 | Brokeback Mountain
When Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) are thrown together for a sheep herding job on Brokeback Mountain, they have no idea of the impact that job will have on their lives forever. Initially very quiet, Ennis begins to open up to Jack and they form a friendship, which one night, turns into something much more intimate. It's the 1960's, and both men know that not only will society be intolerant of their love for each other, but also they may suffer violent consequences if their secret is revealed. And so, Ennis and Jack reluctantly part company and Ennis marries Alma (Michelle Williams) and has two daughters, and Jack marries Lureen (Anne Hathaway), the daughter of a rich tractor trader whom he meets at a rodeo, and has a son. The men don't see each other for 4 years, but when they do meet up it is immediately obvious that the separation has only increased their feelings for each other. They decide to meet up once or twice a year for "fishing trips" where they can act as they wish, free from public scrutiny.
Ang Lee's sweeping direction, emotionally charged performances from the four central characters and Gustavo Santaolalla's haunting score all combine to make this an achingly powerful film. The men's love for each other is played out honestly and warmly and I have to commend Ledger and Gyllenhaal for their outstanding performances. Williams is very believable as the woman struggling to cope with the knowledge of her husband's secret life, while trying to bring up two small children. Hathaway gives a very mature portrayal of feisty little rich kid turned high powered businesswoman Lureen, who is oblivious to her husbands secret until she is forced to face up to it in the most painful of ways. My only criticism of the movie is that some of the dialogue spoken by Ennis and Jack was lost on me, partly because of the strong accents and partly because of the way cowboys talk, with their lips as still as possible! Although this didn't have a great effect on the movie as a whole, I would like to have known what they were saying at all times. This said, I required more than a couple of tissues to dry my tears at the end (I needed my fiancé’s shirt sleeve too!) I was blissfully unaware of the intense hatred of homosexuality in America at that time before this film. This touching, heart wrenching story opened my eyes and flooded them. |
# posted by Heather @ 8:30 PM. e-mail this to a friend -
