REVIEW
An iconic film, Brokeback Mountain is like the best Bach concerto, every frame feels as if it should follow the next, every performance is completely natural. Certainly our favorite film of 2005 and one of our all-time faves, this Oscar winner has shaken the Hollywood film undustry. The first film produced by a Hollywood studio to feature a gay romance that doesn't involve drag queens, AIDS or bufoonery, Brokeback Mountain is an essential film that belongs in every library.
Adapted faithfully from an Annie Proulx short story, screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana have much to be proud of with their tale of two cowboys in love and how they deal with it, or not. Our story begins in 1963 where outside a sheep ranch trailer, Ennis del Mar (Heath Ledger) eyes Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) and there's a spark. Both men agree to go up to Brokeback Mountain with a herd of sheep. The plan is that the quiet, taciturn Ennis will stay nights in the camp and the comparably outgoing Jack will sleep some distance away with the sheep. On one cold, drunken night Ennis crawls into the tent with Jack and they cuddle. One things leads to another and they have fierce, non-affectionate sex. Jack says "It's no one's business but ours." Their relationship that summer develops into one of mutual affection and fun. For lovers of male nudity, both men are shown washing themselves and there are superb butt shots. Later on in the film, they both dive naked off a cliff. Apparently the director has edited out any full frontal nudity. When the summer ends, the young men are separated and the pain is palpable. In a perfect world Jack and Ennis will leave together, set up a home and live happily ever after. But not in Wyoming in 1963 -- cowboys don't fall in love. Ennis weeps in pain at their separation, but life must go on. Ennis marries Alma (Michelle Williams) and they have two little girls. Jack plays on the rodeo circuit for a few years until he settles down with Lureen. But Brokeback Mountain is a refrain both men hear in their heads as their lives develop. Jack sends Ennis a postcard that he's coming through town, can he stop by? Of course he can. At Jack's arrival Ennis runs down the stairs and their kiss is so powerful, it's a force of nature that can't be stopped. An affair held in secret, on fishing trips where no fish is caught, these two men make love when and where they can.
Shot with spectacular vistas of the mountains, and on the banks of roaring streams, Brokeback Mountain is one of the prettiest westerns ever made. Ang Lee has crafted another genre film that intimately depicts human interaction as real as life itself. The performances by all involved are career heights but special mention must be made for Heath Ledger. Who knew this actor had these quiet reserves of strength? It's truly extraordinary to see these powerful lovemaking scenes in a film financed by Universal Studios. Depicting a homosexual relationship thwarted by society is a courageous act, all involved are heroes in creating this work of enduring art.
DVD Extras:
"On Being a Cowboy" -- Stunt horse riders talk about what great work Heath Ledger did on the horses. They were nice about city boy Jake Gyllenhaal's abilities on a horse. Not much learned here.
"Directing from the Heart" -- With the absence of a director's commentary this is as far as we get into the mind of Ang Lee – and there isn't much here. The film is mostly cats and crew members saying how great Ang is to work with.
"From Script to Screen" -- Probably the best of the extras, this one features Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry talking about the process of writing their screenplay. Quite fascinating is the revelation that Diana wrote the guy's lines and Larry wrote the women's.
"Sharing the Story: The Making of Brokeback Mountain" -- Made for Logo TV, this is largely a glossy treatment to get gay people into the theaters. Total fluff. Sorry people, but the extras on this disc could be a little beefier.
-- Scott Cranin
