The mountain of our fears and dreams

Rating: 8/10 (16 January 2006)

There's something about mountains  the way they inspire us, fill us with hopes and dreams. Is there anyone who hasn't stood at the foot of a mountain as a child and not imagined climbing it? Lush green valleys seem to promise happiness, and the hills beyond are aspirations, symbols of a soaring spirit and also the challenges by which we measure ourselves.
Set in the verdant pastures and breathtaking mountains of Wyoming, Brokeback Mountain is a symbol of an enduring dream, a happiness that might be out of reach, of lakes and sunsets, of campfires and sheep farming, of flickering flames and a life away from the hustle bustle, where a can of beans and fresh coffee span a deeper range of existence than the materialism of the city, and where a person can get in touch with their soul . . .
Our story starts with two men taken on as sheep herders in 1963, regular guys that need a job. One of them is planning to be married soon. They become fast friends but soon discover more about themselves than they were prepared for  and far more than the local community can live with.
Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) divide the work up between them, one of them sleeping on the land to protect the sheep overnight and the other riding back and forth with supplies. So far the film has blended the idyllic lifestyle of westerns with a slightly more modern setting  reminiscent of early Marlboro cigarette advertising. What follows is a brief scene that explodes and causes many people to either be shocked (especially fundamentalist Americans apparently) or simply say 'not the sort of subject matter that interests me'. As there's no way of avoiding the information by way of the advance publicity, it makes no sense not to tell you that the two men have sex with each other  but simply that for once do believe the reports that have given this movie outstanding acclaim worldwide, and go to see it not because it happens to include a couple of gay cowboys but because it is a monumental film in itself.
The Romeo and Juliet plot (two starstruck lovers from different social groups kept apart by family prejudice) has been almost exhausted; the not dissimilar starstruck couple here though are kept apart by social prejudice alone (extreme homophobia that includes gruesome torture and murder - although these details, thankfully, are hinted at rather than conveyed too graphically).
What is fascinating (to a mainstream audience) is the way the people in their lives deal with it. The wife who knows but pretends it isn't happening, the other wife who lies, the children who grow up presumably in the dark but still attached to their loving father, and finally the parents, whose tender acceptance, in spite of the upset they probably feel at the knowledge, quietly puts their son's happiness first. While covering the extreme stereotypes of prejudice, director Ang Lee (Sense and Sensibility; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) has wisely avoided simplistic reactions in the supporting characters. The finely nuances performances allow us to see many sides of the moral dilemma without once making judgement.
Breaking stereotypes is also the order of the day for the two lead characters, who enjoy much of the macho rough and tumble associated with the heterosexual male (especially the whip-cracking Texan, or full-bloodied Australian: European, Asian and Latin American men seem to find less need for such demonstrations to assert their sexuality, perhaps because homosexuality is better integrated and respected in these cultures). Neither of them are particularly camp, and would both be identified as straight on a casual glance. ("You know, I'm not queer!" says one, the morning after  "Me neither!" the other replies.) This must be particularly annoying to American cultures that cling to such outdoor archetypes as 'heterosexual'. But Ang Lee, an outsider in America, has bravely represented a minority that still carries more social stigma than colour, much to the shame of a country that claims to be the greatest country in the world. An even bigger achievement is that he has achieved it as a mainstream movie, and one that may well go down in history.
When the sheep season ends the two men continue with their separate lives, but meet up again four years later (the phrase "just going fishing" may never be the same again). They realise the hopelessness of their situation but cannot bring themselves to discard it either. When one of the wives spots them in a brief and covert embrace outside, we know that disaster looms  the only mystery is what form it will take. The movie unfolds with incredible grandeur amidst the torn-apart emotions of all those involved, condensing a story of a considerable number of years without ever rushing it. Perhaps the one weakness is that it never tries to advance our understanding directly  and none of the characters are particularly blameless role models  but in confining itself to telling a story it perhaps reaches out for understanding better than any claim to moral high ground. The cinematography is remarkable, never flagging, and juxtaposing awe-inspiring images in a way that conveys a deep sincerity for the subject matter. There are mountains to climb. and mountains that represent ideals to work towards, or simply molehills that seem like mountains until we can open our eyes and conquer our fears about different lifestyles. The small journey to see Brokeback Mountain could be the small step to better understand our humanity to others.