BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN : Beautifully Filmed & Emotionally Powerful...

Rating: 9/10 (18 January 2006)

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
The fact that the word love is rarely spoken (if ever) in BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is a testament to the sheer brilliance with with Ang Lee has handled the tragic love story that is BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. While the tortured love affair between Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger, who's brilliant here) and Jack Twist (Jake Gylenhall) features a beautiful script, it is the unspoken emotion that creeps out of the screen with profound subtlety that truly tells this love story.
The story opens one summer when Jack and Ennis are employed to watch over a herd of sheep on BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. It doesn't take long for the introverted Ennis to almost desperately open up to Jack, the only person who seems to have ever provided him every ounce of emotional support he's needed all his life. Their love continues even after both men become married... and they meet as often as possible in the only part of their world where they know how to be happy, on Brokeback.
Although the story maintains a constant focus on both men's lives apart from one another, the focus is slightly skewed in Ennis' direction. This is probably because Jack's emotions are more consistent. While Jack is sure he could spend the rest of his life with Ennis, Ennis is too concealed to ever allow himself to come to the same realization on the surface.
The irony is that Ennis has the more difficult time living the lie convincingly. His marriage to Alma dissolves slowly from the moment she witnesses a passionate kiss that her husband shares with Jack. The emotional divide between Alma (played beautifully by Michelle Williams, in a performance that will buck all preconceived notions of this former WB star) and Ennis is perfectly captured by Ang Lee's direction. We see the suffrage in Williams' eyes as she struggles to handle her conflicting compassion for Ennis with her anger for being betrayed.
One of the most brilliantly played scenes in the film comes in the only moment that Ennis is confronted with the truth. After divorce, and emotional separation, Alma finally has the courage to let Ennis know about Jack... but her reasoning for never bringing it up before becomes clear as Ennis' depression boils over into fury at a moments notice, immediately threatening Alma with a blind rage.
Ledger and Gylenhall bring a complete honesty to their roles and they are both phenomenal. The performances are of very different natures, but they have found differences that blend together perfectly in a believable love story. They are never in complete agreement on anything, yet their love for each other is never false. As said before, we never see the two characters say "I love you"... and they are never overly affectionate with one another. But you can see behind their eyes that somewhere deep down inside the words are begging to come out. Jack longs to say these words to Ennis, but Gylenhall's performance shows that the only thing stopping him is knowing that Ennis could be scared off. Ennis fears saying the words b/c he's someone who has been so internal for so long... embracing his emotions and going against society scares him to death. While Ennis' is the "tougher" of the two, he simply isn't strong enough to be what he wants to be... and we see this eating away at Ledger in every frame of the film.
Anne Hathaway as Jack's wife Lureen is wonderful as well, and in her final phone conversation with Ennis she is riveting... but the role doesn't pack the emotional wallop that the other characters do.
Ang Lee has crafted a masterpiece with BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. It often feels as if you are not watching a movie, b/c it is so simple in it's beauty. He never cheats the jilted women, but he never makes the men have to apologize for anything. The pressure of society at that time is always clear, though never too in-your-face. Instead of focusing on outside influences, Lee looks into his two leading men to show what fear of society can do to a man. The imagery is beautiful, and even as I watched Ennis and Jack hold possibly the worst summer job ever, I completely realized and believed that for these characters, that awful job was a blessing.
I only saw the film last night, and I possibly need to digest it more... and see it again to more so appreciate everything that Lee contributed to the film. On first viewing for me, it was all about the performances. So I can't put my finger on what it was exactly that Lee did so well... but I know he has constructed a classic. It's a film that can preaches without ever even coming close to being preachy... and a film that grabs it's audience at the gut without ever reaching out of the screen. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN lets it's audience slowly come on their own, and through that connection with the characters, it becomes one of the most powerful love stories ever captured on film.
... B+ ...