The definitive film of homosexual love

Rating: 10/10 (9 January 2006)

I can only think Oscar approves. Wilde that is, who himself had a documented affection for western roughnecks. Because this is a film of great humanity and insight, told through a simple, gentle story, directed with artistry and restraint. I have such admiration for Ang Lee's versatility as a director, not only in his diverse choice of subject matter in his canon but also the balance of his craft in directing performance, scene composition and the telling of the story between the lines of dialogue as well as through them. The term 'masterpiece' seems ill-fitting for such an understated piece of work, but is there any other description that does it justice?
It could quite easily not have been so, and I am sure many find it distasteful or even grotesque. There is a great compassion for all the characters that are affected by the love affair between the central characters, particularly Ennis' wife, played by Anne Hathaway. Heath Ledger' performance is revelatory, and both him and Gyllenhaal as Ennis and Jack depict brilliantly the span of a relationship from instinctive, guilty lust through to tender, hackneyed affection.
You may or may not cry. But the film does not make a tawdry attempt to wring tears at any point, especially in the final act, when a final return to Brokeback Mountain could have been used to exploit all the previous dramatic tension (I can only think how Spielberg would have milked it).
Like the stunning mountain that provides its backdrop, this film will stand the test of time, though it age and weather, to be admired in years to come.