›› Brokeback Mountain ‹‹ a film by Ang Lee. 2005 | 134 mins | US. a heart-rending story of forbidden love. Dave says: What can be said about this film that hasn't already been commented upon? Well quite a lot actually, given here director Ang Lee of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Life of Pi fame crafted a deeply moving film that went on to win four Golden Globe awards, four BAFTA awards and three Academy awards! Not bad going for any feature, but a remarkable accomplishment for an openly gay film. But then this wasn't just any run-of-the-mill narrative. Adapted from a short story by Annie Proulx, this beautifully told, if heart-rending story of forbidden love charts the growing friendship between Ennis del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal); country boys by nature turned cattle ranchers who tend the sheep on Brokeback Mountain by day, only to end up tending to each other by night. And nothing wrong with that, I hear you say. Only this is 1960s Wyoming; a time when lonesome cowboys were meant to seek sexual relief from the women in the nearby town and certainly not in the arms of each other, as lovers. Sacrificing the opportunity to live openly together in the relatively few urban pockets of sexual freedom that did exist in the pre-Stonewall era of America, both men opt to embrace social conformity by way of marriage, with Ennis having married his childhood sweetheart Alma (Michelle Williams) to live in relative poverty. Unlike Jack who finds himself in with the rich set, having moved to Texas to marry rising rodeo star Lureen (Anne Hathaway), whose father happens to own a thriving farm equipment business. Four years later they meet again, only to realize that their love for each other far from having diminished, has grown stronger. Yet it's the lifelong bond between the two men during the years that followed, that forms the emotional core of this captivating work as Ennis, namely an almost monosyllabic man ill at ease with expressing his feelings, finds himself falling in love with the man he met all those years ago, only to fear for their safety, having witnessed as a boy the brutal reality of sexual prejudice. As ever with gay works of this nature, it's just a matter of time before the question beckons whether tragedy lies around the corner. Yet the real tragedy of the shocking and gut-wrenching close-of-play, is that such is not confined to fiction. Certainly not in the State of Wyoming. two 'straight to the outside world' men in love with each other. As expected, both Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway are on fine form throughout as the respective wives of the piece, with Williams in particular achingly portraying the emotions of a woman who comes to discover that the love of her life, is in reality in love with another man. To that end, both Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal excel as the two 'straight to the outside world' men who whether they wish to or not, cannot help but find themselves falling for each other, even if such a love is shown and certainly in the case of Ledger's character, more by way of subtle eye movements and body language, rather than by words. That such scenes of overt gay affection don't go unnoticed is of no surprise, with Randy Quaid as local rancher Joe Aguirre showcasing the signs of the homophobic times that were, amongst others. The result is an exquisite ode to human feelings, one that tugs at your heartstrings by juxtaposing true love with the bloody wrath of outright homophobia. In short, here was a film that was proud to be gay and in doing so, brought genuine same-sex love and not the candy floss variant of such that Hollywood so often delivers, to a cinema near you. Only and in spite of the multitude of major film awards that this outstanding feature received, it marked the first occasion in which a film that had won the noted Writer's Guild, Producer's Guild and Director's Guild of America awards did not go on to win the Academy Award for the Best Motion Picture of the Year; a verdict that astounded many, myself included. For the record, that highly sought after Oscar was awarded to the film Crash as directed by Paul Haggis, and whilst this film clearly has merit in exploring racial tensions and social issues in Los Angeles, the decision however to give this feature the top prize is widely considered to be one of the biggest upsets, and certainly the most controversial verdict ever made in the history of the Academy Awards. That such a win came so out of the blue left many questioning if potential homophobia, possibly within the Academy's voting block, somehow played a part for Brokeback Mountain’s unexpected defeat? ... and the two women that come between them. Adapted for the screen by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana who rightly won an Academy Award for their work, as too did Gustavo Santaolalla for his touching score and Ang Lee for his superlative direction - another Academy Award would follow, and complemented by the lush cinematography of Rodrigo Prieto who vividly captured the beauty and sheer enormity of the great outdoors, what this film also marked was a rare occasion of a crossover feature that not only played in both art house and multiplex cinemas to sold out crowds, but notably played to both gay and straight audiences alike. Hopes were high for more crossover works, only for the reality to be that this film was a hard act to follow, given the sheer number of accolades that were bestowed upon it. Eleven years later however, Barry Jenkins' Oscar-winning portrait of three defining chapters in the life of a young black man growing up in a drug-laden neighbourhood in Miami that is Moonlight, would come to mirror the critical acclaim of this feature, having been likewise nominated for a staggering eight Academy Awards and winner of three; including this time around for the Best Motion Picture of the Year. All of which makes for an emotional rollercoaster of a film that deserved every award it got and in particular the one that it didn't receive. For this is without doubt a compelling, albeit if at times gut-wrenching depiction of gay love, that whilst told in part in an almost laconic style, nonetheless poignantly captures the plight of two men who can't live without each other, but must do so for their very survival. Yet it also proved what a great loss to the cinematic stage the tragic death of Heath Ledger was; a remarkable actor who had so much more to give and who here brilliantly captures the very essence of and in the words of the song itself, a love that will never grow old. Simply heartbreaking, but so hauntingly beautiful. Quote: "If this thing grabs hold of us in the wrong place; we're dead." Heathcliff Andrew Ledger | 1979 - 2008 | Good Memories. ›› available as part of the ENTERTAINMENT IN VIDEO catalogue: 24th April, 2006 / UK. ›› revised: Friday, 8th May, 2026. Gay Visibility - overt | Nudity - bare-arsed cheek | Overall - file under ... 5 stars ›› copyright © 2024 David Hall - www.gaycelluloid.com ‹‹ ›› archive reference #113 - revised ‹‹ donations are the lifeblood of Gay Celluloid; every drop helps keep it online - thank you :)