Quietly Devastating

Rating: 10/10 (4 February 2006)

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN has been described as "a gay love story." It is true that the story concerns an on-going relationship between two men, but this is merely the pebble director Ang Lee throws into the pond; the film itself is about the ripples the stone makes, and by examining them in meticulous fashion BROKEBACK creates a portrait of the way human beings are distorted by both external and self-imposed repression. It is a powerful film, an artful film. It is also one of the most painful films I have seen, the sort of film from which you emerge with a stunned sensation, and a film that lingers in your mind for a very long time afterward.
In terms of plot the movie begins simply enough. Two ranch hands, Ennis (Heath Ledger) and Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal), are hired to tend sheep on Brokeback Mountain in the summer of 1963. Ennis is a very self-contained man. Jack is more outgoing and is presented, in a relatively subtle way, as a man who is open to sexual possibilities. As the summer progresses they become friends, and as Ennis opens up emotionally the two suddenly begin a sexual relationship. Although they are careful to tell each other that they are not gay, and although the words "I love you" never cross their lips, the relationship develops into a romantic one. But all summers must end. The two men, struggling with emotions they are "not supposed to have" for each other, leave the mountain and each other. Both men marry; both have children; both go on with their lives.
But the stone makes ripples in the pond. Ennis, more so than Jack, is utterly unable to accept the idea that he is homosexual--and yet when Jack seeks him out several years later it is Ennis who leaps at Jack both sexually and emotionally, and what began as a seemingly transient affair rapidly develops into an overpowering relationship that they must conceal from wives, children, and society--and the consequences of concealment are devastating for all concerned. This is particularly true of Ennis, who has few internal resources, who is more afraid of social retribution, and who can neither let go of Jack nor bring himself to agree that they can live discreetly together. The result is a series of internal tragedies, failures, losses, and frustrations, all of which create a deep and abiding pain from which there is no escape.
In terms of art, the film is beautifully crafted. Director Ang Lee approaches his material with a sparse grace and an eye for the telling detail, presenting the characters in such a manner as to allow you see them in the fullest possible way. He is greatly assisted in this by the remarkably powerful script by Larry McMurty and Diana Ossana, which translates Annie Proulx's memorable short story to the screen in both brilliant recreation and illumination, and by Rodrigo Prieto's simple yet compelling cinematography. The cast is fine beyond all possible expectation, never sounding a false note, and we believe them from start to finish. Nothing is either overplayed or underplayed; there is no artificially heightened drama; no manufactured element any kind. Indeed, with the single exception of an occasional make-up effect, it is virtually impossible to fault the film on any level. Is it a great masterpiece? I think it may well be. Time will tell.
The film has been controversial on several fronts, but most particularly for the homosexual relationship that forms the spine of the plot. Some critics have seen this as evidence of "Hollywood's leftist agenda;" others have stated that the film is the best possible argument for same sex marriage. To adopt these attitudes, however, is to impose ideas on BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN that do not actually exist in the film. It is a rare example of a film that does not tell you what to think; it simply presents a story of what things were like, and in some respects are still like, for gay men and their families in America. It leaves you to make your own judgment about right, wrong, and where sympathy should reside.
In closing, I will make an cautionary observation: while I strongly recommend the film, I must note that BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN will likely take a toll on many gay viewers akin to the toll taken by PLATOON on Vietnam vets. I think this will be particularly true of gay men from largely rural and small town backgrounds and who are presently in their forties or older. It is profoundly painful to see elements of your life undergo this sort of extremely public autopsy, and had I realized the accuracy of the film I might well have elected to wait for a release to the home market. Having said this, I also note that in a visual sense BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN really requires the breadth of a movie screen, and I do recommend that it be seen in that format if at all possible.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer