Based on the acclaimed short story by Annie Proulx, Brokeback Mountain was adapted into a beautifully articulate screenplay by Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry. While considered one of the best scripts around, the story of a love affair between to men remained unproduced for years, until Focus Features stepped in, and Director Ang Lee expressed interest in the project. Released in 2005, Brokeback Mountain was an unexpected box office success.
In 1963, Wyoming, cowboys Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) are down on their luck. Neither has much doing for them when they meet outside of the employment office of ranch owner Joe Aguirre (Randy Quaid). The duo is hired to guide sheep up one side of Brokeback Mountain and watch them as they set to pasture for the summer.
Given that the two men are alone for weeks on end, its inevitable that the two men form a close bond. Despite Ennis’s initial objections, their friendship quickly turns physical. They both make some attempt at convincing themselves that they’re not gay, but when Jack and Ennis cross paths years later, their passion is rekindled. The film follows the two men over a period of twenty years, through their doomed marriages to conform to a repressive society that rejects their feelings toward one another.
Brokeback Mountain remains a landmark in cinema because director Ang Lee doesn’t take an overly sentimental approach, giving his actors long monologues about love and the effort to fit into societal roles. Nor does it feel like there’s a political agenda. Instead, he relies on an excellent script and skilled actors to deliver the story in a quiet and respectful manner. Neither man is a hero or a martyr but a product of his time and upbringing: uneducated, alone and reared in the rural misogyny of the era.
All the actors in the film do excellent work. Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, and Michelle Williams are all phenomenal. The real revelation is Heath Ledger. None of his performances up to that point could quite prepare me for the physical presence he is here. A man of few words, who only speaks when he has to, his brutish nature allows for every facial expression and movement of his body to speak for him.
Released by Kino Lorber, the film is presented in its original 1:85:1 aspect ratio, taken from a brand new HDR/Dolby Vision transfer created from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. The result is a notable uptick from the previous Blu-ray release. Fine detail and textures are well defined throughout. Blacks are dark and inky, while colors are bright and full. Scratches and dirt are minimal. This is by far, the best Brokeback Mountain has ever looked.
There are two audio options on both UHD Blu-ray and the included Blu-ray: a 2.0 stereo DTS-HD Master Audio track and a 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio track. Well mixed, Gustavo Santaolalla’s Oscar-winning music score sounds even and robust. It never interferes with dialogue that’s clear and concise throughout. Pops or other audio anomalies. Like the video, the audio mix is the best this film has ever sounded.
English SDH subtitles are included.
The following extras are available:
On both UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Disc:
- NEW!! Audio Commentary by Film Historian/Writer Julie Kirgo
On Blu-ray disc only:
- Sharing the Story: The Making of Brokeback Mountain (20:47)
- From Script to Screen: Interviews with Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana (10:53)
- A Groundbreaking Success: Featurette (17:13)
- Directing from the Heart: Featurette with Ang Lee (7:27)
- On Being a Cowboy: Featurette (5:44)
- Music from the Mountain: Featurette with Gustavo Santaolalla (11:18)
- Impressions from the Film: Photo Slideshow (2:33)
- Theatrical Trailer (2:23)
- TV Spots (3:36)
