Movie: When people talk about "Brokeback Mountain", the first terms that often come up are "Gay Western" or "the movie with the gay cowboys". Such statements, however, often come from people who haven't even seen the film yet, because after enjoying this wonderful film, it should be clear that such a profane labeling does Ang Lee's latest directorial effort no justice at all. Sure, at first glance, the theme of homosexuality among "cowboys" may dominate the story. But upon closer inspection, the film emerges as a universal story about love and friendship, where the gender, race, or religion of the lovers is no longer important, per se. This film holds more truths about love than all the romance films of the last ten years put together. And it does so without a lot of words!
Based on a short story by Annie Proux, "Brokeback Mountain" tells of rancher Ennis (Heath Ledger) and rodeo rider Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) as they watch over a herd of sheep together on Brokeback Mountain in the Wyoming summer of 1963. In the solitude of the rugged mountain landscape, a friendship marked by silence initially develops between the two men, but over time it transforms into something much greater.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of "Brokeback Mountain" is that the love between Ennis and Jack is clearly felt not through words, but rather through the absence of those very words, thanks to the terrific acting of the two leads. What Ledger and Gyllenhaal are able to convey here with brief glances and small gestures really leaves no one cold. On the other hand, what is seen as typical displays of love in other films takes on a whole different meaning here. For instance, the only "sex scene"between the men is anything but tender, but rather animalistic and almost violent. But it also makes clear how much they try to resist what arises in them - precisely because they know that a love between men has no chance in the society in which they live. However, the restrained portrayal of true love also exposes the falseness of the men's relationships with their wives, and also heightens the tragedy of the story. Lee deliberately tells all of this extremely slowly and quietly, yet with such incredible intensity that the viewer has no choice but to drift with the slow narrative flow and surrender fully to the beauty of this film.
Although Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal dominate the film with their convincing and also very brave performances, it would be a shame not to mention the excellent supporting cast, most notably Michelle Williams, who delivers a more than convincing performance as Ennis' wife Alma. Williams, who rose to worldwide fame on the series "Dawson`s Creek", has long since established herself as a serious actress and once again more than lives up to her reputation here. But also Anne Hathaway and Randy Quaid say goodbye to their usual roles in a pleasantly convincing way, Quaid because he is allowed to shine here not as a chavvy intermission clown but as a character actor and Hathaway because she has convincingly shed every nuance of her "Suddenly Princess" image. Together, they all ensure that the film plays at the high level it deserves.
What's a little sad, on the other hand, is that reality has once again shown how much truth there can be in a movie like "Brokeback Mountain". So not only was Lee widely opposed, especially in the USA, because he allegedly would contribute to the destruction of the good, traditional family image, the film was also boycotted by many (especially Christian) groups and even taken out of some cinemas in the Mormon state of Utah. But this also makes it very clear how important a film like this is and that the narrow-mindedness of some people should not prevent cinema from venturing into topics that not everyone can enjoy. Yet "Brokeback Mountain" is not provocative at all, nor does it try to convey a pro-gay message in a particularly pushy way. Rather, the film is an unconventional yet beautiful declaration of love for nature, film, life and love - even when it has to go against social conventions!
Ang Lee proves once again with his latest work what he has already proven with the unfortunately criminally unappreciated "The Ice Storm", the Oscar-winning "Tiger and Dragon" and even with the much unloved but technically excellent "Hulk", namely that he is one of the best directors of our time. Viewers should definitely watch "Brokeback Mountain" without any preconceptions, simply to really see how beautiful and powerful movies can still be without relying on any clichés and a huge helping of kitsch. A powerful film that will be fondly remembered for years to come! Viewing is mandatory!!!
Picture: Ang Lee has always emphasized how important the landscape is for the film. He was therefore fond of referring to it as the "th main character". It is all the more pleasing that the wonderful landscape shots can also shine in all their glory on the DVD. The clean picture with its strong colors does full justice to the film. Smaller point deductions, on the other hand, are made for the sharpness of detail, which leaves something to be desired in some places. Nevertheless, overall: very good!
Sound: "Brokeback Mountain" is an extremely quiet film, so when it comes to the sound, only Gustavo Santaolalla's music and the ambient noises provide a bit of spaciousness. But since there is technically nothing to complain about the unspectacular sound, there is also here a: Very good!
Extras: The German release of "Brokeback Mountain" appears in two forms: as a single DVD without extras (apart from a trailer show!) and as a nicely presented deluxe double DVD with numerous extras. But only the presentation is really "deluxe", because the extras, which are mostly taken from the plain US DVD, are so promotional and superficial that they simply can't do justice to the value of the film. Almost no mention is made of the controversies the film has stirred up. Rather, it is limited to mutual pats on the back and statements of the category "it was an honor to work with him/her". Here and there there are some interesting details to discover, which make the viewing of the extras well worth watching.
Los goes with a standard Making of (about 21 min.), which was shot for U.S. television and therefore offers little room for profound discussion of the subject of the film. Another featurette praises the work of director Ang Lee (approx. 7 min.), which is quite justified, but in its execution is quite meaningless. A bit more interesting is the short documentary "On Being a Cowboy" (approx. 6 min.), which deals with the preparation of the actors for their roles. The Oscar-winning screenwriters Larry McMurty and Diana Ossana are the subject of the final featurette (approx. 11 min.). Again, don't expect too much depth of content.
Furthermore, there are a few promotional interviews with cast and crew (approx. 38 min.), an image gallery, trailers and TV spots to watch. The double DVD is also five respectable film photos enclosed.
F Conclusion: That "Brokeback Mountain" would hit high waves, Ang Lee has certainly expected. However, that the film would be such a huge success at the box office and at various award ceremonies, that was already surprising due to the subject matter. That the film fully deserves this success, especially the Oscars for direction, screenplay and music, is beyond question. The DVD conversion is technically absolutely adequate, the bonus material is unfortunately far too superficial and makes one suspect (and wish) that there will be a re-release with audio commentary and other, more in-depth extras at some point. Still, the deluxe edition is a must-have for any film lover because of the film and the beautiful packaging!
OT: Brokeback Mountain
Director: Ang Lee
Number of discs: 2
Languages: English, German (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles: German, English
Image Format: 16:9 (1.85:1)
Extras: Making of, Featurettes, Interviews, Trailers, Image Galleries
FSK: Ages 12+
Length: approx. 130 min.
Regional Code: 2
