Thought provoking movie with a message about life

Rating: 9/10 (29 July 2012)

In honesty, before watching this movie I expected it to be about 2 cowboys who fall in love on a trip and live the rest of their lives together, however that definitely wasn't how it panned out. I kind of like how the film starts when they're 19, and continues through until they're 39, and how a relationship was kept in secret for 20 years even though both, deep down wanted to live their lives together. Ledger's character Ennis is the main of the two, I like how the director focuses on him, as Jake's character Jack isn't all the worried about being gay, and living together, because he loves Ennis, however Ennis as a young kid experienced a horrible ordeal as he saw a gay man who was killed, just because of his sexuality and this puts him off, he doesn't like society and through the whole film, even at the end, he never really reveals too much emotion or talks about his feelings, and I love that the film isn't what I expected, just that the 2 of them fall in love and live happily ever after as that wouldn't have happened in 1963, or in 1989, dare i say, it wouldn't happen today in 2012, i love how the majority of this movie is about Ledger's character Dennis trying to overcome his emotions and feelings, and how although he is gay, he struggles with it, as this too me, is a realistic take on the relationship.
Heath and Jake are both great in their roles in this film, they really pull it off together, even though Ledger is the main of the two, i think Jake was better in this movie. I kind of like the ending as once again it is realistic, from the beginning of the movie we see an inward character in Ennis, and although the ending could have been more powerful, I think that it was a good ending, yes, it could have had more emotion, maybe a scene of Ennis scattering Jack's ashes on brokeback, but as i said through the whole film Ennis struggled with emotions and it would have been stupid for him suddenly to change after 20 years of keeping all his emotions in, anyway its clear in the end that he regrets not living with Jack, we can see this when he says to his daughter after she says she is getting married, "does this boy love you", and she says "yeah daddy he does", and Ennis turns and looks out the window almost crying, this is the most powerful scene as now we finally see someone happy in a relationship, and Ennis realises that he could of had this, with the love of his life, Jack, we can also see that he is going to change and live as he pleases, as Jack always wanted him too but he didn't have the strength, now after 20 years he finally feels the courage to stand up for himself, and he gets this from Jack, this much is obvious to me when he looks at the shirt at the end and says "Jack, I swear", he now intends on living his life the way he wants to, although that dark cloud will always hang over him of the life he could of had with Jack, and his heart will always ache from his love for jack, but with the shirt and the picture of brokeback he will be happy, as he says to his daughter when she says "Daddy you need more furniture" he replies with "when you've got nothing,you don't need much" this implies the little things he has, the shirt and picture, he is happy with that, and it is all his had left, except memories.
Even though as I watched this movie I felt awkward at the gay scenes, stupid yeah, but I did, in the end they didn't worry me, as this is a great movie and the hidden message is, be strong have the power to do what you want, not what society expects or thinks is right or wrong, man and woman, man and man or woman and woman if you love someone, you should spend your life with them, as you only live once, so why not live knowing that you are happy with yourself and who you are, rather than living miserably but living normal, this movie isn't just about a gay relationship, its about having the courage to be yourself, to do as you please, to take chances, not just in relationships, but in life, for example travel the world and explore, be happy, as we all, only live once