Just saw Brokeback Mountain

[SkipNewarkDE]

Devastating film, lyrical, restrained, poetic, powerful. The theater was sold out, and people were literally sobbing at the end of it. Ang Lee is a masterful director, Jake Gyllenhal gives a decent performance, and Heath Ledger absolutely knocks it out of the park with an Oscar calibre performance.

The story centers on two ranch hands that work together, alone herding sheep, discovering an intense love. Society and situation make the reality of this attraction something to be hidden, denied. Yet both men go through decades of quiet desparation, attempting to eke out the nuclear family lives that society tells them they must have, while yearning for that innocence of their first summer where an outside world did not impose.

This movie is a poetic masterpiece of direction by Ang Lee. He is not afraid of the material, and he is not flamboyant nor exploitive with the material. A lesser director would have beaten the issue of violence and murder of gays over the viewers heads in graphic detail, relying on the horrorifying aspect of such crimes, yet Lee communicates the true horror of these type events through the faces and few words of his main characters' faces contemplating such events.

The film is so wonderfully controlled and restrained, permeated by the same sort of restraint of the unspoken love that surrounds the two cowboys. It is a dance of words, expressions, and more than not, it is what is NOT said that carries the most import in this film.

Just fucking beautiful movie. I walked out of this thing and could not talk for a full 15 minutes because every time I started, my throat choked and I felt like I was going to bust out crying.

The theater was absolutely jammed today for this film. The audience was not just a bunch of gay guys. There were adult couples of every persuasion. Coming out of the movie, there was a huge line to get in. The audience looked shell-shocked and teary eyed walking out of the thing.

I had read some Fox News movie expert saying that this thing was going to bomb at the box office. I think not. I had also read some stuff at Freek Republic lambasting this film, and applauding the killing of gays on one hand and then talking about Christian values on the other.

If anything, this film is a plea to let people be free and unencumbered by a prejudiced society to find their true peace and love. The quiet desparation of the two main characters is just wrenching to watch, peppered with these moments of pure joy and real love when they return for their retreats to the mountain of the title.

Go see this. See it twice.

[NewJeffCT]

1. Thanks for the review

I didn't know it was Ang Lee that directed the movie - seems like he made up for The Hulk then. I always wonder when movies have slightly different & original themes if critics like them just because they are different, or if it's because the movie really is that good (last year with the Clint Eastwood female boxing movie where the name escapes me)

I'm going to try to see the movie, but I've seen maybe half a dozen in total in the almost 3 years since my daughter was born, when half a dozen was probably a 2 month total for me before that... so, it's a wishful thinking thing.

[SkipNewarkDE]

2. It is a great movie

And what's great about it is that Ang Lee does not rely on show-off director tricks, nor even call attention to his direction. It is just a laid back, reserved, almost perfect tempo film. Every edit, every musical cue, every vista is just this spot-on backdrop for the great performances by the mains. The film isn't about dialog, either. Very little is said the entire movie. The main characters or ill-spoken, the antithesis of eloquent, yet their eyes, their faces, their manners speak volumes. It is almost like watching a silent movie, so much pain and yearning and meaning is carried in the pauses between spoken words.

And yet, isn't this the nature of this taboo love? General society would rather it not be discussed, not in the forefront, not directly acknowledged and confronted. The pain, the menace, the joys are all unspoken in this film, save for a few clumsy outbursts.

[NewJeffCT]

21. you heard what Heath Ledger's next role is, right?

He's playing the title role in "Casanova"... my first thought on seeing the preview in the theater over the weekend is that Ledger took on the role of the legendary lover of women so he wouldn't be typecast in gay roles.

[DS1]

3. Hey, thanks for the spoiler

[SkipNewarkDE]

5. What spoiler?

No spoilers there. Nothing more than whats in the trailer.

[DS1]

7. I had no idea there was an aspect of violence in the film

until this review :shrug:

[SkipNewarkDE]

8. It's a childhood flashback story...

... explaining why the main character is afraid to commit to another man. Apparently it was a big thing to lynch gay cowboys back then. But there is no real onscreen violence.

[Blue-Jay]

23. PS - Darth Vader is actually Luke's father.

[newsguyatl]

4. wonderful film

heath's definitely in the running for an oscar...

my only complaints about the movie -- not enough development of their two months on brokeback mountain... i mean, a whole hour of the movie they fish, cook and then one raunchy (unrealistic) sex scene and kaboom -- they're in love? not enough love, not enough passion...

i mean... as a gay man, seems there could have been more development in that area... i never really felt like they were in love until the end of the movie.

with that said, for a nationwide gay movie release, i was very pleased. it will no doubt open many doors...

