Brokeback Mountain (2005)

2.5 stars out of 4

The Bottom Line:

A movie that was embraced as a homosexual anthem (despite being about bisexuals), Brokeback Mountain has beautiful cinematography and a compelling first hour, but is much less successful when attempting to show the characters being consumed with longing. December 28, 2008

Not Your Typical Tear Jerker

Went into this movie cautiously, eyes wide open. I have to admit, I really liked it. At first it was pretty startling. Perhaps the movie would have been easier to watch if it didn't involve cowboys. I think as Americans we have a preconceived idea of the rugged cowboy and homosexuality doesn't really play into it, so it takes a while to digest that part of the movie. However, once you get past that point and further into the movie, it really doesn't matter much about the sexual orientation; it could be anyone. It actually does become more about just two people in love and how they decide to deal with it based on the stereotypes of the period. The only thing I had a problem with in the movie was understand Heath Ledger's "western twang" as it was too heavily influenced by his native Australian accent. It was interesting to see how the women in the men's lives dealt with what their husbands sexuality entailed. That was the only part in the movie in which I felt no sadness for Ennis and Jack because of the pain they inadvertly placed upon their families. December 2, 2008

Excellent!!!

Brand new movie. Looks like from the store "new", which is good. The shipping box was small and compact, environmentally friendly, not like the other huge packets I've received before with my previous orders. Despite the size of the packet, my item was not damaged at all, so don't worry. The shipping service was fast, so really really good. November 29, 2008

Don't cheat yourself by missing this great film.

I read the short story before watching the film Both are excellent and both stand on their own as original works of art.

Everyone knows all that has been said. You either understand its message and like it, think it's okay but not outstanding, or are totally turned off. Opinion and diversity makes the world what it is and Brokeback Mountain shows us another part of the world that many people still, unfortunately, want kept in the closet.

Annie Proulx's purpose was to expose homophobia in that time and place. Heath Ledger did an excellent job of internalizing his character's homophobia. Only those who have been there can truly appreciate the depth presented here.

Homophobia destroys not only the person who is homophobic but all those around them, family, friends, and as so brilliantly and vividly portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal, their lovers too.

This movie gained wider appeal also due to its message of unrequited love. Anyone who has ever experienced lost opportunity for love can identify. An emotionally powerful film.

Highly recommended!

However, I docked 1 star due to Ang Lee's lame attempt to make this beautiful film more acceptable to a wider audience by cutting out the male nudity that made the film distracting and feel less natural than the short story.

Even after that, there was high political motivation for the film's R rating. This fine film should have been rated no higher than PG or PG-13 at most. It's R-rating is a pure political rating with absolutely no basis in fact from the CARA's own rules for ratings.

Jake Gyllenhaal did a much better job for an actor in a supporting role than did George Clooney in Syriana. Another AMPAS snuff at a politically controversial film.

Those who say that the lack of a Best Film Oscar or Best Supporting Actor Oscar were not due to Hollywood's well-known homophobia are naive or just plain stupid. Well known actors have been in the closet since the birth of Hollywood and continue to influence its peer voting to this very day.

I cannot recommend the Special Edition released on Jan 23. It appears to be a case of "double-dipping" by the production company as there is little, if anything, new on this version. However, also released is the HD version that, for die-hard Brokie fans, will be a pleasure hearing the enhanced HD sound as well as the stunning photography.

Regardless of how you feel about the topic, you should not cheat yourself from seeing one of the last great performances of Heath Ledger. November 26, 2008

digusting

This movie is not fit for family viewing or for single viewing. I was very digusted with sexual contations and burned the item. November 26, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...