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Love has no rules. It happens when we least expect it, often when we don't want it, many times when we can't handle it. It often times scares you, surprises you, shakes you down to your very core. Ennis Del Mar (a remarkable Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (an emotionally available Jake Gyllenhaal) find themselves thrown together because of a job: forced to spend many hours together alone in the wild, tending to sheep in a remote region of Wyoming....on Brokeback Mountain. They fall in love: a love that they soon realize only lives and breathes on the mountain. It's 1963, pre American involvement in the Vietnam War, post Korean War: a time in the USA when life was simple, straightforward and the lines between the sexes and sex roles were crisply drawn and severely delineated. It was a time when men and women were pigeon-holed into unrealistic modes of behavior and anyone who ventured outside of these boundaries was thought of at best, weird at worst... perverted and in many states, criminal. Ennis himself, at an early age was witness to the ugly, disgusting results of a hate crime perpetrated on a Wyoming farmer who had lived many years with his partner. In most societies he would be venerated but in 1950's Wyoming... he became a target. Director Ang Lee begins this film as both Ennis and Jack are waiting outside of a building, both looking for work, both down on their luck, both avoiding each other's eyes. We know, or those of us who have read the story know, what is to happen and so unfortunately we read more into that simple scene than there really is. But with all that aside, this scene of Ennis and Jack avoiding each other, dodging each others looks, staring at the ground, kicking up the dirt is nonetheless rife with sensuality and tension. Ennis and Jack are inexorably drawn to each other through their proximity, loneliness and through a shared lack of tenderness and emotion in their lives: they are emotionally, physically and psychically bonded almost from the start. It is inevitable. It is Fate. And so begins a Love affair that transcends social mores, time, marriages, children, extra-marital affairs and divorce. Despite all that is going on in their lives, Ennis and Jack meet several times a year up on Brokeback mountain and rekindle and thereby re-ignite their emotional and physical attraction: there is no one around, they are free from their regular lives...they can love. Much has been made of Heath Ledger's performance as Ennis and he gives what is without a doubt one of the finest performances of this year. Ennis is a quiet, stoic man and he is troubled and frankly scared by how deeply he feels for Jack. As he showed us first in "Monster's Ball," Ledger is capable of digging way deep down into his gut and imbuing his performances with an unflinching frankness and truth that we can neither ignore nor help to be moved by. Gyllenhall's Jack is the younger of the two: he's fun, he's a little crazy and unfortunately he wants a lot, lot more than Ennis is able to give him. Gyllenhaal's hang-dog, frisky puppy of a performance is full of warmth and light: the kind of transcendent light that shines out from a soul full of love, understanding and acceptance. "Brokeback Mountain" is devastating in both its presentation, its performances and its tragic denouement. This is one DVD that will not collect dust in your collection. You will watch it again and don't be surprised you may even recommend it one day.Read full review
Love has no rules. It happens when we least expect it, often when we don't want it, many times when we can't handle it. It often times scares you, surprises you, shakes you down to your very core. Ennis Del Mar (a remarkable Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (an emotionally available Jake Gyllenhaal) find themselves thrown together because of a job: forced to spend many hours together alone in the wild, tending to sheep in a remote region of Wyoming....on Brokeback Mountain. They fall in love: a love that they soon realize only lives and breathes on the mountain. It's 1963, pre American involvement in the Vietnam War, post Korean War: a time in the USA when life was simple, straightforward and the lines between the sexes and sex roles were crisply drawn and severely delineated. It was a time when men and women were pigeon-holed into unrealistic modes of behavior and anyone who ventured outside of these boundaries was thought of at best, weird at worst... perverted and in many states, criminal. Ennis himself, at an early age was witness to the ugly, disgusting results of a hate crime perpetrated on a Wyoming farmer who had lived many years with his partner. In most societies he would be venerated but in 1950's Wyoming... he became a target. Director Ang Lee begins this film as both Ennis and Jack are waiting outside of a building, both looking for work, both down on their luck, both avoiding each other's eyes. We know, or those of us who have read the story know, what is to happen and so unfortunately we read more into that simple scene than there really is. But with