Brokeback Mountain is an engaging, endearing, love story about lost and unattainable love, told in the vein of a Shakespearian tragedy.
Brokeback Mountain (2005, Blu-ray)
Directors: Ang Lee
Producers: Various
Writers: Annie Proulx (short story), Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana (screenplay)
Features: * Featurettes * BD-Live
Characters:
Heath Ledger...Ennis Del Mar
Jake Gyllenhaal...Jack Twist
Randy Quaid... Joe Aguirre
Anne Hathaway...Lureen Newsome Twist
Kate Mara...Alma Del Mar Jr. - Age 19
Michelle Williams...Alma Del Mar
Anna Faris...LaShawn Malone
Genre: Drama
Review:
As far as controversial films go, "Brokeback Mountain," at its core, is not a very controversial film. The idea of the gay cowboy has been explored before, just more subtly. The idea of two major stars playing gay men has also been explored before (see: "Philadelphia," among others). The idea of a gay romance film has been explored before, too (see: "Angels in America," "Rent," etc.).
So what made "Brokeback Mountain" controversial? I’m not really sure. Perhaps it was the simple fact that the two particular gay men here were rough and tumble cowboys of the south. They weren’t like Jack on "Will and Grace." They were symbols of American masculinity.
What I’m sure of, though, is that had this film not been about two gay men, it would be collecting dust at your local Blockbuster or sitting in a metal $5 bin at Wal-Mart (it may still end up in the $5 bin regardless). That’s not saying that it isn’t a terrific, Oscar-worthy feature, even without the film’s homoerotic themes. I actually bought another classic Ang Lee film, "The Ice Storm," from a $5 bin.
"Brokeback" is an engaging, endearing, heartbreaking love story about lost and unattainable love, told in the vein of a Shakespearian tragedy.
The film does have its fair share of problems. The script, written by classic western novelist, Larry McMurtry and screenwriter Diana Ossana has spattered moments of tender brilliance surrounded by clichéd ideas, weak dialogue and some laughable situations. The story itself, in its original form, was short, and while the expansion adds very little to the story, it still feels a bit too long. Perhaps, though, it was the story, not the screenwriters who added the muck to this otherwise brilliant idea. Just look at the ridiculous names of the characters or the title of the film -- both feel a little surreal and self-aware.
Even amidst the film’s rough spots, Ang Lee masterfully crafts a beautiful, but tainted world. His lens captures the west in a way that’s breathtaking and awe-inspiring. His cast is top notch, from the main stars (Ledger and Gyllenhaal), to the supporting characters (Williams, Hathaway and Faris). The central musical theme of the film is deeply heartfelt and haunting. The best director Oscar that Lee received for this film was very much deserved. Lee took an otherwise silly story or potential Razzie award winner and crafted it into a cinematic masterpiece. Perhaps that’s where the controversy lies. People expected something awful but got something surprisingly wonderful.
A lot of folks are not going to like or are not going to see "Brokeback Mountain." They may disagree with the gay aspect. They may disagree with the gay cowboy aspect. They may even disagree with the casting choices or the director or something else that’s trivial or besides the point. Whatever the reason, they probably weren’t the target audience for this film anyway. That’s not to say that the target audience is primarily homosexual men or woman. In fact, the film doesn’t necessarily paint the culture in a positive light, and the finale is unquestionably tragic and sadly ironic. So, it would seem that "Brokeback Mountain" is the first mainstream “gay themed” film that probably shouldn’t have been made for the mainstream. It’s a fine film, but it’s just not compelling enough to win the mainstream entirely.
Film Report Card:
Entertainment Value: B+
Film Value: A-
Final Grade:
A-
HD REVIEW:
Video:
Universal delivers "Brokeback Mountain" to Blu-ray in a 1.85:1 widescreen presentation, encoded in 1080p/VC-1 video on a BD50 Dual Layer disc. Despite boasting a soft dream-like haze, this transfer looks rather fantastic. Depth and detail is extraordinary with images popping in every single scene. Black levels are inky and perfect, never drowning out any of the stark visuals.
The coloring of the film is a combination of softer, brown and yellows mixed with stark whites and steely blues. A soft hint of grain is present throughout, but it’s entirely intentional, giving the film an added layer of intensity and grit. I’d only strike one mark from the transfer for some inconsistent, pasty fleshtones, but other than that, this is a near reference print.
Audio:
Audio choices are English 5.1 DTS Master Audio, French and Spanish Dolby 5.1 with Spanish, English and French subtitles and English captions for the hearing impaired.
This is a considerable boost from the drab 5.1 mix from the HD-DVD. Center dialogue is crisp and discrete effects are effective, stable and incredibly well balanced between front and rear surrounds. Dialogue is a little rough to hear in spots, especially Ledger's gruff, brooding Ennis, but this is a pretty fine track nonetheless.
Extras:
This appears to be a port of the two-disc DVD set released a while back. Sadly, extras are a bit thin. They include:
• Featurettes (SD, 75 minutes) -- There are seven somewhat short featurettes on the disc, each encoded in standard definition. They include, "Directing from the Heart: Ang Lee," "From Script to Screen: Interviews with Larry McMurty and Diana Ossana," "Sharing the Story: The Making of Brokeback Mountain," "A Groundbreaking Success," "Music from the Mountain," "Impressions from the Film" and finally, "On Being a Cowboy." Most of this stuff appears to be EPK/commercial fluff with the only standout feature being the interview with the screenwriters. What a missed opportunity.
HD Content:
Universal provides the usual BD-Live sharing capabilites, but nothing else.
Packaging:
The film is presented in a blue "Elite" case featuring the best film's original artwork. The case design is pretty consistent with Universal titles.
Final Thoughts:
If you’re the slightest bit curious about this film, give it a rent. It’s a very moving film filled with brilliant cinematography, fantastic performances and perfect direction. This Blu-ray disc is a decent improvement over the HD-DVD and vast visual improvement over the DVD. I suggest fans pick this one up.
Blu-ray Report Card:
Video: A-
Audio: B+
Extras: B+
HD Content: N/A
Packaging: A-
Recommendation: Fans should own. Others should check it out.
On Blu-ray: March 3, 2009.
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