hopscotchee: anne hathaway score: 77.5 rating: R time: 134 minutes
emotional. passionate. heartbreaking. gyllenhaal. ledger. iconic. memorable. unforgettable!!!!!!!!!!!!
spotlighting the issues of systemic homophobia, annie prolux's short story, brokeback mountain, was beautifully adapted and directed by the legendary ang lee in 2005. and while it stirred up controversy from 'em conservatives, this film's narrative, surrounding two cowboys who form a glovers*tm* (gay-lovers) relationship in the seriously sexually repressed times of the 60s, releasing in the (less but still) sexually repressed times of the early 2000s is freakin' bold and irrefutably monumental.
it is only obvious to discuss and give major creds (credit) to the silent character in this movie: the location!! it is literally called brokeback mountain - if they didn't have a gorgeous and heavenly backdrop for jack twist and ennis del mar to escape away to, it would not only confuse the audience, it would also take away from the specialness of the lovers' romantic getaway safe-haven. therefore, by filming in the hardwearing and texture-robust open lands of alberta, the remarkable wilderness and nature encircling our cowboys brought on a confine scenery to distinguish their lives in and out of brokeback mountain. and yes, they filmed in alberta, even though the film was set in wyoming. films do that. nevertheless, alberta was an exquisite sight in brokeback mountain, and we commend the location scout(s) 100%!!
second of all, it goes without saying that this movie wouldn't be the same without heath and jake. the chemistry they have on screen is genuine but, more importantly, heart-rendering. plus, you gotta give it to them especially for taking on a secret-love-affair-storyline during a time where people where not accepting or open to the idea of a story about homosexuality. in other words, these roles could've "ruined their career" or made it hard to work afterward, but they courageously ignored this hypothetical-judgment and went along with the project, deeming the story more important and worth telling. nowadays it is easy to take for granted their choice, because we live in a more educated, more aware, and more accepting society. that doesn't mean that more can't be done, but that speaks to the progress that our society has made (notably with help from people pushing the conservative boundaries like heath and jake).
likewise, a crucial factor to comment on was what those a part of this film believed in. the story. was it magnificently connective?? heck yeah!! was it absolutely captivating?? totally!! was it 100% impactful??
you know it!! mesmerizing with its epic-like journey (epic as in the 'long story' term), its too-real-to-the-heart parallels between jack and ennis (props to the editing), and its tie back to (spoiler) the shirt ennis 'left behind' from the beginning AAAAHHHH 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭, this adaption from annie prolux's short story visualized its vital message, calling to action change in our homophobic society with this tearful romance that will leave you emotionally-raw.
in essence, isn't that what all filmmakers and storytellers want to do?? create stories that evoke a better good or a change at mind?? sounds like a pretty solid job. the trick is....can they all do it as well as brokeback mountain????
-- thanks, anne xo
(P.S. if you watch the movie, there's a SOB WARNING!!)
*see the take shelter review for more information on the use of tm*
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