all that aside, this scene of Ennis and Jack avoiding each other, dodging each others looks, staring at the ground, kicking up the dirt is nonetheless rife with sensuality and tension. Ennis and Jack are inexorably drawn to each other through their proximity, loneliness and through a shared lack of tenderness and emotion in their lives: they are emotionally, physically and psychically bonded almost from the start. It is inevitable. It is Fate. And so begins a Love affair that transcends social mores, time, marriages, children, extra-marital affairs and divorce. Despite all that is going on in their lives, Ennis and Jack meet several times a year up on Brokeback mountain and rekindle and thereby re-ignite their emotional and physical attraction: there is no one around, they are free from their regular lives...they can love. Much has been made of Heath Ledger's performance as Ennis and he gives what is without a doubt one of the finest performances of this year. Ennis is a quiet, stoic man and he is troubled and frankly scared by how deeply he feels for Jack. As he showed us first in "Monster's Ball," Ledger is capable of digging way deep down into his gut and imbuing his performances with an unflinching frankness and truth that we can neither ignore nor help to be moved by. Gyllenhall's Jack is the younger of the two: he's fun, he's a little crazy and unfortunately he wants a lot, lot more than Ennis is able to give him. Gyllenhaal's hang-dog, frisky puppy of a performance is full of warmth and light: the kind of transcendent light that shines out from a soul full of love, understanding and acceptance. "Brokeback Mountain" is devastating in both its presentation, its performances and its tragic denouement. This movie is not for everyone. But if you are willing to open up your heart and mind a bit to let in its beauty, emotionality and sensuality you will not be disappointed. In faRead full review
A serious and insightful film delving into the Taboo topic of the Gay lifestyle. This is a realistic portrayal of the hardships and internal turmoil as well as the rewards of being gay. It is refreshingly nonsexual story with the exception of the strongly suggested interaction in the tent, of a couple ranch hands finding themselves drawn together. Heath's performance as a gay man, being pursued by Jake's character, fighting the feelings within himself and desperately trying to live a heterosexual mainstream life was brilliant and well captured. Jake equally performed well in his role of the cautious but persistent pursuer. Unfortunately as with many movies of this genre the movie ends on an extremely sour note which ripped away the tone of the movie as a whole. It leaves you wondering about the choices you make and the costs of the ones you don't. Whether you are gay or not, this movie is a Keeper and will be in library. Thanks for reading!Read full review
Heath Ledger really took a walk on the wild side to make this film, his performance was outstanding, excellent, you could see the pain and love in his face. There is 2 morals to this story and if you watch it you will figure it out. I will not give you my point on the morals everyone has their own way of thinking. It took me a bit to watch this movie after watching it I cried, this was a very heart rendering story. A Heath Ledger doing a totally different role then normal for him, very excellent acting. I would have liked to have seen a few things changed but I did enjoy the movie. Another one of my fav. Heath Ledger gone too soon.
I was curious about this movie and I wanted to see it. I had heard a lot about it. I watched the trailer of this movie, and the first time that I saw it I was grossed out. I watched it again a few days later and I could see that it was more than just a couple of guys getting it on. I could see that this was a love story. My husband wouldn't go with me to see it at the movies, so I bought the DVD. I watched it while my husband was at work. I was right it is a love story. It's a love story that can touch your heart and tear it up at the same time. I don't believe in same sex relationships, but these two guys were more than that. They had a love for each other that was bigger than themselves. You could see that they were only going through the motions of life when they were with their real families. They only came alive when they were together. They existed only for the time when they could be together. They made you want them to find happiness and a life together. The ending of this story was harsh. It was a sign of the times. Their love might have had a chance at happiness in todays times, but not back in the time that this story took place. Jack's mother knew that Enis loved her son. She knew what their relationship to each other was. She also knew that this man loved her son as much as she did. This fact comforted her in her time of grief. If you have an open mind and can look beyond two men having a thing for each other. If you can see the love and the ache that they feel for each other, then who am I to say that their love is wrong.Read full review
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