"Is it better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all?"

Rating: 10/10 (31 January 2006)

I would consider this one of the saddest, if not the saddest movie, I have ever seen. Some might say this is an exaggeration, that I'm merely overwhelmed having seen the movie a few days ago. But the difference between "Brokeback Mountain" and other movies is that in the end, there's no victory. No triumph really. It simply say "love should be enough. It should conquer all," yet it leaves with the question "is love enough? Does it conquer all?" It's thrown me for a loop.
The character of Ennis Del Mar is one of the most complex characters I've ever seen. I didn't know what he wanted or who he really was. He was impossible to read, and Ledger made it impossible to form a finite opinion about him. It's not until the last seen, when he's remembering Jack and states the simple line "Jack, I swear..." that it's really brought to light how much he loved him, and what he really wanted. It's almost painful to watch. How could someone not let themselves have love?
Jack Twist was so different from Ennis, it really added to the movie. It could have been so easy for their characters to blend into the same person. But the differences were so visible and caused me to feel so different about the characters.
The end of this movie really asked the question "is it better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all?" I personally can't answer. I'm not sure anymore. Any movie that can undermine my original opinions is a winner in my book.
"Brokeback Mountain" is an instant classic: a movie to be cherished for years to come.