Review of Brokeback Mountain (2005) by Brett C — 06 Jul 2014

Review In A Nutshell:

Brokeback Mountain is the life story of two men who have built a relationship with each other in Brokeback Mountain. Their story spans up to 20 years, showing us both the beauty and heartbreak in their relationship.

I have heard a lot of things about this film, many simply say this was that "gay cowboy movie" while others remark it as the "deserving winner of the 2006 Academy Awards"; it was beaten by Paul Haggis' Crash, which I have yet seen. It was rare for me to hear anything negative about this film, and the ones who did watch it and cringed at the subject matter, still managed to say that this was a good film; so my expectations for this was quite high. After seeing it, I can definitely claim that I agree with most of what was said about the film, but it just falls short that could easily be remedied with a second viewing.

The amazing thing about this film is how it manages to feel so intimate and small while at the same time have it also feel like an epic. There is no significant political or a war situation going on the background of the story, like most films of this nature, and it still manages to remain interesting throughout. This is probably because Ang Lee and the writers did a wonderful job in establishing the fact that this story is about them and nothing else, keeping the heat and intensity internal rather than have it explode and feel melodramatic.

We are taken through a journey that started off as a friendship that eventually became something more meaningful. There were many factors that triggered their connection, it could be the fact that they were isolated from humanity and only had each other to survive, or it could be because they both felt empty in their lives, drifting through life as a loner, lacking in any sort of intimacy and a sense of purpose. Their relationship is difficult as they are living in a time and place where this sort of thing isn't acceptable; Ang Lee didn't cover this struggle through any perspective aside from the two protagonist, giving the audience only the view of their pain, and only get a glimpse of judgement through the eyes of their future relationships, but even then their female partners didn't show resentment towards their sexual orientation. The secret relationship has caused fractures in their established lives with their spouses. They come back to each other time and time again because it reminds them of a time where they were at their happiness, alone at Brokeback Mountain. It was a mistake for them to "move on" with their lives and adhere to the pressures and values of "normal" societies, they only did this because they were both scared and initially thinking that it was unhealthy; if only they knew how they would feel about themselves years later when they have already gotten too deep with commitments like children and a career. We can't entirely be angry at them for making these decisions, because we would probably do the same thing. Lee isn't trying to make a loud statement about homosexuality and its status in common society; instead he is simply making a film that shows true-to-life feelings about love, friendship and loneliness.

The film features stunning photography, particularly the first 40 minutes of the film, which conveys the intimacy and pain between the characters. Rodrigo Prieto, the cinematographer, wanted to emphasise the beauty and vibrant colors of the mountain-side; it lets us take in the euphoria that the two men shared in this place. Once they leave, the film then starts to lose its vibrancy in its image, reflecting the pain and emptiness that they feel being apart from each other.

The film's score was composed by Gustavo Santaolalla. The film's theme consists of a simple but tender guitar tune that speaks about the characters and their relationship perfectly; it almost feels like we are listening to the strings of their heart strumming along. The rest of the score follows suit with the simplistic guitar tunes but are supported with only a hint of an orchestra; it allowed particular moments feel more dramatic but never to a point of manipulative.

The acting in this film is also something to be cherished. It delivered powerful performances from both Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. I was able to immerse myself into their relationship, mainly their ability to make the emotions feel palpable but also executed in a way that was realistic and subtle. Out of the two, Ledger was definitely the better actor but that being said it could be because he was given a bit more focus from the film, showing us multiple situations in his life that evoke an emotional response from the audience. The film also features minor, but important, roles from actresses Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams. Hathaway has impressed me here but I couldn't say this was the film that I would remember her for. Michelle Williams on the other hand was amazing in her role, giving us a glimpse of the pain of a wife who knows the secret of her husband. Again, like Hathaway, this isn't the film I mostly remember her for, that praise would go to My Week with Marilyn.

Brokeback Mountain is a wonderful film that is cleverly directed, features a strong and emotional script, and impacting performances from its leading actors. I am torn whether or not I consider this as Ang Lee's best film, as I also felt Life of Pi was a strong work from him. I think I would find the answer once I have given his films multiple viewings.