If you’ve heard anything at all about Ang Lee’s new film “Brokeback Mountain”, your information is probably two-fold. First off, its “gay cowboy” storyline makes it a very likely lightning rod for controversy. And secondly, it is a very, very well made film. The degree of controversy garnered is yet to be fully determined, but I can concur on the second point that it is indeed very well made, if also one the saddest films I’ve seen in quite some time. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhal, two viable sad sack working stiffs if ever there were any, bring a unique and delicate blend of angst and rural authenticity to their roles as Wyoming sheep wranglers in the 1960s and seventies. Their performances are consistent and tremendous, even as they slowly (but suddenly) fall for one another while on the job. If the main characters in this film are guilty of anything, their greatest sin is betrayal, not practicing homosexuality. The question, however, of the nature of the betrayal (or betrayals) at hand is something left up to the viewer. (More on that later.) There’s no getting around it, “Brokeback Mountain” would be a hard sell even if it were a hetrosexual love story. Lee and company took a big chance with this, and as awkward and weird as a “gay cowboy movie” (an unfair label, really) sounds, this is a subtle and naturalistic endeavor of human emotion, wrong doing, and tragedy that is peppered with some of the finest performances of the year.
Believe me, I’m one of the last guys who would think of himself as a potential admirer of a film built on the admittedly snicker-worthy premise of cowboy man-love. But, having seen Ang Lee’s latest film, I can assure that “Brokeback Mountain” is truly, legitimately haunting. I can attest that it gets under your skin and stays there. Even in light of his under-rated notorious action flop, 2003’s “Hulk”, it’s easy to think of director Lee as the George Cukor of our day, i.e. the guy who makes emotionally fueled “women’s pictures”. True, he does have a knack for getting to the heart of the female psyche, as evidenced in his films “The Ice Storm”, “Sense and Sensibility” and even the wuxia melodrama “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, but Lee’s strengths and talents run beyond depicting the fairer sex, as he is, at his best, perhaps our greatest cinematic master of presenting the exposed rawness of the wounded human soul. That is why it is no small compliment, especially coming from a primarily conservative eccentric like myself, that this, his latest film, may be his career masterpiece.
Adding to both “Brokeback”’s authenticity and its accessibility is the fact that from beginning to end, this gay love affair story contains absolutely zero gay culture. In other words, no lisping speech patterns, no limp wrists, not even any S&M black leather chaps or expected pronouncements of quips such as “Ride, you big stud!” One character lassoing the other in a quick throwaway shot is about as close as the film ever gets to that obvious but thankfully ignored territory. By leaving such elements out, the creators of this film (among them “Lonesome Dove”’s Larry McMurtry as screenwriter, along with Diana Ossana) have imbued it with a believability most wouldn’t suspect, and a much wider comfort zone for the still skeptical.
It’s 1963, and two red-blooded (but obviously somehow soulfully wounded) cowboys are out on a sheep drive in the mountains of Wyoming. Slowly, they begin to share details of their lives with one another around the nightly campfire, despite the fact that neither one (especially Ledger’s character) is much of a talker. One night, circumstances land them together in the same tent, and before they know it one thing leads to another, making the next morning truly awkward. They say “never again”, but of course that doesn’t hold up. These guys have actually fallen for one another, even though it will take the time and distance of four years and well-intentioned marriages to women to bring them to realize it. In this plain and rustic world, it is simply reality that these guys wouldn’t know what to do about this most unexpected turn of events. Yes, there are one or two uncompromisingly close love scenes between the guys, but they have at least that many revealing love scenes with their wives (Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway (!)). These are very real characters with very real problems, never having been created to be some sort of perceived gay-agenda fantasy. The fact that their torrid affair plays out the way it does is proof enough of that.
Above all, “Brokeback Mountain” is a tragedy. All the great love stories are. But as I was saying previously, the degree and source of that tragedy can be debated by viewers long after the film has unwound. The popular line is that the story’s true tragedy is that these guys who love one another so much can never truly be together in the world they live in. But I propose another line of tragedy – that of the broken marriage vows and terrible heartache thrust upon the wives and families of these guys as they indulge their lust for one another. If one believes that love can be learned over time, and not every human urge is meant to be indulged, then that angle will resonate perhaps more profoundly than the former. The creators of the story are certainly not afraid to explore this avenue of consequence, as evidenced in the heartbreaking depictions of the wives as they must come to terms with their husbands’ secret lives. Secret lives of spouses have hurt, even destroyed many a marriage, and this film does not shy away from the brutal realities of the lead characters’ behavior. This fact, when coupled with the Oscar worthy performances of real life couple Ledger and Williams, is one of the film’s absolute greatest strengths and values.
