brokeback mountain

the movie is actually pretty old school: old-fashioned cinematography and plotlines, the acting style is not over the top. it definitely helped with a Chinese director Ang Lee. he with his poetic touch not only successfully bring his previous "Sense and Sensibilities" to life, but in this film, give the film new breath. i haven't read the book, but i doubt it's going to be this poetic. Music definitely shape the mood. acoustic instrument, solo guitar with often monotonous melodies, create surprisingly haunting surreal ambient rather than a calm one. all in all, a genuine work of art.

i like the fact that the "couple" actually started the relationship with lust, but thru the years, it built up to be a true love. this no doubt is not a breakthrough notion of gay relationship, but often untouched (or actively avoid) by filmmakers (could it due to the fact that it lower gays' self-esteem?). We might question their lustful relationship first, but couldn't deny the intensity of their love after so many years. sadly, it only became clear to Ennis, that the love between them is so strong, after Jack died. don't we all love tragic moments in film? the moment where everything is going on a one-way train heading a wrong direction, and all we can do is sit there and sigh "if we could only turn back time!"?... that reminds me of another line from Jack again, "It could be like this, just like this, always." our life is full of so many "if", but we are never satisfied with "if", but yet we are so afraid of facing the truth hence we turn away... how nice if Ennis decide to take on Jack's proposal to open a range of their own (metaphor for building a family together)... then the ending will forever changed...

hopefully after the movie, ppl will realized that it will only bring more miseries if we deny and dicriminate the gay community. all the gay bashers, even if you don't bash the gays literally, the ideas of your mere existence haunt them forever. look at Ennis, how the image of the death/humiliation of an old gay cowboy left such an impression on his 9 yrs old mind, and the fact that his father could be the person who bashed the poor man even reinforce the resistant he has when Jack suggested to open their own range together... so the pain and misery spread out to both's wives and kids... and it also reminded me of another film that i watched, "The Laramie Project", where there is one scene when the lesbian mother said she was walking down a street with her gf and daugther, a truck passby, the "macho-man" driver looked at them with hatreds, and how she was so afraid that the truck would turn back and knock them... although the truck didn't really knock them... but the thoughts and insecurity that they will, already kill them... and it's not fun at all staying in fears... what am i talking about....??? hahahaha.... guess this movie just give me too much things to think about, and that is how great a movie can get!

i also like the way Ennis's character is constructed. praising the cowboy slang that Heath Ledger "mastered" is superficial... but his mumbling words, he habitually lowered his head, constantly looking away while speaking to people, cowboy hat that cover more than half of the face, all these really make his character become 3D and real... excellent job both Heath and Ang Lee...

Let's see if it will win Ang Lee another best film and best director... i really hope the best for my favorite director (man, Ang Lee's "Wedding Banquet" is perhaps another of my all time favorite movie!)... Go watch it, grab a copy if you can, don't miss it!! standby a box of tissue at the end of the movie if you think you are as emotional as me... :P