Brokeback Mountain

Brokeback Mountain directed by Ang Lee was released in 2005. It is based on a 1997 short story by the same name by Annie Proulx that was published in The New Yorker. The movie stars Heath Ledger as Ennis Del Mar and Jake Gyllenhaal as Jack Twist. The movie was influential at a time when gay representation was minimal and at times shoddy. And damn, what a pretty ass movie. A movie I remember all too well.

Brokeback Mountain begins in Wyoming, 1963 where cowboys Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist are hired to herd some sheep throughout the summer on the green and vast pastures up on Brokeback Mountain. Initially, their interactions are subtly awkward and rigid. Conversation is limited but somewhat present. Ennis is overly reserved, hardly speaking throughout most of the movie whereas, Jack is a lot more direct and outgoing. The two spark up a connection and gradually a bond of sorts begins to form but after a night of drinking, that something actualizes, and they fuck. And I just know the 2005 audience gasped.

Prior to the sex, there is a lot of detail put into the camerawork. Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto spends a lot of time embedding Brokeback Mountain into the beginning of the movie. The mountain serves as an escape and disconnect from the rest of the World. Camera shots highlight the vastness of the Wyoming mountainsides (but really Canadian Rockies) and there is an inherent appreciation for nature that is expressed through the titular cowboys but also the camerawork. Green and blue tones feel dominant while the sky and the grass feel beautifully suffocating. The contrast between wide shots and close-ups adds dimension to the loneliness of the landscape but the intensity of the love Jack and Ennis share. At times, the camera will linger on close-ups of their faces and bodies to highlight the fervor of longing the two cowboys exhibit. In between open shots of the mountains, flashes of rivers and herds of sheep, music is a very present force in the movie.  The original score and songs were by Gustavo Santaolalla. There is a sense of bliss and melancholy with the music. He conveys the vastness and open land of the American West in a way that also correlates with the complex emotions of the movie’s characters as the haunting strings strum slowly in a way that embodies the isolation and loneliness of the cowboy lifestyle. All this combined with the gradual camera pans, enhance the power of visual storytelling.

After the very impulsive decision to have sex (OKAAYYY), there is this tension and uncertainty that is present. Like as if the audience too must digest what just happened. The two cowboys spend some time apart after their encounter and as the music slows, there is a shot of a mangled dead sheep. The death of innocence… how subtle. They meet up again and as Jack says, “It’s no body’s business but ours.” The pair never really spend any time talking about what happened or what it all means. They just are. Then Segway to something just as intimate as the sex, if not more, their second night together. The fire adds this warm light inside the tent. Ennis and Jack look at each other. Ennis has this reluctance to look at Jack in the eyes. They kiss. There is more reluctance, but it is met with understanding. Jack assures Ennis that everything is okay. Ennis embraces a shirtless Jack, and they roll around in the tent, continuing kissing.

As the summer continues, the two begin to grow closer together. Jack’s harmonica continues to hum throughout the summer, but their paradise is cut short when their boss has them come down from Brokeback a month sooner than expected due to an upcoming weather storm. This abrupt return affects Ennis, it bothers him. He is a lot more upset about having to leave. There is this looming dread that encompasses itself between the cowboys. Ennis is due to marry his lover, Alma (Michelle Williams) so for him, the idea of a relationship with Jack outside of Brokeback is not even an option. Plus, its 1963 and Wyoming of all places. Anyways, Ennis is all upset and distant all arms crossed and huffing and puffing, Jack goes to his side and lassos him closer. The two have one of those weird love/hate things going on that is synonymous to gay romances on film where there is a moment of embrace or intimacy that is cute but also met with this aggressive tone, or very virile nature. Anger, passion, and pent-up desire all loom throughout their initial encounters, but mostly from Ennis’ side. They get into an altercation, and they continue their journey down the mountain.

Once they have arrived back down, they awkwardly converse about their plans for the fall and have an impersonal ‘see you around’ type of goodbye as Jack drives away. Ennis begins to walk away calmly when he turns into an empty passageway where he breaks down suddenly. It is one of the only times Ennis emotes his emotions, interestingly while he is by himself. He is caught by a passerby, and he aggressively shouts, ‘what the fuck are you looking at?’ because the possibility of someone seeing him express this much emotion is considerably dangerous to him.

The remainder of the movie follows Ennis and Jack both separate and together. We catch glimpses of Ennis and Alma as they get married and start a family together. As well as Jack’s new life in Texas as a bull rider. He eventually meets, fellow rodeo rider Lureen (Anne Hathaway) and soon the two get married and begin a family of their own. Jack and Ennis are reunited after some years and the two begin a dalliance.

One of the strongest aspects of Brokeback Mountain is the lead actors. Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger deliver riveting performances. Gyllenhaal manages to capture a lot of the loss and yearning that is present with Jack’s character. “Sometimes I miss you so much I can hardly stand it” and “I wish I knew how to quit you” are line deliveries that have stuck with me since the first viewing. There is so much hopeless hopefulness that is present. This whimsical naïve belief that is imminently in the air. To some degree, it is a tragedy that Jack already saw coming and Gyllenhaal can convey the way Jack coveted for a life with Ennis but as the years go on, the less chance there is for the two to truly be together. On the other hand, Ledger can perfectly capture Ennis’ inability to communicate. The more reserved of the two, Ledger uses defined facial expressions to demonstrate just how disconnected he is from his emotions. He isn’t heartless, he has just been conditioned to keep his thoughts to himself. Despite not saying a lot, it’s the moments where Ledger is practically choking on unspoken words that really highlight the emotion he is expressing. Sometimes it takes everything Ennis has for him to speak his mind and Ledger makes sure audiences feel that difficulty.

The movie’s time period is something to praise. It has a longevity that has made the movie hold up extremely well nearly 20 years later. There is often a cliché to depict gay romances as little love stories full of tragedy and loss and maybe to some, Brokeback Mountain plays into that. The thing is, there is something tragic about the love story portrayed in this movie. Known as the gay cowboy movie, Brokeback Mountain was able to capture the beauty and tragedy of queer love. Is it perfect? No. But it does something that hadn’t really been done before. It is able to display Jack and Ennis’ love in a way that was perfect for its time. It exceeds many gay stereotypes at the time and demonstrates a twist to the caricature of the western cowboy. Jack and Ennis embody the American cowboy through their independence, love for the outdoors, and desire to own land in a way that captures the spirit of the frontier.  Despite their love for one another, it doesn’t take away from their more masculine ideals.

Honestly, I could go on. I really could. I don’t know what about this movie has stuck out to me. I just know once I saw it for the first time, something in me switched. It is one of the view non-horror movies in my DVD collection that I can rewatch. The music, the cinematography, the acting, the screenplay, the legacy, I- goddamn Ang Lee did not miss with this one. Understandably, winning Academy Awards does not equate to a film’s merit, but I will say, nearly 20 years later, who is still talking about Crash? I’m sorry but Brokeback Mountain not winning Best Picture is the biggest snub I have seen in my life. 2006 Oscars let down the gays. Despite that L, it created a legacy that is still felt today. Sure, it’s no Love Simon (sarcasm) but Brokeback Mountain continues being a heart-felt tale that will leave you lassoed to the screen.