Provocative and Beautiful

Rating: 9/10 (25 January 2006)

Ang Lee has created some amazing films, and this is another. A covert gay relationship between taciturn cowboys is a provocative subject, but I felt that the film handled it well and gave an illuminating look at the subject of homophobia. Brokeback Mountain was filmed in Alberta's Rocky Mountains and I spend part of my career as a geologist in that region. It gave me chills seeing an approximation of my old life in the outdoors up on the big screen.
Brokeback Mountain was beautifully filmed with powerful performances by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as ranch hands Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist. I noticed that the sets of actors playing Ennis' growing daughters were particularly well cast too. To me the tale boiled down to Ennis and Jack being caught by a desire they couldn't acknowledge and a choice they couldn't make. The film captures the tragic consequences; Ennis pushing away everyone that loves him and Jack's unfulfilled but agonizing need.