Ang Lee's remarkable adaptation of Annie Proulx's short story joins the select group of great cinematic tearjerkers. The plot couldn't be simpler or more familiar: two people have a short, spontaneous, and hopeless sexual encounter and then separate, each marrying another and building a family. Yet their mutual attraction proves irresistible, and they meet periodically over the years, though tragedy ultimately intervenes. The twist in this telling of the tale, of course, is that the doomed lovers are both male, and while that's not totally unheard of in cinema, Brokeback Mountain marks the first time it's been the subject of a “mainstream” movie, and the fact that the men are young cowboys—iconic figures of virility—heightens the effect. But in the end this story of suppressed passion is, irrespective of gender considerations, a deeply moving, indeed lacerating film that succeeds beautifully because it's deeply human and profoundly real. And it certainly helps that it's insightfully written by Oscar-winning screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, superbly acted by Oscar nominees Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, and directed by Academy Award-winner Lee with a quiet serenity that some may dismiss as lethargic but actually allows the story time and space to blossom. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include a 21-minute “Sharing the Story” making-of featurette, “From Script to Screen: Interviews with Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana” (11 min.), “Directing from the Heart: Ang Lee” (8 min.), the six-minute featurette “On Being a Cowboy” on the actors' horse-riding training, and trailers. Bottom line: a rather bland extras package for one of 2005's best films.] (F. Swietek)[DVD Review—Jan. 23, 2007—Focus, 2 discs, 135 min., R, $26.98—Making its second appearance on DVD, 2005's Brokeback Mountain (2-Disc Collector's Edition) sports the same great transfer and DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. DVD extras new to this release include “A Groundbreaking Success” retrospective featurette on the film's popularity (17 min.), an 11-minute “Music from the Mountain” soundtrack featurette, and a three-minute “Impressions from the Film” photo montage. Bottom line: a half-hour's worth of new material for a two-disc set makes this “collector's edition” hardly worth the upgrade if you already own the original.][Blu-ray Review—Mar. 17, 2009—Paramount, 108 min., R, $29.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2005's Brokeback Mountain boasts a great transfer and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound. Blu-ray extras are identical to those on the standard DVD release, including a 21-minute “Sharing the Story” making-of featurette, “A Groundbreaking Success” retrospective featurette on the film's popularity (17 min.), “From Script to Screen: Interviews with Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana” with the screenwriters (11 min.), an 11-minute “Music from the Mountain” soundtrack featurette, “Directing from the Heart: Ang Lee” (8 min.), the six-minute featurette “On Being a Cowboy” on the actors' horse-riding training, a three-minute “Impressions from the Film” photo montage, and trailers. Bottom line: one of 2005's best films looks wonderful on Blu-ray.]
Brokeback Mountain
Focus, 135 min., R, DVD: $29.98, Apr. 4 Volume 21, Issue 3
Brokeback Mountain
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: