In Wyoming in the summer of 1963, Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) meet for the first time when they take jobs as sheep herders on Brokeback Mountain. While one of the men is to stay in their camp every night, the other secretely and illegally has to set up his tent by the grazing sheep, to keep a lookout for predatory animals. In the solitude and tranquility of the mountain, Ennis and Jack are suddenly gripped by a forceful and raw longing towards eachother one night after far too much whiskey. Although they go separate ways after the summer and both get married and have children, their relationship reignites four years later when they meet again, something that will be followed by frequent “fishing trips” (as they tell their wives) to Brokeback Mountain.

Director Ang Lee is a master when it comes to showing suppressed feelings on screen (cf. Sense and Sensibility), and it’s no different in this tale of a love that cannot triumph over society’s artificial boundaries. In this respect, Brokeback Mountain represents the classic love story, with the small twist that it stars two men as lovers. The film, as one might believe, is not the story of homosexual emancipation, however. The protagonists are much rather stuck in a perpetual state of speechlessness. In the aftermath of their first shared night, both Ennis and Jack declare that they are “not queer”. Not once do they name the feelings between them “love”, it’s simply “that thing”. And because they have no words to describe what’s happening, they have to use their hands, which is why they frequently beat each other up, and why their love scenes come across so violent. They have no control over it - a circumstance which was rather poignantly summed up in the film’s tagline love is a force of nature.

Ang Lee employs his trademark subtle approach to the material, his film is as silent and rugged as the scenery (which is beautifully and adequately captured by cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto). Which is very important, as the scenery not only serves as a backdrop, but a window into the souls of the main characters. Lee mentioned in an interview how this ties back to his chinese background: the non-impulsive upbringing of chinese children later leads to chinese artists frequently expressing their feelings, particularly romantic ones, via nature - an indirect approach they feel is more appropriate than in-your-face pathos. Lee works within this mentality, which is only fitting for this kind of film, as it corresponds with the general importance of scenery in westerns. The harmony and silence, as well as the storms and snow are always indicative of Ennis and Jack’s inner state, as much as Brokeback stands for the pair’s sole refuge as seen in the glimmering sunlight, but also their doom, hinted at with the mountain shrouded in clouds.

The silence is also manifest in the film’s central character Ennis, who’s very sullen and not at all good with words. And because he has no words for what happened up there, he has no way of placing his feelings for Jack, of putting them into some kind of perspective. He simply does not know what is happening to him, a feeling which violently shakes through his entire body and causes him to breakdown after he and Jack first separate. Heath Ledger is absolutely superb in this role. He very much underplays Ennis, and because his character is so scarce with words Ledger balances it out with facial expression and body language, giving Ennis a rough physical edge. When Ennis speaks it’s more of a mumbling, something that perfectly suits the character’s subdued demeanor.

The supporting cast is no less imposing. Jake Gyllenhaal does a brilliant Jack Twist, a character that stands in contrast to Ennis in many respects. Jack is far more assured about their love, far more open about what’s going on between them. It’s Jack who makes the first step after four years, and it’s Jack who envisions a future together for them, living peacefully on their own ranch. But even though Jack is more acceptant of his homosexuality (he still needs to saturate his craving for men when Ennis is not available), he remains tied to his wife. And in the end, it’s due to both characters’ lack of courage that they cannot find their happiness together, and in turn destroy that of everyone around them, most noticeably their wives. Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway (as Ennis’ and Jack’s wives respectively) give very strong performances, especially Williams. Her character Alma accidentally witnesses Ennis and Jack kissing, and she puts up with it, something she can understand even less than her husband. But it tears her apart inside, and her deterioration is reflected in her physical appearance, as she goes from her plain prettiness to a sour divorcée.

Brokeback Mountain is a sweeping romance, an epic about a love that cannot be put into words and is thereby doomed. Every scene is is showed with tranquil vigour and purposeful silence, more than once what gives the scenes their strength is not what is said or showed, but what is left out (take the scene of Ennis with Jack’s parents for an example of unbelieveably strong directing). A masterpiece, masterfully showed and told by Ang Lee.

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