name being called out loud in court. He does not respond to it and leaves the court room.
During my first view of the movie, I was under the assumption that Brandon was ashamed of his infractions. After further contemplation, I came to the conclusion that Brandon does not see the connection between the two. Although the same person, the two different names represent the separateness of each person. Brandon cannot willfully bring himself to recognize Teena without giving up who he truly feels he is. As a result, Brandon’s actions lead to his true identity as Teena becomes publicly known.
During a time when being different was not widely accepted, Brandon is exposed as a woman by the very people he considered friends. It is evident that what Brandon thought he gained as acceptance from his peers was not true. Two individuals deliberately assaulted and raped Brandon after forcibly discovering his anatomical gender. Our textbook defines rape as “sexual activity that takes place without consent”“. Based on this situation, Brandon was forcibly raped, which is defined in our textbook as, “sexual activity obtained by the use of force or the threat of force”.
Most rape victims choose to not report the rape. Brandon was told not to report the rape. A large majority of rape that occurs goes unreported. This is because individuals feel that the humiliation is not worth it. However, Brandon chooses to report her two acquaintances that forcibly raped her. Brandon Teena had an extraordinarily difficult life. His murder was a horrific crime. | can only imagine the pain and confusion he felt as he tried to understand who he was. Brandon had courage beyond measure to be able to live his life the way he felt was right for him.
He did not choose the easier route in hopes of breezing through life. He chooses the path of resistance and hardship. I enjoyed have the opportunity to watch and learn more about his story. This was the first time that I had an intimate look at the struggles a transgender has to face. I know that I only understand and am able to comprehend a small portion of what occurs. However, I experienced his struggle for acceptance. I celebrated his new love with Lana. And, I learned more about what identity means to someone who fundamentally does not connect with their anatomical gender.
