Brokeback Mountain
I wish I knew how to quit you!" - Jack Twist, Brokeback Mountain
I have to say something. In fact, I have been waiting for days to write something about this movie. It might be that I have lost the abililty to write something fairly decent or maybe, as I suspect, the movie blew me away (no pun intended!) that I cannot write something about it. Well, it's not really that I cannot think of anything to say about the movie, but the truth of the matter is that I have soooooo much to say that I don't know where to start.
We all know how this movie has been sweeping the world so I am going to spare you that. What I am gonna write is my personal experience with the movie.
This is a movie that would NEVER FAIL to illicit reaction from anyone that has seen it. Whether be good or bad, one way or another, you will have a reaction. For months, I have anticipated the release of this movie locally. I was even in doubt if it would be screened here in the Philippines considering that the subject matter is very sensitive in nature. My friend bought a pirated DVD of it weeks even before the trailers were shown in the local cinemas. I almost died from restrainig myself from watching the movie. I was the prime advocate of this movie to my friends and officemates. My wallpaper and screensaver are both scenes from "Brokeback Mountain." I made it a point that anyone that enjoys watching movies would see this one.
Finally, after months of waiting, I was sitting in a dark movie house as the opening credits roll. This was it! I was dying from excitement!
Two hours and twenty minutes later, I got out of the movie house with eyes puffed and a very heavy heart. The movie was true to it's promise. Man, it was TRAGIC!
The story itself was breeding TRAGEDY from the beginning. I mean, we all know that this kind of LOVE would never have a happy ending. I mean, had this thing happened today, they could have eloped to Massachusets and got marreid. But it was in 1963, in Marlboro Country! Where man are hard and rough and being "queer" is a sure ticket to an early death! But the movie was great. The story was seeded deeply in the fact that during that time, talk of homosexuality was taboo.
This fact was intricately layered though-out the movie. Although there was not much dialogues discussing this, you can see it in their facial expressions, meaningful pauses and body movements.
Ennis del Mar was uncompromising with the fact that their relationship be kept secret. On the contrary, Jack was more comfortable about his sexuality.
Acting was superb! Not only by the two lead actors but also the supporting casts. Heath Ledger was amazingly lovely in some parts and infuriating in others. Jake Gylenhaal was great but there were some scenes that he was losing the character, specially with the Texan drawl. Anne Hathaway was also great. I loved the scene when Ennis called and they were taking about Jack over the phone. She was cold as steel but you know that she knows and that she is aware of the true events that lead to jack's death. I cannot help but utter "Bitch!" under my breath.
But the real revelation was Michelle Williams as "Alma." Her facial expressions and the way that she used her eyes to express emotions were so powerful that it was her "discovery" scene that first made me cry. She was so contained yet just rearing to get it on. She was fab!
Notes about Brokeback Mountain
It made me cry as much as I cried when I first saw "Billy Elliot," - one of my fave movies. I think I cried like, four or five times. The love story just touched me.
What is maddening about the movie was the fact that Ennis was so uncompromising about their relationship. He keeps everything inside when all the while Jack was also suffering from it. I understand that people were not ready for homo-love during those times, but christ! can you at least say something!
The scond time that they had sex was real love. It was a beginning of a romance and not just a night of accidental sex. There was no animal-like grunting and haste. Ennis even kissed Jack which he refused to do the first time.
The mountain itself made a big part in the movie. Except for the fact that ot was the title, I think the director made the mountain a third person in their love story.
There were some parts that I felt was orchetrated. Like the last scene between Ennis and Jack, when they had a big fight. I mean, it was obviously that the movie was about to hit the cresendo just by looking into the scene. I still liked it though.
In the same scene where Ennis almost lost control, I felt bad for Ennis. It might be that he was not really ready when Jack came along his life and that he was happy before Brokeback Mountain. I mean, he has his life almost planned out and then all of a sudden, Jack came along and opened so many new things for him. Looking back, Ennis was also the more tortured of the two just for the fact that Jack has some other means of getting it and Ennis remained loyal to their relationship. I also felt that there were times when Jack was asking too muvh from Ennis. I mean that guy lost his family and cannot hold a decent job, what more can you ask for?
I know that a lot of people that have read the reviews and then seen the movie would say that it was over-rated. Well, it could be. I mean, as I have said earlier, it illicits every kind of reaction there is. Disgust. Delight. Enlightenment. Fear and doubts.
One thing that I really loved about the movie is that fact that it left something for eveyone to ponder. This movie would be talked about for years.
And yeah, afte watching Brokeback Mountain, I realized something: If you have been in the closet, come out or remain inside for the next twenty years! It is difficult to live a life of deceit and lies! You don't want to waste twenty years of your life because you were afraid, right? Swear? You know who you are.
