A new classic love story

Rating: 8/10 (20 March 2006)

While probably "Brokeback Mountain" is one of the most controversial movies of the last times; at its core, it is like those classic movies of old, a beautifully told story of doomed love and its somewhat tragic consequences. It is also the tale of one man's problem with his own emotions and the conflicts he has when he tries to live a double life.
"Brokeback Mountain" tells the story of the relationship between two cowboys who met each other while working in Brokeback mountain on the summer of 1963. We follow their relationship first as friends, then as lovers who must keep their love secret. Through the eyes of Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger), we discover the conflicts that his secret love for Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) creates in his life; and how he must face his inner fears to avoid damaging everyone he meets.
Even when the topic at hand still is seen as taboo in this days, Ang Lee's adaptation of Annie Proulx's short-story is not the definitive "gay" movie; people of every sexual orientation can relate to the characters and the situations they go through. This is one of the movie's biggest strengths, the fact that it portrays very human and realistic characters. Neither Ennis nor Jack are bi-dimensional cartoons; each is a complex world on its own and the central point of the story is when those two worlds collide.
Heath Ledger's performance is vital for this movie to succeed, as he is our eyes in this venture. We witness how he chooses the easy way out and marries a local girl instead of staying with his true love Jack, creating with this decision a problem that will grow as big as their love, and that they'll have to face eventually. The movie is not only about Ennis and Jack, is about Ennis personal growth and how to achieve the emotional maturity he must endure difficult tests in his life.
Gyllenhaal is also great as Jack Twist, but definitely the movie belongs to Ledger. Same can be said of Michelle Williams, as Ennis's heartbroken wife Alma, who can't understand what is going wrong with their marriage. Her performance is powerful, and at times she manages to overshadow Ledger with her perfect portray of the emotions of this devastated woman.
Aesthetically, the movie is wonderful. Ang Lee does for Wyoming's mountains what he did for China's exotic landscapes in his previous masterpiece "Wo Hun Cang Long"; he manage to showcase nature in a way that appears new, pure and irremediably beautiful. Together with Gustavo Santaolalla subtle but effective score, create a perfect image that reflects both the beautiful and the lonely sides of Ennis' life.
The saddest thing of this movie, is that most people will get immersed in the homosexual-controversy, and will lost the beautiful message of the movie. It is not about homosexuals or heterosexuals, it is about love between two human beings. It is a shame that this modern classic of romance, will be remembered for it's controversy rather than for its artistic value. 8/10