Directed by: Ang Lee
Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anna Faris, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway, Randy Quaid, Linda Cardellini
Some people have dismissed Brokeback Mountain as "the gay cowboy movie" out of hand and never bothered to watch it. The film is about two gay men who conduct a twenty-year long affair beginning in 1963 in a society which would not ever allow them to be open. It's not gay porn and the flashes of nudity are of a woman's breasts. It is, however, a powerful essay on what happens when a society forces gay men to be closeted. The men themselves aren't the only ones who are hurt. Their families also suffer, especially the women who have no idea who their husbands really are.
The men in question are Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) and Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal), who meet on a sheep herding drive at Brokeback Mountain in 1963 Wyoming. Both are in their early 20's. Ennis is a soft-spoken man of few words. Jack is much more demonstrative. They talk, they tend to the sheep, they brave the elements, and one night during a storm they huddle up close in order to stay warm. Their huddling turns into raw, animalistic sex. The next morning, both agree "it's just a one-time thing". Ennis is a month or so away from getting married and both initially deny their attraction. However, it is apparent to them both that they are in love. When they part ways, Ennis is so emotionally drained that he vomits. He and Jack never expect to see each other again.
Ennis marries Alma (Williams) and has children, living a normal life as a rancher. Jack meets Lurlene (Hathaway), a daughter of a rich farm equipment salesman and they marry also. Jack works for his domineering father-in-law's equipment dealership. The two men meet again in 1967, after Jack tracks down Ennis and invites him fishing. After they meet again, their friendly embrace turns into passionate kissing and later lovemaking. Alma discovers them kissing but chooses to stay silent, mostly because she doesn't have the first clue how to approach her husband with her discovery. She notices they never seem to catch any fish whenever they go on "fishing trips" together.
Ennis' fear that his homosexuality will be discovered stems from a childhood incident in which his father showed him the bodies of two murdered men who were believed to be gay. Ennis' father warns Ennis that such a thing will happen to a gay man. "For all I know, he'd done the deed himself," Ennis tells Jack. From that point on, Ennis is taught to fear his feelings and the repercussions of those feelings. Ledger expertly handles his tricky assignment using fewer words than most of the other characters in the movie. He speaks economically and awkwardly, as if he fears the wrong words slipping out at the wrong times. "If we're somewhere and this thing gets a hold of us, that's it. We're dead." Because of that, Ledger's performance is all the more powerful, relying on our intuition to determine his real emotions.
Jack, perhaps naively, believes he and Ennis could build a life together in a society that will likely not accept them. Gyllenhaal's Jack is more accepting of his own homosexuality and wants to take the steps needed to be happy. His urges even take him to Mexico, where he frequents male prostitutes. In their final meeting together, Jack tells Ennis, "You're threatening to kill me for needing something that I hardly never get. You have no idea how bad it gets." Ennis understands Jack's need all too well, but unlike Jack is more cautious, even scared, and less likely to follow his heart. His vision of the two dead men keeps him closeted.
The saddest aspect of Brokeback Mountain is these two men will never feel love like they do for each other and live in a society that won't accept them openly. Jack prefers to be open, "Maybe you can get by on a few high-altitude fucks a year, but I can't." Their love can not possibly end happily and it doesn't. It is not made clear whether Jack's fate is truly what happened, or was how Ennis imagined it based on his lifelong fears. He doesn't seem to fully believe Lurlene's version of events.
Brokeback Mountain is about Jack and Ennis, yes, but it is also a criticism of a society that forces them to marry women in order to keep their desires secret. The women in their lives are not spared their anguish. Ennis and Jack do not fit any stereotypes of gay men, except that they are attracted to and love other men. They drive pick-up trucks and are masculine. By taking away all stereotypes, we see them as real people who are involved in a tragic relationship. It is heartbreaking to see these two men fall short of happiness due to their fear. However, a society that still hasn't completely allowed for equal rights for gay people is very much to blame for it. Coming out in 1963 Wyoming is almost a death sentence, since such things were rarely even spoken about let alone witnessed or understood.
Oscars went to the film's direction, adapted screenplay, and original score. The mountains are majestic, suggesting such great beauty and hiding Jack and Ennis' secrets within its boundaries. Lee never reaches for effect or melodrama. The immense power of the film's best moments come sometimes from what is not said more than what is said. Lee understands this and allows the audience to figure out what's in the hearts of his characters. The score is quiet and punctuates the great sadness and dashed hopes of all involved.
I recently read one critic's recollection of Brokeback Mountain and noticed something in the closing scene that I didn't catch at first, but really underscores Ennis' unfulfilled wishes. His closing line is "Jack, I swear," which suggests a multitude of feelings. But hanging in his closet is Jack's bloody vest nestled snuggly under Ennis' plaid shirt. This is symbolic of the last time they saw each other and Ennis makes sure that he, and we, remember what happened in the mountains we see on the horizon.
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