I have to say something. In fact, I have been waiting for days to write something about this movie. It might be that I have lost the abililty to write something fairly decent or maybe, as I suspect, the movie blew me away (no pun intended!) that I cannot write something about it. Well, it's not really that I cannot think of anything to say about the movie, but the truth of the matter is that I have soooooo much to say that I don't know where to start.
We all know how this movie has been sweeping the world so I am going to spare you that. What I am gonna write is my personal experience with the movie.
This is a movie that would NEVER FAIL to illicit reaction from anyone that has seen it. Whether be good or bad, one way or another, you will have a reaction. For months, I have anticipated the release of this movie locally. I was even in doubt if it would be screened here in the Philippines considering that the subject matter is very sensitive in nature. My friend bought a pirated DVD of it weeks even before the trailers were shown in the local cinemas. I almost died from restrainig myself from watching the movie. I was the prime advocate of this movie to my friends and officemates. My wallpaper and screensaver are both scenes from "Brokeback Mountain." I made it a point that anyone that enjoys watching movies would see this one.
Finally, after months of waiting, I was sitting in a dark movie house as the opening credits roll. This was it! I was dying from excitement!
Two hours and twenty minutes later, I got out of the movie house with eyes puffed and a very heavy heart. The movie was true to it's promise. Man, it was TRAGIC!
The story itself was breeding TRAGEDY from the beginning. I mean, we all know that this kind of LOVE would never have a happy ending. I mean, had this thing happened today, they could have eloped to Massachusets and got marreid. But it was in 1963, in Marlboro Country! Where man are hard and rough and being "queer" is a sure ticket to an early death! But the movie was great. The story was seeded deeply in the fact that during that time, talk of homosexuality was taboo.
This fact was intricately layered though-out the movie. Although there was not much dialogues discussing this, you can see it in their facial expressions, meaningful pauses and body movements.
Ennis del Mar was uncompromising with the fact that their relationship be kept secret. On the contrary, Jack was more comfortable about his sexuality.
Acting was superb! Not only by the two lead actors but also the supporting casts. Heath Ledger was amazingly lovely in some parts and infuriating in others. Jake Gylenhaal was great but there were some scenes that he was losing the character, specially with the Texan drawl. Anne Hathaway was also great. I loved the scene when Ennis called and they were taking about Jack over the phone. She was cold as steel but you know that she knows and that she is aware of the true events that lead to jack's death. I cannot help but utter "Bitch!" under my breath.
But the real revelation was Michelle Williams as "Alma." Her facial expressions and the way that she used her eyes to express emotions were so powerful that it was her "discovery" scene that first made me cry. She was so contained yet just rearing to get it on. She was fab!
Notes about Brokeback Mountain
It made me cry as much as I cried when I first saw "Billy Elliot," - one of my fave movies. I think I cried like, four or five times. The love story just touched me.
What is maddening about the movie was the fact that Ennis was so uncompromising about their relationship. He keeps everything inside when all the while Jack was also suffering from it. I understand that people were not ready for homo-love during those times, but christ! can you at least say something!
The scond time that they had sex was real love. It was a beginning of a romance and not just a night of accidental sex. There was no animal-like grunting and haste. Ennis even kissed Jack which he refused to do the first time.
The mountain itself made a big part in the movie. Except for the fact that ot was the title, I think the director made the mountain a third person in their love story.
There were some parts that I felt was orchetrated. Like the last scene between Ennis and Jack, when they had a big fight. I mean, it was obviously that the movie was about to hit the cresendo just by looking into the scene. I still liked it though.
In the same scene where Ennis almost lost control, I felt bad for Ennis. It might be that he was not really ready when Jack came along his life and that he was happy before Brokeback Mountain. I mean, he has his life almost planned out and then all of a sudden, Jack came along and opened so many new things for him. Looking back, Ennis was also the more tortured of the two just for the fact that Jack has some other means of getting it and Ennis remained loyal to their relationship. I also felt that there were times when Jack was asking too muvh from Ennis. I mean that guy lost his family and cannot hold a decent job, what more can you ask for?
I know that a lot of people that have read the reviews and then seen the movie would say that it was over-rated. Well, it could be. I mean, as I have said earlier, it illicits every kind of reaction there is. Disgust. Delight. Enlightenment. Fear and doubts.
One thing that I really loved about the movie is that fact that it left something for eveyone to ponder. This movie would be talked about for years.
And yeah, afte watching Brokeback Mountain, I realized something: If you have been in the closet, come out or remain inside for the next twenty years! It is difficult to live a life of deceit and lies! You don't want to waste twenty years of your life because you were afraid, right? Swear? You know who you are.
posted by Lexie at
4:13 AM
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