Victims of Forbidden Love

Rating: 8/10 (16 January 2006)

This is an interesting and tender movie. However, the build up of the relationship between the two main characters, although necessary, dragged and seemed extremely long.
When their first sexual encounter happened, it was sudden and violent, and it fit the mood of subsequent shock and astonishment felt by the two men. It wasn't clear to me what they had felt prior to their encounter about their sexuality. Had they inklings of such desires? Or was it a lightning bolt that hit them?
The killed sheep that the man finds the next day is like an omen for their love. Tragedy ahead.
Jake Gyllenhaal has these incredible eyes that pour out tenderness and love. I got wrapped up in the love scenes thanks to him, which is my first for a movie about gays.
This movie is very much about a time and a culture. And although homophobia is still alive and well in the USA, back then, places existed where those two lovers could have opened their horizons. One of the saddest parts of the movie was that they were trapped by a certain fatalism and ignorance, which highlighted the tragedy of their love.
The secondary characters were interesting and did a good job adding to the story. Randy Quaid was great as the Forest Service supervisor who catches them in the act. A particularly moving scene was when they were seen kissing passionately by the wife, and her heart is broken. Another victim added to the heap of forbidden love.