10 Reasons why BBM is the best cinematic experience of all time

Rating: 10/10 (30 January 2006)

I'll be the first to admit that I've gone gaga over BBM. I've seen it 3 times over the past month. Here are my top ten reasons (in no particular order) why Brokeback Mountain is the groundbreaking masterpiece movie of all time!:
(1) An avalanche of superlatives and a mountain of gushing reviews (not to mention highly acclaimed awards) has been heaped upon this movie. And it's no wonder why. Brokeback Mountain is stunning in every way - from the direction, cinematography, musical score, and of course the exceptional, nuanced and realistic performances.
(2) No other film has so heart-wrenchingly grappled with bigotry, class, violence and hatred (and all its sources), unbridled love, and the consequences of fate and circumstance with such clarity. And all this wrapped into a romantic love story! And the fact it's all done in such an understated way makes it all the more remarkable.
(3) On the surface it's a fairly linear story told in a matter-of-fact way, but it's layered with such depth, metaphors and double entendres (in fact, there's a heart-wrenching quadruple entendre at the end of the movie! (when Ennis tells Jack's father, "I can't tell you how sorry I feel" Not only is this an often-told line when one person attempts to comfort another with a loss, but it reveals how Ennis is unable to share his thoughts to a man who is blindsided by his own prejudice. Thirdly, Ennis can not simply talk about these things 'in this place, at this time'(Wyoming), and finally he is simply incapable of doing so  he's hamstrung by his own inability to ever convey his feelings).
(4) It's astonishing how a movie that depicts the scene of a man straightening a post card and doing up a shirt button can achieve such a devastating impact (demonstrating the deep love and respect that Ennis has for Jack)  it's ten-fold more effective than any $1M/min CG attempted in so many movies today.
(5) The haunting. Millions have experienced it. Has there been any other movie that's had that effect?
(6) The reaction. Has there ever been such a polarized opinion of a movie? It's either loved or loathed (but primarily loved). It is surely the first time that the President of the U.S. has been asked a question of whether he's seen a specific movie. It's even making its way into our daily lives. Such as the two cowboy models walking hand in hand on a Milan runway. There are even BBM phrases entering our lexicon.
(7) The remedies. People are actually suggesting remedies to help folks work through LAB (Life After BBM). Has there been any movie in which this was necessary?
(8) As of today, January 30th, on the IMDb web site, some 20,000 people have voted with a resounding 61% giving it 10/10  this compares to 54% for the top rated movie of all time  The Godfather, and 56% for Shawshank Redemption. Brokeback's overall weighted average is only 8.0 simply because of a significant number of vitriolic and hate-filled reviews weighing it down. In spite of the homophobic reviews, most positive ones have catapulted BBM into the most highly acclaimed movie of all time! (at least for the time being  it doesn't help that swooning reviews like this help to feed the hype machine which may diminish a movie for some with such stratospheric expectations!)
(9) The best movies are not only able to provide a stirring story and capture our hearts, but they can transcend into something far bigger. They are capable of collectively shifting societal opinion in a positive way. As for BBM, "this movie is a force of nature". I truly believe its timing couldn't be better. For instance, since it appears that same-sex marriage is back on the table here in Canada with our newly elected right-of-centre government in power, the bigoted and hateful backlash to this movie should open the eyes of every politician, and impede a complete reversal of how far Canada has come in this basic human rights issue.
(10) All of the above, plus the outcome of a certain awards ceremony on March 5 (SAG notwithstanding).