My long and winding road up Brokeback Mountain

Rating: 10/10 (10 February 2006)

There was so much hype around this film, but I was pre-hyped as it was.
I read the short story in a doctor's office waiting room in The New Yorker back in late '97. I'd read "The Shipping News," which was OK, and as I had a long wait I thought I'd check out this story.
I immediately fell in love with the language, and when things took, shall we say, an unexpected turn, it got a whole hell of a lot more interesting.
I finished the story totally stunned, then started sobbing. Not tearing up, I was completely undone. Just at that moment the nurse came out to get me to see the doctor, and asked me what was wrong. I could barely talk, so I pointed at the magazine and said "Good story." She laughed and said "Brokeback Mountain, huh? You're the third one this week." I thought "Wow, that would make an amazing movie. Too bad it'll never happen." I read the anthology when it came out; I loved the prologue Proulx added. I continued to read it over the next five years, and heard rumblings that the movie was going to be made by Gus Van Sandt. I thought "Oh, no, not another Private Idaho. Wrong for the material." Schumacher would have been even worse. Then I heard about Ang Lee. SCORE! Perfect for this film, which was to star...Donnie Darko Jake Gyllenhaal and "pretty boy" Heath Ledger? Say it ain't so! I consoled myself that Ledger had been really good in "Monster's Ball."
I barely breathed until the film had wrapped production, then heard the accolades, the critics buzz, the anticipation was killing me.
Finally it was December 9th, I saw it on that first weekend. As the lights went down, I thought "I can't believe it's finally here. Hope to God it's good." The film exceeded my expectations. First, Heath Ledger was not only good, he completely and totally BECOMES Ennis Del Mar in a way I don't think I'd seen since Daniel Day Lewis in "My Left Foot." It's a career-defining performance, and he carries the entire film on his broad shoulders. Second, Ang Lee. What a master, what a FREAKING master. The deliberate pacing and layers upon layers of meaning draws you completely in, then kicks you in the guts. Third, of course, is Jake Gyllenhaal. I was so blown away by Ledger the first time that I really didn't notice how fine Gyllenhaal was until the second viewing. His outgoing Jack is the perfect foil to the island of stoicism that is Ennis. Their chemistry is palpable, and their love is believable, total, and ultimately tragic. The rest of the cast is equally solid, particularly the long-suffering wives. Gorgeous camera-work in the mountains of Alberta and a haunting score round out this incredible film.
Beware, this film gets under your skin and stays there a long time. I cried at the end, then had to compose myself for 20 minutes in the car so that I could drive home. That night in the shower, it hit me again. Then again at work the next day. I saw it again, and it just deepened, and my respect for this film just continued to grow. On the surface it seems a simple love story, but there is much symbolic and cinematic complexity below the surface. Finally, it continues to pack an emotional wallop that just won't let you go.
I am NOT normally an emotional man, I rarely if ever cry, but this film just does it to me. Love IS a force of nature.
I'm going to a screening in a few days that has a Q&A with Ang Lee, the cast, and the composer, and I'm going to first thank them for one of the most amazing films I've ever seen.
Brokeback's got me good. 10 out of 10.