Heath Ledger and Brokeback Mountain - A Movie Review

2008-07-31 15:30:19

"Brokeback Mountain" Movie Review. 7.5/10.
By Alex DeMattia. ALL ABOUT MOVIES.NET.

"Brokeback Mountain" gained notoriety upon its release for being a 'gay cowboy film'. With a label like that it would be easy to draw conclusions about the nature of the film and in so many ways this label is complete unfair. In fact, the 'gay' aspect to the story is not the point; this is a film about an impossible relationship, and the wider relationships it affects. They could have all have been straight or gay or a mix of both (as in this case), it wouldn't have mattered. Any one watching this, unless they're deeply conservative, will be able to find something compelling or even recogniseable in what happens in these relationships and it is to director Ang Lee's credit that he focuses the story so much in this direction. One can't ignore the fact that this film got more attention because it's central premise is based on two cowboys who fall in love, but otherwise, it's a compelling drama with characters who are trying to make the best of their respective situations under the life pressures they all live within.

"Brokeback Mountain" is based on a short story and the writer, Annie Proulx, made a wise decision to choose two cowboys as her protagonists. If there were any type of people who would appear to not show gay tendencies in popular culture, it would be cowboys, which perhaps makes the whole concept more interesting. Heath Ledger plays the quietly spoken Ennis Del Mar and Jake Gyllenhaal plays the outgoing Jack Twist. They both find a job together herding and guarding sheep on a vast property on Brokeback Mountain. Out their in the beautiful country side with no one else around, they go from hardly speaking to friends to lovers. Eventually, their job comes to an end and they split up, not seeing each other for another five years. In the mean time, both men marry women and start a family. The complications arise when Jack tracks down Ennis and they resume their relationship, but they attempt to do it in secret, and only at Brokeback Mountain where no one will ever know. Ennis' wife is the first to find out about their relationship when she catches both of them all over each other outside their home. This eventually leads to the souring of the marriage, ending in divorce. Jack's marriage becomes quite loveless, and he becomes the whipping boy for his wife's father who treats him with no respect.

The story is simple but its intricacies are what make it worth watching. The dynamics of the relationships between the characters are complex and rich. Ennis, played superbly by Heath Ledger without a trace of his Australian accent, is a product of his time. When he was a kid, his father showed him two gay men who had been killed by someone when they were found out (and not just killed, but tortured). This image has stayed in his mind for his entire life as a warning from his father never to indulge in such sin. This plays in to his relationship with Jack who is more open-minded and willing to buck convention. As a result, they're together and not together, leaving a relationship which is joyous and tragic all at the same time. Ennis' wife is heartbroken, as is his later girlfriend, when in the former she finds out about her husband's extra-marital affair, and the in the latter when she finds out that he has no love to give her. Jack's wife is a tough business woman who is consumed by her business, and with Jack's losing interest, she becomes almost devoid of emotion, a point Jack notes to Ennis when describing what she has become.

The story has a lot of character detail and nuances and thankfully they are carried out by a talented bunch of actors. In some cases, they surprise, including Jake Gyllenhaal who probably put his best performance in to this film, Anne Hathaway as Jack's wife who rises above her "Devil Wears Prada" 2-dimensional qualities, Randy Quaid as the ranch owner who hires the two cowboys at the beginning of the film, and many, many others. Ang Lee really brought out the best in his cast and for this story it was essential to make it work. And it works astoundingly. Lee also brings a commanding power to the images put to screen. Working with his cinematographer, he has crafted some wonderful imagery of the American West contrasted with the run-down everyday poor look of the towns the characters live in. A nice metaphor for the two cowboys actually, with Brokeback Mountain highlighting the beauty in their relationship, and the towns representing the opposite.

One huge drawback to the film is its pacing. It's very slow. The running time is a little over two hours but it feels much longer and probably should have been about 20 minutes shorter. The film does take a while to get going and once it's there it holds your interest despite the slow pacing, but it's not enough. Yes, it's a character study, which demands a slower pace, but not this slow.

A very good film with stellar performances and story, only let down by its pacing.

For the complete, original DVD review, click HERE.

Alex DeMattia is the lead DVD reviewer at ALL ABOUT MOVIES.NET.

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