An honest love story for the ages.

Rating: 10/10 (2 January 2006)

Brokeback Mountain is quite simply the Romeo & Juliet love story of our time. Not because it is about a homosexual love affair between two hunky cowboys set in the early 1960s that spans twenty years. It is a story of two human beings desperately trapped in a forbidden love relationship...these two lovers could be any two people where society refuses to let their love blossom. What is the most haunting about this beautiful and ugly film is what is not said and what is not known. Brokeback Mountain is obviously beautiful because of the gorgeous actors (all of them!), the lilting music, the awesome cinematography, and the unending devotion of love. It is also ugly because love is purposely smothered, because of prejudice and self-loathing, because society only accepts what it sees as "normal." This movie needs to be viewed several times to pick up all the subtle details...it is too difficult in just one viewing to catch it all. Then, afterwards let all of the film, the story, the actors, the love and the sorrow, seep in slowly. You will not be able to forget this honest film with its tragic love story. It will haunt you.