Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Randy Quaid, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway
Director/Producer: Ang Lee
Box Office (North America): $178.1 million USD
Genre: Romance / Drama
Run Time: 2 hours and 14 minutes
Motion Picture Association Film Rating: R: Restricted
Streaming Service Used: Netflix (Subscription Required)
Plot Summary:
In 1963, two men looking for summer work meet as shepherds on Brokeback Mountain in Signal, Wyoming. One night, the two have a drunken affair. With so much time alone on the mountain, this affair evolves into an emotional relationship. However, one of the men, Ennis Del Mar is engaged to be married to a woman named Alma. So, the two go their separate ways, finally reconnecting after 4 years and living a secret relationship in the mountains through sporadic trips to the mountain throughout each year afterward. The film tells of their lives as family men, whilst yearning to live with one another instead.
And now for the review…
Brokeback Mountain was a really good movie. Although this might sound odd, I liked how the film was really realistic and did not have some major once in a lifetime “guy gets the guy” type of ending when it was set during a time when homosexuality was hugely wrong to mainstream society. Brokeback Mountain really exhibited the struggle that gay and bisexual men had to endure in life. The knowledge that these men would never be able to be openly with the person they loved and, as Ennis noted, the constant feeling of people are looking at you and watching you as if they know how you really feel is heartbreaking to me. I think the choice of actors and actresses was very strong; Heath Ledger was able to display Ennis’ emotionally unavailable, tough guy facade and Jake Gyllenhaal absolutely nailed his role as a loving partner who’s willing to risk everything for his love. I am not gonna lie, this movie made me cry and I do not usually cry when watching sad movies or television shows. After watching the movie, I feel more than ever than I wish people could love who they love without society intervening and trying to prevent it.
Final Rating: 8 out of 10
A question for my readers…
What would you have done if you were Ennis and Jack? Would you have risked violence and losing everything to be with the one you love? Or would you have stayed like they did?
Hi Madison! It’s hard to say what I would do but ultimately I think the hopeless romantic in me would win and I would risk being with the one that I loved. I think that life is too short and although I’ll never truly understand the struggle that comes with sexuality, or the lack of acceptance that comes with sexuality, I want to say that I would still choose to be with the person I loved.
I really liked your review of this movie since it is so different from the other genres you have been reviewing. It didn’t have a major twist and very realistically examined the internal conflict of a homosexual relationship in a society that does not accept it. I will definitely have to check it out!
I thought that this was a really interesting post, I haven’t seen Brokeback Mountain but I’ve heard that it is an emotional portrayal of the issues the gay or bisexual men are forced to endure. Heath Ledger was an amazing actor, so I’m sure that made his role relatable and convincing. Loved your review!