Brokeback Mountain

FLICK One can call this the gay cowboy movie, but to label it in this way is limiting and simplifies the extraordinary bond and feelings of the main characters, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist. Oscar-winning director Ang Lee’s adaptation of the short story doesn’t shy away from exposing a culture that punishes men for their longing and sensitivity. Heath Ledger’s thoughtful performance as the inhibited Ennis echoes what his character has seen and has been taught about exhibiting emotions, whether it be towards the same sex or otherwise. It may be that fear of punishment is what ultimately keeps him from true happiness. Without Jack’s forwardness, he would have known none of the passion they shared. Jake Gyllenhaal, as Jack, creates the right balance of lightness and sincerity, which makes his outcome all the more frustrating. Lee's attention to detail adds much poignancy, as in the scene when Ennis, visiting Jack's parents, finds his long lost bloodied shirt in the closet, along with Jack's, on one hanger. We see Jack's shirt overtop Ennis' shirt, but when Ennis takes them home, it is now his shirt enveloping Jack's on the closet door, next to a post card of Brokeback Mountain. The stunning cinematography of the mountainside where Ennis and Jack met and return is most significant. Their love is as vast, beautiful and natural as the never-ending landscape. This is the world that we want them to live in. And it’s this simplicity of the story that has a lasting affect. (2005) My Score: 10 out of 10.