Brokeback Mountain hits you like a shot in the heart. ``If you can`t fix it, you have to stand it.`` That in a nutshell is the story here. It is not a fairytale love story in which the lovers ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. It`s a tragic romance in which no one wins.
The cinematography in this film is astounding, the acting is flawless, and the directing by Ang Lee is amazing, and the story, well, impeccably heart-breaking. It is a love story that goes beyond a controversial issue.
This powerfully intense and emotional motion picture grabs you right where it hurts and doesn`t let go. My heart ached for Ennis (Heath Ledger) and Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal). Ennis that was orphaned as a little boy, the inability to trust, to both of them, to walk a path that you know you cannot follow, to long for something so intense, to love someone so much that they could never let go of, but could never be with.
The astonishing force that each of the actors portrayed their character, was nothing short of brilliant. Both Ledger and Gyllenhaal make this anguished love story physically palpable. The pain and disappointment felt by Jack, who is softer, more self-aware and self-accepting, continually registers in Gyllenhaal`s sad, expectant silver-dollar eyes. The repression of the love that they shared was evident from the destruction of the life they pretended to live, to the stolen moments of love that they shared ``fishing``; having to live a lie, to force yourself not to love, or want to be with that person.
You felt each move they made, each hungry touch, each passionate look at the other. You can`t help but be torn apart when Ennis realizes his true feelings.. when he is separated from Jack that first time, as he breaks down in the alley, the raw emotion, that unmitigated pain and agony.. the realization as Jack has while driving away, watching that solitary figure in his rear view mirror.. for them to realize that their great love is a man, but all the complications, the implications to both them and their wives.. the agonizing longing they feel for the other, not just during that memorable summer but for a lifetime.
While some might say the movie develops too slowly, it is the pacing of it that allows the movie to sink deep into your soul. It`s a lovely, very benign love story; a sad, tragic, poignant, realistic western. There were sniffling noises in the theater when Jack cried out these words to Ennis- ``I wish I knew how to quit you.`` in a voice choked with so much agony and desperation and Ennis in turn collapsed to the ground and broke down completely in such painful sobs that would soften even those with a heart of steel. Like no other romantic story I`ve seen depicted on film in ages, this one cut me in two.
Ang Lee, unbelievable. The development of the characters, the bond, the situation, the universal tragedy of forbidden love, the undiminished urgency of their passion, the instinctive sympathy, his ability to relate, to make you feel what the actor/actress is feeling.Ang Lee: ``It`s a part of human nature to fear desire and to lose control, and so we begin to indulge in self-denial. Self-denial leads to darkness ... because it shuts out truth, and then, you have nothing but the darkness, and regret, and the memory of what might have been. Brokeback Mountain is a romantic symbol of what we fail to attain. It`s about loss. It`s about fear. It`s about the illusory quality of love.``
The way that Ang has directed the film, you feel the intimacy when it grabs them, and you bleed the loneliness of the life that they live. The shock from both characters, when the bond they have established is realized, not just because it`s a man that the other is in love with, but the intensity of feelings that is involved. You cannot help but feel the confusion, the agonizing longing they have, the want to be together yet not being able to do so.
Ang portraits their desire so incredibly forcefully, you leave the theater with a loss of words. My heart ached for Ennis and Jack, and it broke for Alma. I cannot imagine watching what she saw, and being forced to live a lie. Isn't that what the goal was? For the audience to feel the profound love, the loss, the rage, the agonizing longing, the pain, the rage, the rejection that is felt, that is unforgettable for everyone.Brokeback Mountain is a beautifully subdued and masterful piece of work in every facet of filmmaking. While clearly not having the intention to be a milestone film, it is one, and in turn is one of the best films so far this decade. Those who choose not to see it based solely on the homosexual content are obviously free to make their own choice, but don`t come bellyaching to me saying that there aren't any good movies out there.
4:10 PM