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Sadly, a fifth of the world's population will never know the wistful heartache of unrequited gay cowboy love, as Brokeback Mountain will not be screened in China:

"Brokeback Mountain" is unlikely to get an airing in mainland China, despite the outpouring of national pride in its Taiwanese helmer Ang Lee after his recent success at the Golden Globes.


Homosexuality is still largely taboo in China and gay cowboys may be more than a domestic Chinese audience can take, a source from China Film Group, the mainland's only film importer, told the Xinhua news agency.

Of course, in a country where movie piracy is rampant and goes largely unpoliced, the curious always have the option of picking up a bootlegged DVD, though slack subtitling quality control could recast the film in a different light, with audiences coming away from the movie mistakenly thinking they just watched the story of two sheepherding brothers who enjoy settling their many differences through regular, naked outdoor wrestling matches.