Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Nobody ever thought, when news that Brokeback Mountain was being made, that it would be a hit, a classic as time passed, and an awards sweeper during the year’s season. People made jokes about it, the very idea that two tough, rugged cowboys would “turn gay” while living out in the mountains without any women around. And then, slowly but surely, all the people who watched the movie stopped laughing – myself included. Yes, there’s still the “I wish I knew how to quit you” line that elicits a chuckle, but it doesn’t have anything to do with the gender of the speaker or the listener. It’s just a funny line, no matter who says it to whom.
Visually, it’s a beautiful movie to look at. The rolling hills, the colors of the grass and sky, and the slow pace to help you appreciate nature all immerse you in the setting. Ang Lee has quite a repertoire under his belt, and now he can add one of the most famous modern westerns to it.
Given the subject matter, there’s going to be some controversy about the characters and their feelings. Different schools of thought argue both men are homosexual, both are bisexual, one is and one isn’t, etc. Regardless of all the discussions you’ve had with your friends about what the movie really means, it certainly brings up the question: can a person be a heterosexual and fall in love with someone of the same sex? Just like the film Gaslight spawned the titular verb that has lasted for eighty years, Brokeback Mountain has created a similar legacy. If you have a celebrity crush on someone of the same sex, chances are your friends have teased you for “going Brokeback Mountain.”
There are some people who are not going to like this movie, so I won’t blindly recommend it to everyone. If you’ve thought about the subject matter and trust Ang Lee to film it tastefully, give it a shot. If you appreciate very well-acted dramas, you’ll probably like it. Parts of it are hard to watch, but that’s the nature of the setting. Both Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal pour their hearts into the movie, and their long-suffering wives Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway hold their own in a story that isn’t really about them. One last question to ask yourself if you’re still on the fence about renting it: would you want to see a movie about a cowboy and a cowgirl who fall in love while living out in the mountains without their spouses? Because that’s the story; two people fall in love. They just both happen to be men.
More Heath Ledger movies here!
Visually, it’s a beautiful movie to look at. The rolling hills, the colors of the grass and sky, and the slow pace to help you appreciate nature all immerse you in the setting. Ang Lee has quite a repertoire under his belt, and now he can add one of the most famous modern westerns to it.
Given the subject matter, there’s going to be some controversy about the characters and their feelings. Different schools of thought argue both men are homosexual, both are bisexual, one is and one isn’t, etc. Regardless of all the discussions you’ve had with your friends about what the movie really means, it certainly brings up the question: can a person be a heterosexual and fall in love with someone of the same sex? Just like the film Gaslight spawned the titular verb that has lasted for eighty years, Brokeback Mountain has created a similar legacy. If you have a celebrity crush on someone of the same sex, chances are your friends have teased you for “going Brokeback Mountain.”
There are some people who are not going to like this movie, so I won’t blindly recommend it to everyone. If you’ve thought about the subject matter and trust Ang Lee to film it tastefully, give it a shot. If you appreciate very well-acted dramas, you’ll probably like it. Parts of it are hard to watch, but that’s the nature of the setting. Both Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal pour their hearts into the movie, and their long-suffering wives Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway hold their own in a story that isn’t really about them. One last question to ask yourself if you’re still on the fence about renting it: would you want to see a movie about a cowboy and a cowgirl who fall in love while living out in the mountains without their spouses? Because that’s the story; two people fall in love. They just both happen to be men.
More Heath Ledger movies here!