A Profoundly Melancholic Masterwork

Rating: 10/10 (3 January 2006)

At its core this film is not about sexuality it is about profound loss and about not having a true life. Not one character comes though the other end of this without loss. And why? Not easily answered. An intolerant society and a rigid masculine template jump to mind. This film is hard to characterize, though. From its opening shot to its final one, there is an overwhelming sense of isolation and loneliness. Time passes but the outside world rarely infiltrates; some songs, some hairstyles, some newer cars but never the news of the day. This remoteness makes the film and its ultimate conclusion a tragedy. If there is ever a place to live a truthful and fulfilling life it should be Brokeback Mountain, but neither Jack Twist nor especially Ennis del Mar can truly live the life they desire. As it stands, theirs is mingled life that spans years and yet still seems empty and devoid. I cannot say truthfully that the actions of these men are without criticism especially with how they affect others in their lives but nothing they do to other people compares to what they do to each other. While theirs is a timeless love, both physically and spiritually, they also are haunted with melancholy and emptiness; a troubled human conflict that will shake most loving people to their core.
As a film it is remarkable. Ang Lee's direction is a masterly and will be studied. Every image, every performance and edit is delicately and masterfully maintained throughout. The performances are amazing and for some will be career defining. Ledger is revelatory and I would stand his performance alongside any of Brando's early ones. You know Ennis. You love him and are angry with him and Ledger is never false in his portrayal. Gyllenhaal is just as amazing. Jack is the yin to Ennis' yang and Jake nails him. Without his character's love for life, the final scenes would not carry as much emotionally. Jake's performance is focused in his eyes and the sparkling flame within them. Watching that flame diminish over time is heartbreaking. Michelle Williams' Alma has deservedly received accolades and she is raw and real. Just as noteworthy is Anne Hathaway and I must say she really surprised me. In what could have been a mannered and arch character, she brings Lureen startlingly to life, most notably in her phone conversation with Ennis. The photography and music are beautifully intertwined and will stir your emotions and be with you for days.
That this film is subjected to trite and hateful degradations by some is saddening. It seems at conflict with the truth and compassion that these "moral" people aspire to. To spout vitriol about this film seems so misplaced if anyone has truthfully seen it. It is this hate, however, that hits to the core of what Ennis believes. That no matter how fundamentally real Ennis' and Jack's feelings are for one another, there will be those that hate them and being hated is a more unspeakable horror than living alone.