Movie Review: Brokeback Mountain

As I type these words, Brokeback Mountain just won four Golden Globe awards including Best Drama. It’s no surprise to a lot of people, even though the film itself was every bit a surprise.

Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) and Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal), both 19 years old, are two poor ranch hands from Riverton, Wyoming. They meet one summer while seeking jobs, and Joe Aguirre (Quaid) hires them to herd sheep up in Brokeback Mountain.

Ennis is a taciturn, reserved and shy man. Jack is a charmer, a dreamer, a risk-taker. Their difficult childhoods and shared interests quickly secure a bond between them. Then one cold night, their budding friendship turns into something else: a drunken, violent sexual encounter. The next day, neither of them speaks of the incident, until Ennis tells Jack, “What happened was a one shot deal. I ain’t queer.” Jack replies, “Me neither.”

When the summer is over, Ennis and Jack go their separate ways. Ennis marries his sweetheart Elma (Williams) and they raise two daughters. Jack marries wealthy girl Lureen (Hathaway) and has a son. Everything is normal until, after four long years, Ennis receives a postcard from Jack. Something deep inside stirs up a hornet’s nest. Their reunion becomes the beginning of a 20-year secret affair. Brokeback Mountain becomes their refuge from the world to which they don’t belong.

Ledger (Casanova) is extraordinary with his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar, a man who has few words in his vocabulary, a man so repressed that he doesn’t know how to express himself or go for what he wants. Ledger reveals so much about his characters, often without saying a word. His mannerism and facial expression speak volume. He’s transformed himself realistically into a man that is so unlike the actor himself, who has mostly been known for his fluffy, light performances in the past. In contrast, Gyllenhaal (Proof) has the more lively role. His Jack Twist is the opposite of Ennis in almost every way. Jack’s longing for the man he loves is evident in Gyllenhaal’s stellar performance. The men also share immense chemistry together. You believe they’re real. You believe their feelings for each other are real.

While one can argue that it’s a character study of two men and their relationship, the women in the story add an immense appeal to the film. Williams (The Station Agent) is amazing with her heartbreaking performance as Ennis’s long-suffering wife Alma. When she witnesses something about her husband that she doesn’t fully understand, her reaction is incredibly real and painful to watch. Hathaway (Havoc) has a relatively minor role as Jack’s indifferent wife Lureen. But her final scene is mesmerizing – Hathaway has matured into a fine actress.

Article Author: Ray Wong

Ray Wong is the author the novel, The Pacific Between, which won a 2006 IPPY Book Award. He also writes movie reviews for Actors Ink and Talk Entertainment. Other credits include the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Writers Post Journal, the Deepening. …

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