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

11. I thought the leadup scenes were very well done and provided plenty

of background to the developing relationship...

[SkipNewarkDE]

13. I dunno, in the context of the story

.... their buildup to romance was the faltering, unsure, clumsy to the point of oafishness, of people with no context or experience with that kind of thing. I found it really realistic, especially the "day after" scene.

[newsguyatl]

15. ha, if you believe two men

can ever have true intercourse the way they did -- i'd like to know how!

[SkipNewarkDE]

18. I'm not talking about the specific mechanics of the sex scene

I am talking about the lead-up, and the day after.

[Texasgal]

6. Thank you !!

I cannot wait to see this film! Now, with your review, I REALLY want to see it now!

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

14. I saw your post in my "crying at the movies" thread, bring lots of Kleenex

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

9. Just got back... without a doubt the best film of the year in my mind.

Powerful and honest... Honestly I think both actors were great, but Ledger's character is the centerpiece of the film so he will probably get the Best Actor nomination...

[newsguyatl]

10. forgot to say

best scene of the movie (and most gut wrenching) -- the last time they see each other -- and they're on brokeback mountain... this is when heath's character finds out jake's character has been down to Mexico... that scene will win Heath the oscar.

on edit: i never figured out why heath's character at the very end of the movie says "i promise."

what's he promising? to scatter his ashes on brokeback mountain? left me a wondering!!

[SkipNewarkDE]

12. Potential spoiler

... because that was the first and only time, really that Heath's character could say, in his own way, through anger and threat that he actually loved Jake's character. It sounds twisted, but bear me out. He was unable to say "I love you" but was so hurt by the Mexico thing that his jealousy and anger and helplessness of the situation made him cry tears of hurt and rage and threaten Jack. It was obvious how much love was there, bottled up, undirected.

[newsguyatl]

16. i agree completely

...

but what about that last line of the movie?

see previous post.

[SPQR]

24. He actually says

"Jack, I swear...", which is also in the story, at (or near) the end. I think it's left up to us to decide what he means by that unfinished thought.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

17. It is, first and foremost, a great love story. The fact that it is love

between two men, and forbidden, does shape the context, and is important in the choices the characters make in their lives and the way things play out, but aside from that, I almost feel that the characters being gay is a secondary or even minor issue to the film, if one can understand what I'm trying to say...

[tjwmason]

19. Thanks for the review.

I'm not sure when/where it's coming out in England - but I can't wait to see it.

I doubt that it will cause as much fuss over here - but it sure sounds like a damn fine film to watch.

[graywarrior]

20. What a great review. Thanks.

[Scout]

22. too much mumbling from Ennis

couldn't understand his lines half of the time.

good strong performances, but not oscar-worthy

[CTyankee]

25. I saw it same day you did!

I agree with you that it was a powerful film, but I thought it was a bit long. I think Larry McMurtry contribution on the screenplay was responsible for a lot of the film's authenticity. No one can better express Texas better than he can.

Best scene: where Ennis talks to Jack's wife and she tells him (falsely) what happened to Jack. Her bleached hair against a bleached background was pure cinematic art. She was, indeed, "bleaching" the story about Jack.

Now I want to read the short story on which the film was based. Hope it is in my library.

[LynneSin]

26. Did you see it here in Delaware?

I do want to go see it along with Memoir of a Geisha. Just haven't had a chance to go see any movies with the holidays.

But now that I'm free and clear after today when it comes to work, I might catch a few afternoon flicks and just go myself. Get tired of being stuck seeing movies I really don't want to see and then not finding anyone to go see the ones I want to see.

But JimmyJazz and I are going to grab dinner at Mikimotos on Thursday night and then go catch Memoirs. Want to come along?

[SkipNewarkDE]

27. It is at the Regal Brandywine

Hey there:

It is at the Regal Brandywine on 202. I will be interested in seeing it again if you want to make it a DU "outing". *wink*

[Initech]

28. I think we should force the fundies to see this movie

I mean, if they can force us to see The Passion Of The Christ, they should be forced to go see this one - it may actually make them have - gasp - different opinions about gay people. That's just my opinion.

Oh, and start with Fred Phelps. He needs some sensitivity training. :evilgrin:

[CTyankee]

29. Nah, they'd just say "Ewww!" and

run from the room. Wouldn't want any of them going into cardiac arrest during the sex in the tent scene, or the numerous kissing and fondling scenes.

[swimboy]

30. Good to hear how much you liked it.

I'm waiting for it to get to Richmond.