Brokeback Mountain
The love that dare not speak its name.
Had I seen this earlier and there was not so much hoopla about the movie there might be a few more surprises for all of us. But, here goes.
Two cowboys (Jack Slick, played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Enis Del Mar, played by Keith Ledger) in the 1960’s meet while herding sheep in Wyoming. While they are up on Brokeback, just the two of them (and all the sheep), they find comfort and affection in each other's arms. The next day tell each other that they are not queer, but still they continue to share intimacy for two months on the mountain.
Four years later Jack comes back to visit Enis. Enis is now married and has two daughters. Jack has been drifting and helping his parents run their ranch. Both are living on the edge and quickly they realize that their affections for each other have not died off. Enis’ wife (Michelle Williams) sees the two men in a lip lock but keeps it to herself. The boys then start having regular fishing trips (a few times a year) back up on the mountain where they met.
Eventually Jack also finds a woman to be with during a rodeo. Laureen (Anne Hathaway) has a father who sells tractors and combines. After they wed, Jack is selling farm equipment and doing quite well, while Enis is still struggling to make ends meet in a failing marriage. Still, the two men go camping together away from everyone. Jack is trying to talk Enis into running away together and live as ranchers.
Eventually, one of them dies (I won’t say who or how right now). The trials and turmoil of the forbidden love finally come to an end.
I am going to give this film 4 stars (out of five). Yes, I was moved by the love affair that the two men had. Yes, I thought the ending was especially poignant and real. Yes, I did squirm in my seat watching two guys get in on in a tent. So, the movie does deserve a rating of ‘R’. But Best Picture for an Oscar? Hmmmm, let me think…
Ang Lee did a fabulous job directing the film. The angles and the close-ups were well balanced with the gorgeous wide-angle scenes of the mountains and rivers. The timing was good and the moments when Enis and Jack were intimate (not sexual) told more of a story than the “gratuitous sex” scene in the tent.
The acting all around was well above par and it was good to see some of the younger actors doing roles that were different than we are used to (Michelle and Anne). Even watching the families grow up over twenty years was well done. So, I do think it deserves a nomination.
But, the movie was too long. I don’t mind keeping a slow pace to give the feeling of the passing of time, but many scenes could have been removed. Note to Directors:I promise that I will not feel ripped off if I pay full price for a movie that is less than two hours!
Also, the whole tent scene was a little too ‘wham-bam-thank-you-man’ for me. For those of you who have been with me for a while, you know that I have said the same thing about boy-girl scenes, so don’t think I am homophobic. Finally, I found Jack to be exactly what a stereo-type homosexual is supposed to be: a horney gay guy who cannot keep it in his pants. Of course, infidelity is the sub-text in this film, so I should expect it. It just seems to ring shallow that he has so little character, but Enis still loves him.
Ahhh, Cest' la Amor
OK, I am going to reveal info about the movie, so if you don’t want to know, stop reading.
Ready? In the end it is Jack who dies. His wife explains to Enis that it was from a blown tire, but some scenes are flashed on the screen that would contradict that story. This image is reminiscent of things that Enis had seen growing up, so the audience is not sure what the truth is.
In the end Enis is true to himself, knowing that the one love of his life is now gone.
Had I seen this earlier and there was not so much hoopla about the movie there might be a few more surprises for all of us. But, here goes.
Two cowboys (Jack Slick, played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Enis Del Mar, played by Keith Ledger) in the 1960’s meet while herding sheep in Wyoming. While they are up on Brokeback, just the two of them (and all the sheep), they find comfort and affection in each other's arms. The next day tell each other that they are not queer, but still they continue to share intimacy for two months on the mountain.
Four years later Jack comes back to visit Enis. Enis is now married and has two daughters. Jack has been drifting and helping his parents run their ranch. Both are living on the edge and quickly they realize that their affections for each other have not died off. Enis’ wife (Michelle Williams) sees the two men in a lip lock but keeps it to herself. The boys then start having regular fishing trips (a few times a year) back up on the mountain where they met.
Eventually Jack also finds a woman to be with during a rodeo. Laureen (Anne Hathaway) has a father who sells tractors and combines. After they wed, Jack is selling farm equipment and doing quite well, while Enis is still struggling to make ends meet in a failing marriage. Still, the two men go camping together away from everyone. Jack is trying to talk Enis into running away together and live as ranchers.
Eventually, one of them dies (I won’t say who or how right now). The trials and turmoil of the forbidden love finally come to an end.
I am going to give this film 4 stars (out of five). Yes, I was moved by the love affair that the two men had. Yes, I thought the ending was especially poignant and real. Yes, I did squirm in my seat watching two guys get in on in a tent. So, the movie does deserve a rating of ‘R’. But Best Picture for an Oscar? Hmmmm, let me think…
Ang Lee did a fabulous job directing the film. The angles and the close-ups were well balanced with the gorgeous wide-angle scenes of the mountains and rivers. The timing was good and the moments when Enis and Jack were intimate (not sexual) told more of a story than the “gratuitous sex” scene in the tent.
The acting all around was well above par and it was good to see some of the younger actors doing roles that were different than we are used to (Michelle and Anne). Even watching the families grow up over twenty years was well done. So, I do think it deserves a nomination.
But, the movie was too long. I don’t mind keeping a slow pace to give the feeling of the passing of time, but many scenes could have been removed. Note to Directors:I promise that I will not feel ripped off if I pay full price for a movie that is less than two hours!
Also, the whole tent scene was a little too ‘wham-bam-thank-you-man’ for me. For those of you who have been with me for a while, you know that I have said the same thing about boy-girl scenes, so don’t think I am homophobic. Finally, I found Jack to be exactly what a stereo-type homosexual is supposed to be: a horney gay guy who cannot keep it in his pants. Of course, infidelity is the sub-text in this film, so I should expect it. It just seems to ring shallow that he has so little character, but Enis still loves him.
Ahhh, Cest' la Amor
OK, I am going to reveal info about the movie, so if you don’t want to know, stop reading.
Ready? In the end it is Jack who dies. His wife explains to Enis that it was from a blown tire, but some scenes are flashed on the screen that would contradict that story. This image is reminiscent of things that Enis had seen growing up, so the audience is not sure what the truth is.
In the end Enis is true to himself, knowing that the one love of his life is now gone.
posted by Mr. Don at
10:13 PM
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