Leaves you thinking....

Rating: 8/10 (27 January 2006)

When I panned "Capote" ("Movie About Writing of 'In Cold Blood' is Cold Potatoes"), I said that the message of a good movie does not come from a line delivered to or by the protagonist but is made obvious in more subtle ways. Those who wrote, produced, and directed "Brokeback Mountain" apparently think along the same lines.
To me, "Brokeback Mountain" has a simple but powerful message: Live the life you want. Don't be afraid to love. Nobody actually says those words, but the closing scene--in which we see Ellis as a lonely and broken man--serves as a warning to all who fail to heed. I, for one, intend to think long and hard about that.
If there is anything to criticize about this film, it's that the opening scenes make the movie's gay theme a little too obvious. It would be better to allow the audience to assume at the beginning that the characters were straight and that a sexual relationship between them wasn't in the works. A movie should build up to a love scene gradually. In all things dealing with love, delay is part of the thrill.
Although homosexuals have been depicted in movies for years now, they are usually cast in a comedic role in which their homosexuality stands out as different or oddball. "Brokeback Mountain," on the other hand, boldly makes a movie about homosexuals without making an issue out of homosexuality. I say it's about time.
"Brokeback Mountain" is bold in another way: unlike the majority of mainstream movies, it doesn't rely on juvenile sex jokes or a toilet flush to keep the audience's attention. Perhaps it is written for the above-average crowd and because of this, it may gather its trophies but suffer in receipts. Nevertheless, I give two thumbs up for a mature movie at last.