More than a movie... an experience.

Rating: 10/10 (26 November 2005)

"Brokeback Mountain" is more than just a movie, or a story; it's an experience. This film will numb you, become branded in your mind, and like a cold, rainy day leave you feeling sad and joyful all at the same time. You will end up caring immensely about these characters, see them as broken human beings no different than ourselves, and be genuinely touched by the sorrows they endure. Expect a slow-moving story that will quietly pull you in, affect you deeply, and then linger and haunt you for days on end.
I don't deny that the story revolves around a very controversial theme that will make many people uncomfortable, but if you allow yourself to move beyond this plot vehicle, you will encounter an incredible story of love and friendship that trust me, will pay an enormous dividend.
What strikes me as special about this film is its universal take on humanity. Below the surface story, an undercurrent of commonality to what we feel as people  isolation, regret, longing, fear, connection - transcends gender, race, culture, social, or even political identities. And of course the most universal feeling that we all hunger to explore and possess is that of love  this complex emotion that so easily overturns our lives, tempts us to exchange a little of our own souls with someone else, and makes us feel giddy that we belong to somebody that "gets" who we are.
Like the short story on which it is based, the film presents its story through a series of deeply affecting moments that span the twenty-year relationship of its main characters, Ennis and Jack. These moments, comprised of nothing more than subtle glances, brief facial expressions, and the slightest of body language, felt like lightning flashes to me, discharging their energy so intensely that a hint of truth is suddenly illuminated. And the truth that we glimpse is a simple one: these two men truly love each other and the power and intensity of this unexpected bond is both exhilarating and frightening, and will be so indelibly marked upon their hearts and souls that they will never be the same again, no matter how much they strive to build separate lives of social acceptability. The rest of the film touches upon the tragic consequences of Jack and Ennis' inability to fully embrace or define their yearnings for each other - yearnings that defy categorizing.
All in all, "Brokeback Mountain" speaks to the wish we all have to be able to rewind our lives, realize a moment of true bliss before us and from that point choose a different path for ourselves. The story will stay with you, and surprisingly, you will want to remain with it, savoring images and words that resonate with melancholic sadness as well as longed-for hope. This is truly a unique film that feels like a giant quilted tapestry of human anguish and frailty in which I freely wrapped myself, not to be suffocated by sorrow, but to find consolation in knowing that my own pains of heart are more common than I thought.