Brokeback Mountain (2005)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Ang Lee

Writers (WGA):

Annie Proulx (short story)
Larry McMurtry (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

16 December 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Western

Tagline:

Love Is A Force Of Nature

Plot:

Based on the 'E. Annie Proulx' story about a forbidden and secretive relationship between two cowboys and their lives over the years.

Plot Keywords:

Ranch Hand | Wyoming | Ranch | Cowboy | Rodeo

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 78 wins & 64 nominations

Cast

Heath Ledger	...	Ennis Del Mar
Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Jack Twist
Randy Quaid	...	Joe Aguirre
Valerie Planche	...	Waitress
David Trimble	...	Basque
Victor Reyes	...	Chilean Sheepherder #1
Lachlan Mackintosh	...	Chilean Sheepherder #2
Michelle Williams	...	Alma
Larry Reese	...	Jolly Minister
Marty Antonini	...	Timmy
Tom Carey	...	Rodeo Clown
Dan McDougall	...	Bartender #1
Don Bland	...	Biker #1
Steven Cree Molison	...	Biker #2
Anne Hathaway	...	Lureen Newsome

Also Known As:

Souvenirs de Brokeback Mountain (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, nudity, language and some violence.

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 | Norway:11 | Finland:K-11 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Sweden:7 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Singapore:R21 | Spain:13 | Portugal:M/12 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Japan:PG-12 | France:U | Brazil:16 | Taiwan:R-12 | Germany:12 | Belgium:KT | Chile:14 | Poland:18 | India:A | USA:R (certificate #41600) | Ireland:16 (theatrical rating) | Ireland:18 (video rating) | South Korea:15 (uncut) | China:(Banned) | Iceland:12 | Argentina:16 | Philippines:R-18 | New Zealand:M | Denmark:11 | Venezuela:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Alberta Film Entertainment

Trivia:

In March 2006 Randy Quaid filed a lawsuit against Focus Features alleging that the company had misled him into thinking that _Brokeback Mountain (2005)_ was a low budget, art-house film with no prospect of making money. He saw this as a ruse to get him to lower his salary. At the time of the lawsuit, the film had earned more than $160 million. Quaid dropped the lawsuit in May, seemingly after Focus agreed to pay him a bonus. Focus, however, denied that any such payment ever took place.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ennis and Jack are fighting on the hill, the day they leave, and Jack knees Ennis in the nose, he gets up to help him. He puts his hands on Ennis' shoulders, but in the next shot, his right wrist is being used to soak up the blood from Ennis' bloody nose.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Joe Aguirre: You pair of deuces lookin' for work, I suggest you get your scrawny asses in here pronto.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Bareback Mountain (2006/I) (V)

Soundtrack:

Devil's Right Hand

Powerful, Numbing

I just saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to a packed house (with Ang Lee present for today's screening). And I have to say, it absolutely transfixed me and was worth the watch. Out of 24 movies I screened at the TIFF this year, this was the only one I rated a 10/10! Three things really stood out for me making this a stand-out of a film:

1) HONESTY: Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal really pulled this off. I wasn't expecting performances so real and nuanced, and was warmly surprised. Kudos, also, to Mr. Lee for making such a poignant and refreshingly honest film!

2) STORY: Great story-telling. In fact you're not actually being *told* a story. The story unfolds and the viewer watches what happens pulling you in. What a great experience! In fact, I want to experience this story again -- I'm going to look for the short story.

3) NUMBING: In a thought-provoking kind of way. I left the theatre digesting the story even as I sat on the streetcar thinking about the characters. I cared for them, and wondered what could/might happen to them after the screen went black. My mind was playing out scenarios and in that sense, it was numbing, in a thought-provoking, emotionally heavy way.

This is powerful cinema and is definitely worth checking out. It's the best Ang Lee film I've seen to date (I've seen most, but not all of his feature films).