Brokeback Mountain has benefited greatly from a wonderful promotional campaign. It has been selling out theaters across the country, and building up a good head of steam behind it with plenty of Oscar talk and four wins at the recent Golden Globes ceremony. It has slowly been rolled out to the country, on just enough screens to keep demand high. Now that we are getting into the Oscar home stretch, is the film deserving of all the attention? In a word, yes.
Ang Lee has crafted a quietly beautiful film that sneaks up on you emotionally and just quietly draws you in to the plight of its characters. It never feels manipulative or heavy handed, and credit goes to Larry McMurtry's excellent script. Combine that with some gorgeous cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto, and you have a recipe for a great looking and emotionally involving film.
The story begins in 1963 as two cowboys show up looking for summer work watching sheep on Brokeback Mountain. Those cowboys are Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger). While up in those hills, something happens between the two. It was as if something snuck up on them and brought the two closer in ways that they did not think was possible. This relationship is kept alive and secret for many years. Their summer of work and discovery comes to an abrupt end, and they go on with their lives, never forgetting the connection that was made.
The two go their separate ways, they meet and marry, starting families of their own. Even as this is going on, you can see that there is something missing from their lives. Some years down the road, the two are reunited. From there on, there lives are full of secret getaways, that void being filled only when they are together. The film barrels toward its tragic end that struck a chord within me, a haunting moment that will stay with you long after leaving the theater.
All involved put on an acting clinic. Heath Ledger leads the cast as someone who doesn't want to admit certain aspects of his reality to himself, much less his family. Watching Ledger breathe life into Ennis is eye-opening, it shows just what a talent Ledger really is. Not far behind is Jake Gyllenhaal, who has been quietly building quite a resume for himself, from his performance in cult favorite Donnie Darko to his role as a disenfranchised member of the military in Jarhead to what is probably his most mature and full role, here as Jack Twist. His character is different from that of Ennis, as he has a stronger grasp on what he wants, but it is something he needs and is unable to deny himself, which leads to other issues.
Article comments
1 - Chris Evans
Good review. I actually loved the score, though.
2 - Jenifer Gonzales
The way you felt about the Brokeback score is how I felt about the repetitive opera aria in Match Point. It was the same damn song (or some variation of the same song) over and over. I was ready to scream at the screen, "Enough already!"
Music can really make or break a film, you know?
3 - Chris Beaumont
The Match Point score didn't bother me much. Strange, huh? This one just really got to me after awhile, but not enough to ruin the movie.
4 - Silas Kain
Beyond the relationship between Ennis and Jack is the scenery. Here in this sacred place, far removed from the civilized world, two people would come time and time again to reclaim their love. How many people in the world today can identify with Ennis and Jack? It's not about two men. It's about two people, period.