I didn't see it until after the oscars in 2006 but i was blown away buy the story, the beauty in that it was told. The acting from the whole cast was amazing, the score was incredibly moving and just a great love story. Im a straight man and I love women but i didnt mind the gay element at all i just saw it a beautiful love story. I still go back to this film and watch it again particularly because of Heath Ledger i still feel his loss.
He was an amazing actor. I hope you love this film too. I hope it helps your study

You probably already realize that this site is visited both by homosexuals and heterosexuals. So any answers you get will be highly influenced by the leanings of the individual.
I am a heterosexual male, I enjoyed the movie for the most part but when I think about the story itself I realize there isn't really anything new. Primarily it (to me) is a story about two men who cheat on their spouses. Some fans say well they are homosexual so should not have married women, and use that to excuse their actions. But to me it really isn't different from a married heterosexual man falling for a different woman and leaving his wife. We either make commitments or we don't.
Ennis and Jack are depicted as very flawed men and the whole movie is a tragedy, each searching for happiness but unable to find it. Being set in the 1960s and forward made their plight more difficult however the same would have resulted had it been set in the 2000s.
So to your more general questions no it had no lasting effect on me and did not result in doing anything different. Homosexuality is just one issue, humans are born with all kinds of issues, how we handle our issues makes the difference in how our lives turn out.
.... TxMike ....

Are you still working on this thesis? Have you gotten any responses? I've seen three of the movies you're analyzing and I'd be willing to give my opinions. I was raised in a very conservative and insular environment, so cinema has been very instrumental in changing my viewpoints on certain topics.

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I posted the identical request on three other movies boards, because these are the movies I'm analyzing. I'm a student, working on my final thesis. Part of the project is showing that cinema actually have a power of changing our believes and thoughts, the power of making us feel something, overall cinema has an impact over society and influences it in many different ways.
I hope this is enough info.
Thank you

Before I spend time with a well-thought response, I see you are brand new here on IMDb and have posted the identical request on several boards. Are you a student, if so what is the goal? If you are not a student, what do you hope to gain with this "study"?
Giving a bit more background will help get meaningful responses, I believe.
.... TxMike ....