X
- 2005
- R
- Focus Features
- 2 h 14 m
- 2005
- R
- Focus Features
- 2 h 14 m
Summary Set against the sweeping vistas of Wyoming and Texas, the film tells the story of two young men -- a ranch-hand and a rodeo cowboy -- who meet in the summer of 1963, and unexpectedly forge a lifelong connection, one whose complications, joys, and tragedies provide a testament to the endurance and power of love. (Focus Features)
Directed By: Ang Lee
Written By: Annie Proulx, Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana
- 2005
- R
- Focus Features
- 2 h 14 m
- 2005
- R
- Focus Features
- 2 h 14 m
Brokeback Mountain
8.2
Where to Watch
Summary Set against the sweeping vistas of Wyoming and Texas, the film tells the story of two young men -- a ranch-hand and a rodeo cowboy -- who meet in the summer of 1963, and unexpectedly forge a lifelong connection, one whose complications, joys, and tragedies provide a testament to the endurance and power of love. (Focus Features)
Directed By: Ang Lee
Written By: Annie Proulx, Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal acclaim
Based on 41 Critic Reviews
87
90% Positive
37 Reviews
37 Reviews
10% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal acclaim
Based on 41 Critic Reviews
87
90% Positive
37 Reviews
37 Reviews
10% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
So in all the tumult about this film, the eruption of its subject into wide attention and the consequent revelations about cowboys' lives in the past, let us--without forgetting the American sources of the screenplay--acknowledge the anomaly that the director is Chinese.
It's a heart-wrenching portrayal of unfulfilled Wyoming love, but this time, we don't mean Alan Ladd and Jean Arthur in "Shane."
User Score
Universal acclaim
Based on 504 User Ratings
8.2
86% Positive
435 Ratings
435 Ratings
6% Mixed
32 Ratings
32 Ratings
7% Negative
37 Ratings
37 Ratings
User Score
Universal acclaim
Based on 504 User Ratings
8.2
86% Positive
435 Ratings
435 Ratings
6% Mixed
32 Ratings
32 Ratings
7% Negative
37 Ratings
37 Ratings
Lee and company handle the particulars of the tale with the requisite meticulousness and exquisite taste that marks all the director's films.
Brokeback Mountain is at once the gayest and the least gay Hollywood film I've seen, which is another way of saying that Lee has a knack for culling universality from the most specific identities.
While Gyllenhaal is a competent actor, Ledger - surprisingly enough - is becoming a great one, and the levels of intensity they bring to their roles render this romantically star-crossed relationship emotionally lopsided.
This is the kind of tasteful tearjerker that's often overrated and smothered with prizes because it flatters our tolerance and sensitivity.
This much-ballyhooed gay cowboy melodrama is an inert disappointment.
I was completely mesmerised by Brokeback Mountain. It is such a beautiful and poignant film, that also benefits from being gorgeously shot and adeptly acted and directed. The film does move slowly of course, but I personally think that Brokeback Mountain was deliberately paced like that(I said very similar things about 2001 and The Godfather too, they are constantly criticised for being boring yet both had their reasons for being paced like that). The slow pacing allowed us to empathise with the characters more, and that paid off, because the characterisations are superb. As are the beautifully written and thought-provoking screenplay and gentle scoring. Ang Lee's direction is the best it's been here I feel, while the cinematography and scenery are simply breathtaking. The acting is excellent. Heath Ledger I think gives his best performance here(sorry Dark Knight fans, I loved him there, but he was beyond amazing here), while Jake Gyllanhaal is very believable, and Michelle Williams is heart-wrenching. Also Brokeback Mountain is quite emotionally affecting, it really makes you think and the sheer beauty of the visuals, acting and story are enough to make me cry, and I was in pieces after the ending. In conclusion, a mesmerising film. 10/10 Bethany Cox
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Brokeback Mountain is slow and methodic, yet incessantly beautiful all the same. With some gorgeous shots of Wyoming in its back pocket, Ang Lee's romantic western is a moving portrayal of **** love in a time when it was unacceptable to the majority of society. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal have undeniable chemistry and their love is believable. However, I have many problems with their romance, which prevents me from loving the film. Firstly, Lee decides to show them eating beans and then bang, all of a sudden, they are lovers. Though there is sexual tension between them beforehand, it seems odd that in a time when being **** is so taboo, two men would quickly rush into sex.
Secondly, the film skims through years and opts to ignore the negative side of this romance. Yes, these two love each other. However, what about their wives (Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway)? What about their children? Not only are they both adulterers, but they ignore their spouses and children repeatedly in the film. I get that they are repressed ****, which is obviously terrible, but it makes it hard for me to feel sympathy for two men who are so morally repugnant. The only mistake these women made was marrying a man who is ****, which apparently makes them deserving of being cheated on. There is no sympathy for the struggles of our **** lovers due to their lack of respect for the women in their lives and, heck, even their own kids. Ennis (Ledger) very clearly never sees his daughters. By the end, he only has a relationship with one (Kate Mara). How is this okay? Lee makes some effort to condemn the deception to Ennis' wife, but quickly reverts to trying to make us feel sympathy for him once more.
That said, their relationship is undeniably electric. Though I have problems with the rushing of it all, Lee does expertly counter this by showing Gyllenhaal's initial hesitation to rush things with Hathaway. Through this, we are able to see his true colors and sexual desires. It is also showcased in his interactions with Hathaway and Ledger. While with his wife, he clearly lacks passion and is on edge. With Ledger, he is loose, free, and head over heels. Lee develops this angle brilliantly.
Additionally, the ending sequence made me into a believer. The clothing, the photo, and the trauma Ennis faces at the end, really hit home. In order for **** viewers to truly overcome any prejudices, this scene is almost a much, because it shows how real their love is for them. They did not choose this life. Instead, it was who they are. This is ever present in this scene and is truly the dramatic and romantic triumph of this film. While the development of the romance felt off for me, the ending was easily the best part of this film.
Brokeback Mountain is beloved by many. For me, it is a good western and good romance, but simply never commits to actually developing the romance, instead opting to fast forward to the "good bits" with no build-up. Even worse, it never fully condemns the more reprehensible actions of Ennis and Jack. That said, the emotional power and force of this film is impossible to deny.
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Ang Lee is a good director and "Brokeback Mountain" is a good film too. Heath Ledger has a difficult role and he plays very well. Jake Gyllenhaal is good too but Ledger is better. Good film.
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A ridiculous movie of which the critics feel compelled to like. I read reviews of this movie from them before the thing was even available for their viewing. It is a chick-flick meant to show that even **** men can be sensitive, and caring. I would be willing to bet there isn't a straight man in America that went to see this piece of **** porn voluntarily. They went only because their wives and girlfriends wanted them to. If this were about two women it maybe, MAYBE would have made it onto the Lifetime channel.
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Incredibly dull movie about **** cowboys, that probably wouldn't get any popularity, if it wasn't about ****. I'm not any sort of ****, but giving a boring movie, without any plot twists, deeper meaning or action high grade, just because it tells a story about **** is plain riddiculous.
Avoid it like plague, unless you are deeply involved in some sort of LGBT movement or you can't sleep at night and need something to help you achive that state.
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Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 3 Wins & 8 Nominations
Golden Globes, USA
• 4 Wins & 7 Nominations
Online Film & Television Association
• 12 Wins & 17 Nominations
