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Brokeback Mountain
Actors: Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams, Randy Quaid, Valerie Planche
Director: Ang Lee
Genres: Indie & Art House, Drama

NC-17 2hr 14min

A sad, melancholy ache pervades Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee's haunting, moving film that, like his other movies, explores societal constraints and the passions that lurk underneath. This time, however, instead of taking on... more » ancient China, 19th-century England, or '70s suburbia, Lee uses the tableau of the American West in the early '60s to show how two lovers are bound by their expected roles, how they rebel against them, and the repercussions for each of doing so--but the romance here is between two men. Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) are two itinerant ranchers looking for work in Wyoming when they meet and embark on a summer sheepherding job in the shadow of titular Brokeback Mountain. The taciturn Ennis, uncommunicative in the extreme, finds himself opening up around the gregarious Jack, and the two form a bond that surprisingly catches fire one cold night out in the wilderness. Separating at the end of the summer, each goes on to marry and have children, but a reunion years later proves that, if anything, their passion for each other has grown significantly. And while Jack harbors dreams of a life together, the tight-lipped Ennis is unable to bring himself to even consider something so revolutionary.

Its open, unforced depiction of love between two men made Brokeback an instant cultural touchstone, for both good and bad, as it was tagged derisively as the "gay cowboy movie," but also heralded as a breakthrough for mainstream cinema. Amidst all the hoopla of various agendas, though, was a quiet, heartbreaking love story that was both of its time and universal--it was the quintessential tale of star-crossed lovers, but grounded in an ever-changing America that promised both hope and despair. Adapted by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana from Annie Proulx's short story, the movie echoes the sparse bleakness of McMurtry's The Last Picture Show with its fading of the once-glorious West; but with Lee at the helm, it also resembles The Ice Storm, as it showed the ripple effects of a singular event over a number of people. As always, Lee's work with actors is unparalleled, as he elicits graceful, nuanced performances from Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway as the wives affected overtly and subliminally by their husbands' affair, and Gyllenhaal brings surprising dimensions to a character that could have easily just been a puppy dog of a boy. It's Ledger, however, who's the breakthrough in the film, and his portrait of an emotionally repressed man both undone and liberated by his feelings is mesmerizing and devastating. Spare in style but rich with emotion, Brokeback Mountain earns its place as a classic modern love story. --Mark Englehart

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Movie Details

Actors: Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams, Randy Quaid, Valerie Planche
Director: Ang Lee
Creators: Bill Pohlad, Diana Ossana, James Schamus, Jordy Randall, Annie Proulx, Larry McMurtry
Genres: Indie & Art House, Drama
Sub-Genres: Indie & Art House, Love & Romance
Studio: Focus Features
Format: DVD
Original Release Date: 12/16/2005
Theatrical Release Date: 12/16/2005
Run Time: 2hr 14min
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 1
Members Wishing: 0
MPAA Rating: NC-17

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Member Movie Reviews

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 6/12/2024...

There's a hate / love relationship with this one!

Movie Reviews

A movie that will stay with me for the rest of my life

loveboy | bronx,USA | 08/31/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I know the title sounds very drastic or dramatic, but thats just how i feel. This movie simply puts the energy of love, in all her glory on display,for the world to witness,and lessons are taught as she is betrayed.I think one of the reasons why this movie is so profound to millions of people, is because straights can witness that gay love is just like theirs. Love is the common bond between all of us here on this green earth, and Brokeback Mountain illustrates that beautifully."