Review of Brokeback Mountain (2005) by Akashvijay — 10 Feb 2015

In the summer of 1963, two cowboys, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, are assigned the job of herding sheep on a mountainside in Wyoming. But amidst the grand beauty of Brokeback Mountain, the two men fall in love with one another.

But when the job is done, they're forced to walk their separate ways. Ennis' father taught him to condemn homosexuality when he was a child, and so he began to condemn his own feelings. Both men are forced to deny the only passion either of them will ever feel.

They pretend so as to fit in with the others. And in doing so they hurt themselves and carry great pain with each passing moment. Both Ennis and Jack marry and have children. But every once in while, they'd get to meet up on Brokeback Mountain where they can finally stop pretending and expose there vulnerability.

This is where their hearts truly lie. Brokeback Mountain is powerful, beautiful and poetic. It hits you right on your chest like a bullet when you least expect it and steals away your heart. The cinematography is gorgeous, the score is elegant and all performances, particularly Ledger's as the restrained and distant Ennis Del Mar, are marvellous.

This is Ang Lee's masterpiece. Brokeback Mountain was the best film of 2005 and the greatest / most important love story of this century.