Will anything I, or any film reviewer for that matter, really have much sway on those predisposed to mock this film sight unseen? Probably not – the mountain of social acceptance for something like this is probably ten times greater than the mountain of the film’s title. But for the few brave, adventurous filmgoers out there in the heterosexual mainstream who do give this a chance, you will be rewarded with a soul-searing film that may not knock you over immediately with its deliberate pacing and mumbled dialogue, but will lurk in the forefront of your conscious over time like any great movie does. If you want stereotypical gay wackiness, see “The Producers” when it arrives. It does a great job of having a lot of fun with those elements. But in the context of reality - brutal, living reality, - “Brokeback Mountain” is the peak achievement in its bumpy field.
- Jim Tudor
Speaking as a gay guy myself, I am more than relieved that a film about homosexuality finally steers clear of all the cliché stuff that you mentioned. That it does not involve a stereotype feminine set-up or somebody suffering from hiv or aids, but that it actually revolves around us 'normal' (or more 'regular' if you will) gay guys and the problems of being gay in a society that wants you to be straight. Because cowboys in the 60s or young men in 2005: it is stil hard to be gay no matter what people say: many people still wrestle with themselves and 'choose' social acceptance over their true sexual identity: which leads to the exact situation Ang Lee put in this film. So this, to me, is about more than a story of two cowbiys but a struggle with sexuality that still exists for many gay men today and will always be like this.
Good to know people in Hollywood are looking at homosexuality in a different way because I was getting sick with the stereotype hysterical feminin guy being the only type of gay on the silver screen.
THX for this well written review. I'm looking forward to this film since it got the prize for best film in Cannes. I just think that many people won't give it a chance and it will totally go down in the box office. Hope that this film will be appreciated in a longer term...
well it was not Cannes, it was Venice actually...
When I first heard about this movie, I was excited because it was Jake Gyllenhal and Heath Ledger! As I learn more about it, I realized that the movie was more about the 2 hottest guys in Hollywood making out. My best friend is homosexual, and we are still in high school. Living in Utah, the number of open minds can be counted in one hand, and it has truly been hard for him to deal with what society feels and thinks about homosexuality. It's about time a movie was made about the real life of homosexuals, and how difficult it is to live with it, even in the 21st century. It’s a great review, and I hope people really open their minds and hearts to this issue.
did their "lust" for each other ruin the marriages & hurt the women, or is "lust" the only quick, immediately gratifying validation of their love within the time and space they have in a heterosexual, patriarchal society?
if it's just lust, why is it directed to only one single man, not any man they find attractive?
Homophobe people seem to labes this as "not" a gay love story. If two men fall in love they are gay some stuff can be that simple. Love does have no boundaries but when a man kisses a man they are gay i see allot of art student jumbo flying around from people who cannot accept this. Being gay myself any seeing many negative comments about gay ppl by our actor jake it does put me off but i will see it anyway as ang is an amazing director and i bet this movie will also be amazing.
Cloud - as you're probably well aware, the word "gay" comes with some very serious baggage. As I tried to say in the review, that very baggage (i.e. unfair stereotypes, most often realized on screen in the form of either a gay witty sideman, or the gay "superheroes" of "Queer Eye") that has made the notion of male homosexuality uncomfortable to many. For better or for worse, it's true. In the meantime, this film succeeds in being so accessible BECAUSE it chucks those stereotypes that I would think would be offensive. These are two real guys with real flaws and real problems. At the end of the day, they're obviously two sad, broken men, unable to deal with where live has taken them. This is true about many people in many circumstances, unfortunately, and that is why the movie works, not becuae it's two guys kissing. Please see the movie before you imply judgement.
None of the things I've seen about the film say it's not a 'gay cowboy story' as the gayness of the cowboys is pretty obvious. What people are saying in that it's not JUST a gay cowboy story. And it's an important distinction.
The problem I have with the concept of 'gay film' is the same one I have with 'christian rock' or 'black history' - which is evidently a problem Morgan Freeman also has as he went off on a rant about it yesterday. The problem is this: when you label something a 'gay film' or a piece of 'black history' you are contributing to your own ghetto-ization. You are saying the film is defined by its gayness and thus has nothing to say to anyone outside the gay community, that I as a straight man would gain nothing from it, would see no points of intersection with my own life. By labelling that way you willingly confine yourself in this tiny, narrow space and that just seems wrong to me. As Freeman said on the black history issue, 'Black history is American history. Period.' As long as people keep seeing the world in these little segmented groups it will perpetuate the biases and prejudices against those groups. All good art should be able to stand on its own feet and speak to anyone coming to it regardless of their own background. It's not 'gay art' it's just art. To label and confine says either 'I have nothing to say to anyone outside my own niche' or 'I don't think I'm strong enough to stand on my own in the outside world'.
Plus the point that most reviewers seem to be making is that like ALL Ang Lee films - The Hulk included - Brokeback Mountain is mostly about loneliness and repressed emotions. It's the theme Lee comes back to over and over again, it's just that this time he's got Ledger and Gyllenhall in denial instead of Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh.
