Brokeback Mountain

Posted by Tara Settembre (tara@filmschoolrejects.com) on May 1, 2006

Overall Grade: A-

Everyone knows the story is about two gay cowboys but the full story is their struggle with accepting their sexual identity as well as their family’s reactions. It starts off the two young men with Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) searching for work as sheepherders and due to lack of funds take on an isolating job on the majestic Brokeback Mountain in the summer of 1963. During their time working together, their friendship develops and eventually more hidden feelings that lead into an unexpected life-long relationship filled with turmoil, love and loss. I’ll spare you any more description since it’s been written about to some extent already.

As for the performances they were exceptional as the Academy and all the other award giving societies had also recognized with nominations and awards. Heath Ledger gave a stoney and quiet performance while Jake Gyllenhaal evoked a more emotional and passionate performance. My favorite acting was not by either cowboy though but by Michelle Williams who plays Heath’s unwanted wife. She played the dowdy and lonely female with real feeling that masked the fact that she and Heath have a relationship in real life. I could take or leave Anne Hathaway’s performance though as Jake’s wife, maybe because I just could not get rid of the image of her as a clumsy teenage princess.

My problems with this film have also been echoed by other critics and filmgoers. For one thing their relationship, although intense, didn’t show the extent of their love for one another until the very end, instead there are many violent scenes demonstrating an unhealthy relationship rather than a loving one. Yes, I know it was the 60’s and neither of them were out of the closet and working in a very homophobic line of work, but still it would have been nice to have seen their feelings expressed other than with their fists. My next and last compliant is that although the story itself is far from being boring it was very slow, causing me to feel bored and frustrated with the inaction, but then my feelings were mirroring Jake Gyllenhaal’s character’s emotions, so maybe that was it’s intent and maybe not.

One more thing was that I wish the date was actually mentioned in the film instead of leaving me guessing, especially since given the minimal societal settings, which made it harder to figure out just when this film is supposed to take place, especially since the years keep passing by as the narrative unfolds further.

The story is filmed in a very epic style form with breathtaking scenic shots reminiscent of big studio epics from the past and John Ford cinematography. The beautiful scenes are best viewed in the DVDs Widescreen edition.

There are quite a lot of special features on the DVD without the DVD being labeled a special edition. I was disappointed though that there wasn’t a commentary by Ang Lee, especially since he was up for Best Director and all. Still there is a decent amount of featurettes to satisfy fans.

Features include:
Becoming a Cowboy, This featurette shows how stars Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway practiced becoming cowboys, riding horses and looking authentic in their rustic roles. We see the actors riding horses, roping cattle, doing rodeo etc., plus interviews from the trainers and actors regarding this undertaking of preparing for the film.
• Directing from the Heart: Like I said although Ang Lee doesn’t provide an audio commentary regarding his film but this feature provides a detailed commentary on his directing with behind-the-scenes footage.
• Sharing the Story: The Making of Brokeback Mountain, This other feature section follows the filmmaking process form start to finish. Here we get to meet more of the cast and crew in in-depth interviews, behind-the-scenes clips.
• From Script to Screen: Interviews with Larry McMurty & Diana Ossana, The writers discuss bringing the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Proulx’s visionary short story to the screen and adapting it into a full length film. This is especially interesting given Larry McMurty’s own writing acclaim, which includes the western story Lonesome Dove.

The Upside:
A beautifully filmed and directed epic that is well acted and subtly thought provoking.
The Downside:
Slow moving, minimal dialogue and frustrating outcome and situation.
On the Side:
Won three Academy Awards including Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score.

Breaking Down the DVD:
The Film: A-
The Delivery: A+
The Extras: B+

DVD Stats:
Release Date: April 4th, 2006
Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams
Directed by: Ang Lee
Writing Credits: E. Annie Proulx (short story) Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana (screenplay)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
MPAA: Rated R for sexuality, nudity, language and some violence.
Country: USA
Run Time: 134 min.
Studio: Universal (official site)
Trailer

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