Brokeback Mountain Blu-ray delivers stunning video and audio in this exceptional Blu-ray release
Early one morning in Signal, Wyoming, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist meet while
lining up for employment with local rancher Joe Aguirre. The world which Ennis and
Jack have been born into is, at once, changing rapidly and yet scarcely evolving.
Both young men seem certain of their set places in the heartland--obtaining steady
work, marrying, and raising a family--and yet they hunger for something beyond
what they can articulate. When Aguirre dispatches them to work as sheepherders up
on the majestic Brokeback Mountain, they gravitate towards camaraderie and then a
deeper intimacy. At summer's end, the two must come down from Brokeback and
part ways. Remaining in Wyoming, Ennis weds his sweetheart Alma, with whom he
will have two daughters as he ekes out a living. Jack, in Texas, catches the eye of
rodeo queen Lureen Newsome. Their courtship and marriage result in a son, as well
as jobs in her father's business. Four years pass. One day, Alma brings Ennis a
postcard from Jack, who is en route to visit Wyoming. Ennis waits expectantly for his
friend, and when Jack at last arrives, in just one moment it is clear that the passage
of time has only strengthened the men's attachment. In the years that follow, Ennis
and Jack struggle to keep their secret bond alive. They meet up several times
annually. Even when they are apart, they face the eternal questions of fidelity,
commitment, and trust. Ultimately, the one constant in their lives is a force of
nature--love.
Every once in a blue moon, a film arrives on the scene as an unintended answer to a current
debate. Brokeback Mountain is one such film. Upon its release in 2005, tensions
had
been flaring in the United States around the controversial subject of gay marriage. It's a
topic that continues to divide the nation, while serving as a cause that inspires outspoken
opinion that falls along religious, political, philosophical and moral lines. While not intended
as an answer to any such questions, Brokeback Mountain just happened to find its
release in the midst of the maelstrom of controversy that surrounded the issue. For many,
the film served as an example of their stance on the subject matter; both supporters of gay
marriage and detractors referenced the film and seemed to find inspiration from its subject
matter, for better or for worse. Everyone, no matter what side of the issue they espoused,
missed the point.
Brokeback Mountain isn't a film about the politics of morality or the religious
implications of homosexuality; it's a film about love; a condition that can be as forbidden and
foreboding for a man and woman of different ethnic backgrounds or social classes in 2009,
as it was for two
cowboys struggling with their sexuality in the early 1960s.
Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) arrive, in search of work and
desperate for employment, near the base of Montana's Brokeback Mountain, in the summer
of 1963. Both men are cowboys; down on their luck and in need of a steady paycheck, as
well as the solitude that comes from tending to a local farmer's herd throughout the course
of the difficult winter months. During their months of time together, the two men form a
close bond, initially becoming friends, while eventually finding comfort in each other's arms.
What follows are many decades of love, confusion and longing; each man marries, has a
family and tries to move on from their experiences on Brokeback Mountain. Regardless of
outward appearances and their seemingly normal family lives, Ennis and Jack slowly realize
that the only true happiness they ever experience is in the time they spend together on
their yearly retreats to Brokeback; experiences that they must, out of fear, keep as secrets
that they carry to their graves.
Brokeback Mountain is a heartbreaking film that focuses on forbidden love amongst
the societal prejudices of the 1960s through the 1980s. While the film focuses on a
homosexual relationship between two cowboys, the story is really a transcendent tale that
could easily speak to any relationship considered, for whatever reason, to be inappropriate
or somehow immoral. The film has proven to be empowering over the years to a great
many people from a variety of different backgrounds; it's a simple tale that has the power to
communicate to anyone willing to listen.
The highlight of Brokeback Mountain comes in the form of its many outstanding
performances. Both Gyllenhaal and Ledger deliver subtle and nuanced performances that
speak volumes in their simplicity, while becoming more and more profound over repeat
viewings. Mr. Ledger's performance is, perhaps, the most moving of the two. His portrayal
of a man who spends his entire life questioning his own decisions, struggling with his life's
challenges and fighting off the bitterness that comes with suppressing his deepest
emotions, stands as one of the most emotionally resonating performances in years. I
challenge any viewer to deny the devastating impact of the film's ending in conjunction with
Mr. Ledger's ability to convey the deepest heartache, while saying absolutely nothing.
Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway, playing Ennis' and Jack's wives, also deliver
memorably heart-wrenching performances, as they each come to terms with the realities of
their marriages.
