When this movie first came out, I wasn't at all thrilled about it. Jake Gylenhall is a decent actor. I liked him in both Donnie Darko and Zodiac, but he's not the reason they are good movies. Ang Lee, who directed, did Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Ice Storm. Both very good movies, but he also did The Hulk, which was horrendous. The real reason I didn't want to see this movie was Heath Ledger. He's been bad in everything I've seen him in and even though it came out later, I saw the Dark Knight and never really bought into his "method" acting. What I saw on screen was a mumbling drug addled mess which in the end it turns out was just what he was. Finally, I caved in and rented it.
Even when I have my reservations about films, I'm still very open minded. Let's remember, I went into Twilight thinking I'd hate it and I loved it. So, I went in hoping for much of the same. I mean the film was nominated for every award imaginable, how bad could it be? Well the movie starts off very slow and knowing it's about two hours and twenty minutes, I wasn't thrilled. While I appreciate cinematography, I don't need a ten minute horse ride to actually take ten minutes. I get the idea just from seeing them on horses. So the movie is slowly chugging along and there is really no chemistry between the two men and it appears, at least from the way the movie is going that. The next thing I know Ennis, who at first seemed upset by Jack's attempt to spoon, turns him over, spits in his hand and starts having sex with him. This scenes feeling was not one of love, affection, admiration or any such emotion. It was one of anger and frustration. The thing that confused me even more was that until they leave the mountain it stays that way. I found this to be very odd, almost defeating the initial message it's trying to convey.
When they are reintroduced, their meeting switches gears. Ennis is the one who immediately shows his affection which is witness by his wife. Her decision to stay quiet is even more confusing, because it was obvious that this completely shattered her world. Another scene I found almost contradictory was the scene where Ledger has sex with Michelle Williams and he forcefully flips her over. I wasn't clear if Lee did this because it would be more similar to having sex with Jack or if he did this because he didn't want to look at her. Even more odd was that he initiated the romance and she was the one who seemed uncomfortable. Was this a mixed message or just poor acting and directing?
Many scenes in the movie made no sense. Were they trying to show us how time went by when Jack is smiling as Ennis drives away, cut to truck, cut back to Jack with a moustache with a scowl on his face? If so, this was just bad editing, because it looked like a goof, being he was wearing the same clothing. Also, are we to believe that these guys wore the same shirts every time they were together? The movie spans twenty years, but Jack ages about three. A moustache alone doesn't make him look older.
I also had an issue with Ledger's voice. Now I know he's Australian and was doing a Texas cowboys voice, but after seeing this, I think his performance in The Dark Knight was even worse, because he mumbled through this whole film also. A few times, I had to go back and put the subtitles on, because I was clueless as to what he was saying. I felt like I was listening to tryouts for Benecio Del Toro's role in The Usual Suspects. Quite irritating.
Finally we get to the films messages, which I'm still scratching my head over. They both insist they aren't gay, but can't fight the feeling they get when they are together. This theme is throughout the entire film, so I get it. Then why does Ennis throw his marriage and family away but not decide to be with Jack? Jack doesn't do this. In fact, Jack seems to have a more normal relationship with his wife. When they have sex in two scenes, he seems to be into it. So fine, they aren't gay, they are bi-sexual. That's fine, but then why do people argue that it wasn't about the sex. Yes, it was about the sex. It was about being together intimately. Jack even says it to Ennis when he says "I want more than some high altitude fucks once or twice a year." The other message which I found to be absolutely ludicrous is the whole concept that they aren't outed, but people just know. Scene after scene in the second half of the film, we see scenes where other people "just know." What the hell is that about. Two guys, married with kids, and their cowboys and people just know? How the hell would they know? We're to believe Jack was killed because everyone knew? We're to believe that the rodeo clown knows he's gay, but then the next scene he's in the backseat of a car with a hot young girl? The only scene that made any sense along those lines was when Ennis goes to see Jack's parents. The mom knew and that was obvious, but a mother always knows, so that wasn't some cinematic brilliance, its human nature.
I think what bothered me most was that this actually could have been a better film. If it stuck to the idea that these two are tortured souls, trapped in a world they know won't accept them. If the movie didn't try to say as much as it did. If it didn't get so confusing and span so much time. I know it's based on a piece of fiction and I assume they tried to stay true to the story, but the story isn't that interesting and honestly, while it does at the end wrap it up nice and tight, it left me wanting more. It left me wanting to know more of why they were the way they were. I don't want that to sound like I think homosexuality is a disease, but I wanted to know how they got to the point they did when they first got to Brokeback Mountain. Movies very rarely succeed for me when they leave me asking more questions than when it started.
