BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005) - ♦♦♦♦♦

Directed by - Ang Lee

Written by - Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana (based on a short story by Annie Proulx)

Starring - Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams

"A real game changer in the representation of homosexual romance and homosexuality in general in mainstream cinema, which up to the release of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN was still defined by steretypes or deeply rooted in the more underground NEW QUEER CINEMA movement. 

ANG LEE's film takes place around the sixties and seventies and follows the dramatic, passionate and secret love affair between two cowboys. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN looks like a film deeply influenced by American classic. There is an air of timelessness about the way in which RODRIGO PRIETO's camera takes advantage of the Montana landscape. This, of course, particularly recalls the classics of the Western genre, which conveys the use of the sexual charge of the cowboy figure to its advantage, adding to the film a subtle and yet meaningful iconic vibe. 

More than that, of course, is the sparing, mature and genuine way in which the film brings its pivotal romance to the screen. It does so with an air of quietness, using dialogue sparingly but meaningfully. But on top of the romance, it is also the characters, and the way in which BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN shows the different ways in which each of the two deals with their sexual identity, an identity absolutely rejected by society. 

Equally as admirable is the emotional realism of the film, with this particular aspect of the film never exaggerated, and for this reason all the more engaging and powerful. The same can be said about the performances. HEATH LEDGER and JAKE GYLLENHAAL in the leading roles are brave and compelling in their carefully restrained respective turns."

Drama, USA/Canada