The Greatest Love
“Well… I guess I’ll see you around, huh?”
Brokeback Mountain has it all—beautiful cinematography, praiseworthy performances, sensitive direction, compelling story—I could go on forever. However, what sets it apart from other films is not its visual beauty or performances, but the director’s treatment of the most universal, but often mishandled topic: love.
Cinema romances of late are mostly fluff. All sex and nothing else. All talk and nothing else. I am itching for more movies that genuinely explore the power of love. I want to see real people emotion. I also want to believe that love prevails, even in death.
Here, there’s no girl throwing herself at her father’s feet screaming that she must be with her lover. There is, however, a man retching in an empty barn because he believes he’ll never see his greatest love again.
Ang Lee takes Annie Proulx’s short story turned screenplay and crafts it into a haunting, affecting love story. There is never a moment when the emotion feels excessive. The way that Ennis’s (Heath Ledger) face lights up when he sees his lover, Jack Twist’s truck pull up to his driveway is priceless. Equally worthy of comment is his wife’s stricken expression when she catches him and Jack kissing passionately.
Lee artfully combines just the right amount of emotion with dialogue to convey the anguish of two people who know that they can never be together. Brokeback Mountain also contains one of 21st century cinema’s best love scenes, scenes that are both tender and urgent.
In the hands of another director this unique and poignant tale could have been easily transformed into a sappy mess. Lee’s skill with drama shines.
While other films deal with onscreen romances by throwing in a bunch of unnecessary and meaningless sex or Romeoesque professions of love, Brokeback shows restraint and compassion.
Furthermore, the love between Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist exemplifies true love, or at least, how I envision true love in my mind.
True love trait number one: It is not based purely on looks or lust. Sure, they are physically attracted to each other, but it all begins as a supportive friendship.
True love trait number two: It endures. Distance and marriage do not lessen their love for each other. If anything, being apart intensifies their feelings for the other person.
Because Brokeback features two men who are in love with each other, some feel that the film is advocating homosexuality. However, to me, Brokeback Mountain was not made to promote certain lifestyles or with a political agenda. Rather, it means to examine the intricacies of human emotion. It touchingly and effectively looks at love’s resilience and beauty.
Brokeback Mountain will stick with you, make you cry, and leave you aching for its star-crossed lovers and their wives.
Kate said,
November 29, 2009 at 9:38 pm
I really enjoyed your post. The listing of true love traits were a great way of examining the difference between true love and sexual infatuation. I agree as well, that the movie was not examining homosexuality, but rather love that knows no bounds.
Susan said,
November 30, 2009 at 4:27 pm
So, this has nothing to do with Brokeback Mountain although I loved your post and the film, but I just saw 500 Days of Summer on the airplane and wondered what you thought of that movie, since it’s a love story but not (as they tell you in the opening it’s a story about boy meets girl but this is not a love story).
Dorie said,
November 30, 2009 at 7:57 pm
I love that you chose to discuss this movie, and feel that this post is my favorite by far. Although it is not on the movie per se, it is a great comment and conclusion of your ideas regarding true love and what this actually is. It is not defined by sex or race or gender. It is constant, heart-breaking and real. Thanks for the great post!
Cathy said,
December 2, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Cat,
I’m probably in the minority, but I didn’t really like Brokeback Mountain. Maybe I liked the short story too much and that made it hard for me to like the movie. That said, I think your post was exactly right, and I agree with your assessment of how Ang Lee treated love and how love is treated pretty shabbily in other movies. Brokeback was a great choice for your blog, and you’ve convinced me that I need to give the movie a second chance. Time to log onto Netflix! Thanks Cat.
Cathy
nstanger said,
December 2, 2009 at 3:42 pm
I’ve got to say, for all the hype that surrounding Brokeback Mountain when it came out, I never got around to seeing it. I was already familiar with the short story, figured I got the gist of it, and I felt lukewarm about the prospect of seeing the movie. I could have taken or left it. Then, I forgot about. Your review, though, has actually made me want think about renting it tonight. I think the scope you use to discuss it is unique and intriguing. I’m not sure, though, how I feel about the way you discussed the blaring homosexual content. On the one hand, people made such a big deal about it that I really appreciate that it only came up in the background of your review. On the other hand, I feel like assertion you make in your review cannot exist without the homosexuality. I could see how you would want to avoid the topic, as it could easily become all that the reader takes away, but I would like to hear more about how you think the fact that the star-crossed lovers in this movie were two gay men affected the way that Ang Lee could portray love. For example, because homosexuality was taboo in the the characters’ culture, because the two men couldn’t be together as lovers, was the love spurred on by denied passion? Would the love have lasted or been as intense if the two men were allowed to live together, stigma-free?