The current issue of The Economist
has President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping
recreating a famous scene from Brokeback Mountain, the 1997
Oscar-winning gay cowboy movie from Director Ang Lee.
This cowboy film is titled The
Summit and features Obama playing the part of Ennis Del Mar
(played in Brokeback Mountain by Heath Ledger) and Jinping the
part of Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), down to his black cowboy hat
and dark-brown leather gloves. Playing the part of Ennis' former
wife, Alma Beer Del Mar (Michelle Williams), is Michelle Obama, who
is seen in the background smiling.
Reviews are stellar.
“He stole his heart (and then his
intellectual property),” an unnamed reviewer is quoted.
“Team America meets Kung Fu
Panda,” writes another.
The tagline “Shortlisted for a Golden
Globe” appears at the bottom of the cover.
The
accompanying story about this weekend's summit makes no reference
to the themes suggested in the cover, other than to say that the two
leaders need to make a “commitment to get to know each other
better.”