Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Number 2 - 2005
When Brokeback Mountain came out in 2005, it was instantly recognised and praised by critics and film fans alike. The film won every major Best Picture award across three continents, yet I said to myself there is no way this film is that good.
In the light of other heavyweights of that year, such as Spielberg's intense Munich, and Paul Haggis' uncompromising Crash (which actually won the Best Picture Oscar), I thought Brokeback Mountain was probably overrated. I could not have been more wrong and more ignorant; not having a chance to catch the film and perhaps not pursuing it due to its nature and theme, it has finally been more than three years when I decided to sit through and watch Ang Lee's unusual western if you like.
Undoubtedly on of the best films of 2005, Brokeback Mountain is a daring and immensely powerful film with a simple statement: Love Is A Force of Nature (and who are we to judge how it takes form for some people).
A lot of jokes have been made about this film, regarding the homosexual relationship between two grown men in 1960s Wyoming. All I can say is for those people who have not seen it, to go forth and witness a tragic love story, which is as sad as what we see in James Cameron's Titanic between Kate Winslet and Leonardo Di Caprio.
A rancher, Ennis del Mar, (played astonishingly by the late Heath Ledger) and a rodeo cowboy, Jack Twist (another impressive performance by Jake Gylleenhaal) develop their relationship while alone in the isolated landscapes of Brokeback Mountain while attending a job of looking after hundreds of sheep. During the long cold nights, the two men finally form a sexual attraction between them; I suspect this is the first time they have been allowed to express themselves freely, in a time and a place much more hostile to homosexuality than some of our modern societies today.
The story develops, as Ennis and Jack get married and have children - a sign that they are healthy, strong men, fit for America to accept them. However, the passion and the love between the two does not die out and their relationship takes on a dangerous path, sometimes destructive and ultimately tragic for both...
Brokeback Mountain is an important film. It daringly shows a common humanity, it shows us that some people are simply happier with a same sex partner; now I won't sit here having moral and religious arguments.
Ang Lee's film is a masterpiece. Praise must go to the superb cast, the amazing composition by Gustavo Santaolalla, the screenplay by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana and the cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto. An accomplished achievement.
9/10
