A touching and tragic love story

Rating: 8/10 (24 March 2015)

For the longest time I've avoided watching this film because of its status as "that gay cowboy movie." At some point I probably had some aversion to the subject matter, but now having put that aside I must say that BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is a touching, almost heartbreaking portrait of friendship and love. The cast is lead by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as Ennis Delmar and Jack Twist, respectively. One summer, in 1963, they both work as ranch hands on Brokeback Mountain and in their isolation they develop a romantic relationship which continues for the next 20 years. Of course, this is at a point in history when homosexuality wasn't tolerated, by and large, so the two of them have to keep their relationship a secret. Both of them even get married and have children, but still manage to "go fishing" a few times a year. Still, Ennis and Jack are quite different people. Jack is more open about his desire to settle down, while Ennis is more conflicted (and, for the time, pragmatic). While a lot of films that deal with homosexuality and gay themes often focus on the hardships and self-loathing, this one doesn't. And as a period piece, a love story between two "out and proud" men wasn't really an option to begin with. I also liked how the material wasn't sensationalized by being too explicit. There's a couple of gay sex scenes, but the film mostly focuses on the two characters and their developing relationship. I should also mention the supporting cast, a few of whom I was surprised to see (but not in a bad way). There was Randy Quaid as J. Aguirre, the manager of the ranch that Ennis and Jack work for that summer in 1963. He only had a few scenes, but he did a really good job with his limited screen time. There was also Anne Hathaway as Laureen, the woman who Jack ends up marrying, Michelle Williams as Ennis' wife, Anna Faris, and Kate Mara as the grown-up version of Ennis' eldest daughter. Since the film is mainly about Ennis and Jack, the supporting cast doesn't get as much to do, but it was so well-written and acted that it was OK. Also worthy of mention is the beautiful cinematography and gentle score which complement the story quite nicely. The only fault I can find is that the film goes on for a little too long, like they weren't sure how to wrap it up. Still, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is a warm, poignant love story that should speak to you no matter what your sexual orientation is. Just put aside your preconceived notions and give it a try if you haven't already.