Sorry for the duplicate entry. PC hickuped the 1st time.
I am a 50-year-old gay man, and I saw this film yesterday. I was almost afraid to see it, because I knew it would open old wounds. I was raised in the Midwest, in a town of less than 4000 - everyone knew everyone. I didn’t even know what being “gay” meant. I only knew what “queer” and “homo” meant, and the hate they percolated. I matured into a masculine outdoorsman – a man’s man - but with a “secret.” I’d had a couple of experimental encounters with boys when I was in my early teens, but I swept those memories away as kid stuff, and got on with marrying and raising a family – all the while hoping this “secret” would go away. When I met my current partner, we were both married. We belonged to the same internet club. We met for a beer, and to introduce ourselves. When I gazed into his steel-blue eyes for the first time, the room literally disappeared. After sneaking around for a period seeing each other clandestinely, we both knew we were putting our marriages in peril – we ultimately had to make the most difficult decisions of our lives. I won’t bore you with the pain, anguish, terror, embarassment, horror, and self-hatred I endured – thanks to my upbringing in a completely gay-void environment. I won’t mention the suicide thoughts for being a “fag” and a “queer.” I won’t try to describe the pain I felt, knowing I should walk away from the only person I had ever truly loved heart-and-soul, in order to avoid burning in hell for all eternity. Brokeback Mountain is about that kind of love….love so painful to consumate that many men (and women) cannot bring themselves to pay the price. I did, and I’m glad – it was worth it in the long run. This movie honestly depicts the consequences of never accepting your “secret,” but rather succuming to societal fears of severe repercussions for “coming out.” Brokeback is a HUGE triumph. It displays gay men as some of us are: masculine, quiet, and CAREFUL. I can only hope that it will save many people from suffering, as they realize how much better it is to accept yourself for what you are, and rid yourself of that “secret.” Love is truly a force of nature.
I cried during the final act of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. The unfulfilled love between Chow Yun Fat's character (Li Mu Bai) and Michele Yeoh's (Shu Lien) was just as poignant and touching to me (a 40 year old gay man) as anything in Brokeback. There is a moment in CTHD when Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien touch hands that still hits home with me. It is the same poignancy of Jack and Ennis's touching shirts.
I'm neither an effeminate man, nor a closeted "act straight" man -- I am a man who is glad he knows how to feel his emotions and can connect with the emotions of other human beings.
Jim's review is one of the only I have read to state an excellent fact about this film -- it contains zero gay *culture*. And I agree wholeheartedly, it is what makes this story accessible to a wider audience. Will urban asian teenage lesbians, for example, identify with the people in this film? Not in a cultural sense, obviously, but if they are able to step out of their own cultural experiences and empathize from a purely human emotion standpoint, then yes.
You know, as a gay white man, I've had to learn to do that with about 90% of the films I've seen and books I've read and TV shows I've watched and music I've listened to. Does it bother me? No -- in fact, I find being able to identify with people who are different -- whether it's culture, gender, religion, intelligence, education, job, family, race, age, etc. -- has enriched my life and my understanding of God.
I also agree with Jim's assessment of the damage caused to the wives and children of these men by the choices they make. Their choices are often not based in love, but in fear. Love may be a force of nature AND we all make choices. People, especially gay men in the 1960s, may not have felt they had choices ("if you can't fix it you gotta stand it"). The truth is we ALL always have choices -- Jack chooses, Ennis chooses, Alma chooses, Lureen chooses -- even the daughter, Alama Jr. makes choices. We may not feel we have a choice about who we fall in love with -- we do have a choice about how we respond and behave from those feelings.
I am so grateful that as a gay man my choices are opening up. Choices that are in integrity with my heart and my conscience. And yes, I cried at the end of Brokeback, grieving for the families, for the love lost, and for the lives these men left unlived. I am grateful it doesn't *have* to be this way any more.
And I am also grateful for the dialog this film has sparked. We may not all agree with each other -- thank God we have the freedom to speak our minds and hearts. Thanks for your review, Jim.
Continuation of above post... Well, I saw the movie today. It was no trauma for me. Hardly. It kinda moved along too fast for me to see how they took to each other seemingly so quickly. Beautiful scenery, though. I know it was Canada, but the rural buildings looked so much like the Wyoming I knew. Nice, nice story. Anyway, I've been quiet all night after seeing it. Funny, I think I am both Ennis and Jack, in one. Ennis, for the reserve, and Jack, for the wanting of more. I think of BBM not as a turning point in movies, but only a story of things some of which I have thought and felt. I am thinking now about the Ennis's I have met, who could not make the break with me and so are still living their straight lives these many years later, and will hear of this movie, think of me I am sure, and say not a word to their woman. Aw, I'm hardly the only one who can personalize this movie!
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