Artistically repressed emotion

Rating: 10/10 (29 December 2005)

The spoilers don't come until the third paragraph. So if you haven't seen the movie, feel free to read up until then. And then you can jump down to the conclusion.
The thing about Brokeback Mountain that a lot of people seem to have had a problem with was the fact that the emotion of the film was as subtle and unspoken as the emotions of the main characters. Rather than taking that as a dull, slow moving movie I took it as a stylistic choice that worked phenomenally well. In describing the movie to friends I told them not to expect the "best film of the year" while they were in the theatre. For me it wasn't the kind of thing that knocks you out immediately. But I couldn't take my mind off of it for several days after seeing it.
The great strength of the way the story was told is that nothing was as you've come to expect it. There's no big promise-of-eternal-love scene. There's no tragic separation scene. It really doesn't give you any great opportunities to cry. No tears jerked here. In spite of the hype regarding the subject matter, the "gayness" is really downplayed. The word "love" is used only once at the very end, and not regarding the two leads. There isn't even very much dialogue to tell you what the characters are feeling. It's all told in the situations and on the faces of four extraordinary actors.
Spoilers start now.
Heath Ledger would be a shoe-in for a Best Actor Oscar had this film been released in a year without Capote. How do we know what Ennis is feeling when he never tells us? He vomits when his first season with Jack is over. He looks only mildly happy to be getting married at his wedding. He's prone to fits of rage. He completely ignores his wife whenever Jack is in the vicinity. Thanks to a traumatic childhood experience and an intolerant environment, he's denying who he is and what he wants and it effects everything, even the way he talks (I thought the mumbling was a perfect acting choice). Jake Gyllenhaal's character was not so internal, and therefore didn't require the level of skill that Ledger's performance did. It's still great. Jack's frustration with "something that I need so bad and can't hardly get" is painfully evident. Everyone seems to be in agreement on Michelle Williams spectacular performance, but Anne Hathaway isn't getting the props I think she deserves. The scene on the phone between her and Ledger is a classic. You can see her inner conflict as she talks to the person she knows her husband, with whom she shared an amiable yet unfulfilling marriage, really loved. Amazing. And kudos to Ang Lee and film editors Geraldine Peroni and Dylan Tichenor for bringing such a sense of intimacy to that and many other scenes.
No more spoilers from here on out.
And don't even get me started on the score and cinematography! Beautiful! This is an unconventional love story told in a completely unconventional way. It's a shame that the hype will have viewers going in with so many expectations. If you let it take you on the journey it was designed to, rather than the one you expect, you're in for an engaging movie-going experience like none other in the last several years.