Most powerful movie I've ever seen

Rating: 10/10 (10 January 2006)

Ang Lee's brilliant and haunting love story instantly became my favorite movie after i saw it. It's power and sadness stayed with me for over a week. He actually improves upon the original short story- extending the story line and strengthening the characters. The performances were all great, but Heath Ledger's portrayal of Ennis Del Mar is one of the most powerful and nuanced performances of recent cinematic history. His acting skill moves beyond the sparse dialog. The real pain is evident in the silent scenes, where Ennis's inability to change the course of his life breaks the hearts of the audience. His character is not only identifiable to gay men, to to any person whose dreams have been a casualty of the world: gay, straight, male, female, red state, blue state. The film's few flaws (the almost too censured love scenes, the emphasis on their family life over their relationship) are instantly forgivable and forgettable upon the emotional force of the last quarter of the movie. Brokeback Mountain is the reason the 5 star review exists. Every movie I've ever seen pales in comparison.