I fear that many viewers might miss out on the opportunity to experience the amazing
filmmaking present in Brokeback Mountain. I can't imagine why any film lover would
want to intentionally avoid the film's powerful performances; it's not an emasculating
experience or one that will leave viewers scarred. Given this newest opportunity to
experience the film on Blu-ray, I hope that those who have made a point of not viewing the
film in the past, will
reconsider that decison. It's a powerful and resonant film that is so much more than any
pre-conceived
notion might otherwise convey. Brokeback Mountain is highly recommended.
Filled to the brim with luscious photography and stunning western vistas, Brokeback
Mountain is truly breathtaking on Blu-ray. The entire film is bathed in a patina of earthy
colors that perfectly capture the story's natural surroundings. The film's cinematographer,
Rodrigo Prieto, received an Academy Award nomination for his work on Brokeback
Mountain; it's a truly remarkable visual experience. Encoded via the VC-1 compression
codec at full 1080p resolution, while maintaining the film's original aspect ratio of 1.85:1,
Brokeback Mountain has finally received a truly faithful home video treatment.
Stylistically, Brokeback Mountain isn't the most detailed presentation I've ever
witnessed, though there is plenty of detail to be appreciated in the film. Film grain is
apparent and appropriate, contrast is strong and the movie is presented in a film-like
manner. This is a prime example of a Blu-ray encode mimicking the look of actual film and
not a digitally processed representation. As such, viewers shouldn't expect a flashy
experience from Brokeback Mountain. Instead, film lovers will be thrilled by this
disc's elegant handling of the source material. Highly recommended.
Thank goodness for lossless audio encoding. Heath Ledger's performance as Ennis Del Mar,
while brilliant, has always been slightly difficult to comprehend, due to the actor's use of a
particularly grumbly and deeply pitched voice. I've seen Brokeback Mountain on a
number of occasions, both theatrically and on DVD; Mr. Ledger's voice has always seemed
difficult to discern and frustratingly unintelligible. Remarkably, with this Blu-ray's use of 5.1
DTS-HD Master Audio for the film's audio, I was, for the first time, able to discern some of his
most harshly grumbled lines. This improvement alone, makes lossless encoding worth the
price of admission.
While surround usage is light and viewers won't find much in the way of an active surround
experience, Brokeback Mountain features one of the most hauntingly beautiful
musical scores in recent memory. This lossless audio track presents the Oscar-winning
score in a fluid and dynamic manner that helps to accentuate the many emotions that are
conveyed through this remarkably empathetic music. Fans of acoustic and Spanish guitar
will
be thrilled with
just how amazing it all sounds. Highly recommended!
- "A Groundbreaking Success"
- "Music from the Mountain"
- "From Script to Screen: Interviews with Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana"
- "On Being a Cowboy"
- "Directing from the Heart: Ang Lee"
- Still Photo Montage
- "Sharing the Story: The Making of Brokeback Mountain"
- BD-Live: My Scenes
I wish I could say that Universal hit it out of the park with respect to Brokeback
Mountain's special features, but sadly, that's not the case. Instead, we've been given
a large number of fluffy promo featurettes that explore critical reaction to the film, a feature
on Ang Lee, the film's screenwriting duo and a rumination on the lives of cowboys. None is
particularly engaging and I was, frankly, disappointed by the lack of real substantive
content. The one featurette I enjoyed, was "Music from the Mountain," a nice, behind the
scenes look at the personality and character of Gustavo Santaolalla, the film's Academy
Award-winning composer. He's an engaging subject who telegraphs his musical passions
and enthusiastic persona into an entertaining and informative 11 minute documentary. It
would have been nice, however, to see more of a tribute to Mr. Ledger's legacy and the
impact Brokeback Mountain had on his career.
While it seems like ages since Brokeback Mountain stirred up controversy and
moved audiences around the globe, the film continues to exact its cultural impact on new
viewers each and every day. The film's simple and effective storytelling is every bit as
moving today as it was back in 2005. Filled with the highest caliber performances, gorgeous
music and luscious cinematography, Brokeback Mountain is a rare gem of a film
that will continue to make its mark on audiences for decades to come. Universal brings the
film to Blu-ray with exceptional audio and video; supplements are, unfortunately, not very
compelling. If you've never had the opportunity to take in the remarkable storytelling of
Brokeback Mountain, consider this Blu-ray release to be a golden opportunity to
experience the film as it was intended to be seen. Brokeback Mountain is highly
recommended.
For their second Platinum Blu-ray title, Disney decided to open their vaults and release their second feature-length animated feature 'Pinocchio'. This timeless story of a wooden marionette who, with help from his designated conscience Jiminy Cricket, is tempted ...
Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced that they will bring the Health Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal film 'Brokeback Mountain' to Blu-ray on March 3rd. For this Oscar-winning film, video will be presented in 1.85:1 1080p accompanied by a 5.1 DTS-HD Master ...
All countries
