Haunted by Brokeback

Rating: 8/10 (17 December 2005)

After seeing the movie for 24 hours now, I have one word to describe it - haunting! My friend asked me how I felt about the movie as soon as the credit rolled, and i couldn't quite put my finger on it. Just like Ang's previous work in 'eat drink man woman', the movie stayed away from many opportunities where it could milk the audience for their tears and emotion. There was no big explosive melodramatic scene, especially towards the end where the movie could easily have done so. I've read the short stories, read the reviews, and seen the previews prior to the movie. So there was definitely certain expectations, like how and what I expected to see in the next scene or so. Having said so, there were still a few surprises here and there that really captured the moment for me. The cinematography was breathtaking. And the score, it was beautiful and very effectively integrated into the movie, especially in the quiet moments.
So now, after 24 hours seeing the movie, I couldn't help but hearing the score and seeing imagery from certain scenes. I started to understand the choices made by some of the characters. And there are certain images that will haunt you like the dripping sound of water. It's a simple story with a complex characters, you don't have to be gay to relate to the characters; ultimately, it is a story about lost love and identity. See it with an open mind, and I'm sure you'll come out with a bigger heart.