Brokeback Mountain

Obviously, the previews of two gay WY cowboys and their secret relationship in 1963 sounds like a predictable, less-than-original story. Yet it was captivating and brilliantly written, scripted and filmed with the beautiful scenery and emotionally moving music when the two guys meet, work together herding sheep, isolated together on Brokeback Mountain, and their romance that follows. Heath Ledger's portrayal of the reserved, cautious and willing-to-follow-societal norms, Ennis Del Mar, is spot-on, convincing and compelling. Jake Gyllenhaal's acting is stellar as the more ambitious, adventurous and less-afraid-to-"come out", Jack Twist.After their first encounter , after getting done working on Brokeback Mountain, they go their separate ways. Both marry women, with Ennis playing the traditional heterosexual husband and father role with Alma, with whom he raises two daughters, while remaining poor, working under-paying local ranching jobs with little aspiration for more. Whereas, Jack moves to TX after making money doing rodeos, not content to accept the limitations of staying in WY. He meets and marries Loreen, a rich Texas businessman's daughter, clearly showing his awkwardness with being a dad after she gives birth to their son, and maintaining a primarily business marriage, working as his father-in-law's sales manager and she as the bookkeeper. The two men find ways to sneak off and see one another privately at their sacred and discreet place, Brokeback Mountain, whenever they can. In a conversation, Jack expresses he sees no future with his marriage, but for the money, realizing his rich father-in-law would gladly cut him loose, aware that his daughter does not have a "real" marriage. Yet Ennis has deep-rooted fears about revealing his true love to anyone as he shares a horrific experience in his childhood of his own father proudly making his little boy aware of a local gay guy who was found out, mutilated, murdered and buried. He admits it's likely his father did the job himself. And he concludes he has no plans to change his current family life.We clearly see the striking differences in the two marriages, where both wives can detect their respective husband's secrets. Alma is clearly devastated and betrayed to discover Ennis' secret affair when she sees them kissing outside the house. Yet she does not reveal to her husband what she knows until after they've already divorced. Jack's marriage is completely different with his wife primarily his business partner. Once he finds out his lover has divorced, he rushes to be with him only to discover that Ennis has no plans to give up the life of a traditionally divorced dad. Ennis even finds a new girlfriend although both she and his daughters know he is not meant to be with a woman.We see a perfect portrayal of both of their respective family's Thanksgivings revealing what is going on with each of them. Ennis's worst fear is being found out by his family and community, when Alma admits, for the first time, to her ex that she knows his secret. As soon as he knows she knows about him and Jack, he's ready to become violent, storms out the door and loses it. We see Jack's Thanksgiving with his wife, young son and father-in-law who who raises objections over his grandson not being allowed to watch the football game, like a "real man", until he finishes his meal. For the first time, Jack angrily confronts him, affirming this is his house, he makes the rules and he threatens to knock the old man into next year if he can't accept that. Yet it's plain to see he's not so much upset over this argument as it is that he cannot be with the man he loves and has to continue living this lie.And so it goes with the two of them living their separate lives. Until one day when Ennis is on a pay-phone after it appears, for the first time, Jack has not arrived at their meeting place, as he has readily done, throughout the last 20 years. He calls and speaks to Loreen, who informs him in a very cold, robotic and unemotional manner, that Jack has died from an "accident". She informs him her husband was filling up a tractor tire which blew up on him, caused him serious injuries, for which it was too late to save his life after he drowned in his own blood. Clearly, this does not sound like an accurate cause of death, as we see, going through Ennis' mind, what, more likely, caused it, resulting from Jack being less than "discreet" about his sexuality. Ennis then returns to his home, a cheap rundown trailer which he is comfortable to stay in, when his now grown daughter comes to visit her father to inform him she is getting married. Although Ennis at first remembers he has a work commitment, he declares he will cancel to attend his little girl's wedding, invites her to have a glass of whiskey with him and toasts congratulations. Shortly thereafter, she's on her way and he's alone in the house where we see the memory he keeps in secret of the deceased love of his life. And he cries.This movie is so worth watching., emotionally moving, realistic and deserving of recognition for the writing, acting and production.

Purchased my own copy as this is one of my very favorite love stories.And I am NO gay ,,,MusicSettingActingSTORY ,,, the BEST !

