Powerful movie of same sex love

Rating: 9/10 (11 March 2015)

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall give outstanding performances in this movie about same sex love that goes far beyond much of the rhetoric we hear on the subject. The movie is a story about two human beings who struggle with themselves, their families and the misunderstandings and prejudices of people in their lives. Both Gyllenhall and Ledger shined but I found Ledger's performance more moving because he was in denial about his own nature and continued to put his family before himself throughout the story, causing great personal and mental anguish. At the end he was less withdrawn and came to realize how much Gyllenhall's character meant to him. The dynamics with both families were typical of family conflict aggravated by their secret lives. Ledger and his daughters had a special bond that plays so well in the movie. It was also very interesting that both these men had mastered the alpha male persona that fit in with their frontier environments. Gyllenhall was willing to take risks about approaching other men but Ledger was incapable of acting on his instincts, with the exception of his liaison with Gyllenhall. It was also interesting to see how they handled the romantic interests of females. A truly extraordinary movie, it is a powerful story with a final scene that you will not forget.