Even when I have my reservations about films, I'm still very open minded. Let's remember, I went into Twilight thinking I'd hate it and I loved it. So, I went in hoping for much of the same. I mean the film was nominated for every award imaginable, how bad could it be? Well the movie starts off very slow and knowing it's about two hours and twenty minutes, I wasn't thrilled. While I appreciate cinematography, I don't need a ten minute horse ride to actually take ten minutes. I get the idea just from seeing them on horses. So the movie is slowly chugging along and there is really no chemistry between the two men and it appears, at least from the way the movie is going that. The next thing I know Ennis, who at first seemed upset by Jack's attempt to spoon, turns him over, spits in his hand and starts having sex with him. This scenes feeling was not one of love, affection, admiration or any such emotion. It was one of anger and frustration. The thing that confused me even more was that until they leave the mountain it stays that way. I found this to be very odd, almost defeating the initial message it's trying to convey.
When they are reintroduced, their meeting switches gears. Ennis is the one who immediately shows his affection which is witness by his wife. Her decision to stay quiet is even more confusing, because it was obvious that this completely shattered her world. Another scene I found almost contradictory was the scene where Ledger has sex with Michelle Williams and he forcefully flips her over. I wasn't clear if Lee did this because it would be more similar to having sex with Jack or if he did this because he didn't want to look at her. Even more odd was that he initiated the romance and she was the one who seemed uncomfortable. Was this a mixed message or just poor acting and directing?
Many scenes in the movie made no sense. Were they trying to show us how time went by when Jack is smiling as Ennis drives away, cut to truck, cut back to Jack with a moustache with a scowl on his face? If so, this was just bad editing, because it looked like a goof, being he was wearing the same clothing. Also, are we to believe that these guys wore the same shirts every time they were together? The movie spans twenty years, but Jack ages about three. A moustache alone doesn't make him look older.
I also had an issue with Ledger's voice. Now I know he's Australian and was doing a Texas cowboys voice, but after seeing this, I think his performance in The Dark Knight was even worse, because he mumbled through this whole film also. A few times, I had to go back and put the subtitles on, because I was clueless as to what he was saying. I felt like I was listening to tryouts for Benecio Del Toro's role in The Usual Suspects. Quite irritating.
Finally we get to the films messages, which I'm still scratching my head over. They both insist they aren't gay, but can't fight the feeling they get when they are together. This theme is throughout the entire film, so I get it. Then why does Ennis throw his marriage and family away but not decide to be with Jack? Jack doesn't do this. In fact, Jack seems to have a more normal relationship with his wife. When they have sex in two scenes, he seems to be into it. So fine, they aren't gay, they are bi-sexual. That's fine, but then why do people argue that it wasn't about the sex. Yes, it was about the sex. It was about being together intimately. Jack even says it to Ennis when he says "I want more than some high altitude fucks once or twice a year." The other message which I found to be absolutely ludicrous is the whole concept that they aren't outed, but people just know. Scene after scene in the second half of the film, we see scenes where other people "just know." What the hell is that about. Two guys, married with kids, and their cowboys and people just know? How the hell would they know? We're to believe Jack was killed because everyone knew? We're to believe that the rodeo clown knows he's gay, but then the next scene he's in the backseat of a car with a hot young girl? The only scene that made any sense along those lines was when Ennis goes to see Jack's parents. The mom knew and that was obvious, but a mother always knows, so that wasn't some cinematic brilliance, its human nature.
I think what bothered me most was that this actually could have been a better film. If it stuck to the idea that these two are tortured souls, trapped in a world they know won't accept them. If the movie didn't try to say as much as it did. If it didn't get so confusing and span so much time. I know it's based on a piece of fiction and I assume they tried to stay true to the story, but the story isn't that interesting and honestly, while it does at the end wrap it up nice and tight, it left me wanting more. It left me wanting to know more of why they were the way they were. I don't want that to sound like I think homosexuality is a disease, but I wanted to know how they got to the point they did when they first got to Brokeback Mountain. Movies very rarely succeed for me when they leave me asking more questions than when it started.
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