['] I grew up in that era were as Michael says sexes were pidgon holed. This story hits me hard and to the point of emotional exhaustion. I have seen it 12 times and the last night it played I saw it back to back I wish it would stay on the big screen forever because the DVD on TV will not give the wide scope the background that helps in creating the whole story. My message to people who are turned off by two men in love is to ignore the sex of the characters and Listen To The Story. The STORY can affect everyone differently and I wish they would see it for the story line. I lost control one night after seeing it. When I got home I fell apart and could not even stand up. It can be a very emotional film and is a very emotional film. Especially those who grew up in that era. I was 2 years younger than Ennis and Jack so it hits home. ['] There are no words to express how I love this masterpiece of film. ['] I still get very emotional over the movie and the soundtrack. That too was a wonderful piece of work and I don't think there could be anything musically adds to enhance the film. Thank you to all who worked so hard to make this wonderful film. To me it's up there with "Gone With the Wind" and "Titanic" as some of our greatest movies made.AUGUST 5, 2006I WENT TO SEE THIS MAJESTIC MOVIE 12 TIMES AND I CRIED EVERY TIME. THE ASTORY DOES NOT HAVE TO BE ABOOUT TOW MEN OR TWO VOMEN OR AMAN AND A WOMAN. IT IS ASLOVE STORY BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE THAT IS STALLED AND DOMED TO FAILURE BECAUSE ON CANNOT MAKE A COMMITMENT TO THE OTHER.HEATH LEDGER DID A MARVILOUS JOB AS ENNIS DEL MAR. HE HAD TO CREAT A ROLL OF A FICTIONAK PERSON AND HAD TO RELY ON LOOKING FOR RESORCES TO LEARS HOW TO TALK, WALK, MOTE AND RECACT TO THE OTHER ACTORS ' LINES. HEATH DID SUCH A GREAT JOB BY THE TIME THE MOVIE WAS ABOUT HALF WAY OR LESS HE WAS ENNIS EDL MAR. THERE WS NO HEATH LEFT. HE TOOK ALL OF HIS ENERGY AND DUG DOWN INTO HIS SOUL AND ACTUALLY CREATED ENNIS DEL MAR. THE BECAME THE REAL PERSON, JUST BY THAT PART OF ACTING HE DESERVED THE OSCAR, THIS MOVIE IS TOO MUCH FOR ME TO WATCH. SINCE IT LEFT THE THEATER I HAVE WATCHED IT TWICE AND TOTALLY BROKE DOWN AND CRIED, IT'S TO POWERFUL AND EMOTIONAL. I LOVE IT!AUGUST 6,2006I LOVE AND ADORE THIS MOVIE AND IT SHOULD HAVE WON ALL THE OSCARS IT WAS NOMINATED FOR, AND IN MY HEART IT HAS. HEATH DID AN EXCELLENT JOB IN CREATING ENNIS DEL MAR. HE HAD TO CREATE THIS CHARACTER FROM A SHORT STORY AND FLESH IT OUT TO A 2+HOUR MOVIE. HE HAD TO CREATE A FICTIONAL CHARACTER AND REACHED DEEP DOWN INTO HIS INNER SELF AND PULL THIS CHARACTER TO THE SURFACE. I LOVE THIS MOVIE AN IT WILL ALWAYS BE MY FAVORITE. I HOPE SOME DAY I'LL BE ABLE TO WATCH IT AGAIN, WITH OUT HAVING AN EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN. I CRIED EVERY TIME AT THE THEATER AND THE 2 TIMES AT HOME. I HAVE NOT WATCHED IT SINCE THEN. IT IS TO EMOTIONAL FOR ME TO HANDLE, IT HITS TOO CLOSE TO HOME FOR ME.I WAS ENNIS DEL MAR, FOR 15 YEARS WAS MARRIED,THEN DIVORCED BUT I FOUND MY TRUE LOVE, IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION BUT AT THE SAME TIME PERIOD.I FELT THE SAME WAY HE DID AND HAD THE SAME NEEDS HE DID. SO I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO BE GAY IN THIS COUNTRY, A COUNTRY THAT PROMISES FREEDOM AND LIBERITY FOR ALL.AT LEAST I HAD MY LOVE FOR 11 YEARS , HAVE KNOWN HIM FOR 20 YEARS. HE WAS AND WILL BE MY ONLY TRUE LOVE. AT LEAST I GOT SOMETHING ENNIS WANTED AND REALIZED TOO LATE JACK WAS HIS TRUE LOVE. THE LAST FRAME SHOWS ENNIS WITH TEARS KNOWING THAT HE LOST THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE.

Got this as a gag gift for a friend but now he keeps trying to get me to watch it with him. So I guess it's a really good movie