Director: Ang Lee
Format: DVD
DVD Features: featurettes, interviews
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Randy Quaid
Trailer
I don't think I'd realized, prior to this review, that Brokeback Mountain was directed by Ang Lee. He has a terrific reputation (Hulk aside) in his field and in his home country. I remember The Ice Storm getting acclaim left and right. The initial draw for myself and for many of my friends was to see two hot actors (Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal) make out. But I don't think that, had this been just another fetish flick, it would have been so popular with such a large audience. It's not a "gay cowboy" movie, it's a love story.
Two young men find work minding a herd of sheep up on Brokeback Mountain. Ennis, played by Heath Ledger, is the quiet type. He doesn't say much and doesn't cause much trouble. Jack, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, finds work in the rodeo on occasion and has no trouble chatting it up. While the two are isolated in the Montana wilderness, they form a relationship. It's not sappy or flamboyant. In fact, it seemed kind of sudden to me. There are no long, drawn out sex scenes. The two men initially deny that they've got any sort of persuasion toward the masculine sex.
After the job is over, the two go their separate ways and form their own families. They get married, have children, and new jobs. One day, a postcard from Jack comes to Ennis in the mail and the two men, who hadn't seen each other in four years, have a passionate reunion. Their "fishing trips" become a regular engagement. Jack expresses his wish that the two men find a place where they can live together and enjoy their love without sneaking around. Ennis, although he doesn't express his emotions readily, wants the same thing. However, he fears that if their relationship were exposed, both of their lives would be in danger. So, they go on in a somewhat tortured way until the end.
Don't look to Brokeback Mountain for a happy ending. I mean, it does turn out all right, I suppose, but it's really sad. I'm not the kind of girl who cries easily and the movies that have made me tear up are few and far between. However, by the end of this movie, I was bawling. I think that the focus of the film is more on Ennis than on Jack. Ennis does seem to learn something through his experiences by the end and the audience learns something too. Even though he is a man of few words, Ledger goes a great job expressing his character's feelings in other ways.
I have never been homophobic at all. But, there are aspects to a male/male relationship that I hadn't considered prior to watching this movie. I suppose that I'd mainly considered the situation from a sexual standpoint. It hadn't, somehow, occurred to me that the men in these relationships are capable of love and feelings. I hadn't thought about just how difficult it could be to be in love with someone and not have the same freedom to express it as male/female couples often do. As a female, it's become trendy in certain circles, to be interested in making out with another girl. It's much more accepted (in my experience) than same sex male affection. As a woman who's been knocked around by a few bad relationships, I seem to have forgotten that men are capable of emotion. Silly, I suppose, but true.
If you're uncomfortable with your sexuality enough to be homophobic, I don't think you'll be watching Brokeback Mountain anyway, which is a shame. If you're a lady, hoping for some hot guy on guy romance, you may be disappointed. Don't get me wrong - what there is of it is definitely hot, but that's not the best reason to see the film. If you're in the mood for a heartbreaking love story, that moves at a leisurely pace, Brokeback Mountain is right on target. I will not be surprised to see this movie win an Academy.
Overall Rating: 4
Hottie Rating: 5 (oh come on!)
Alternate Choice: Chasing Amy
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IMDB site
Rotten Tomatoes review
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