I wish I knew how to quit you!
I've been waiting to watch this movie for a couple of months, and now that I have, I honestly don't know what to say. Was it good? Bad? Satisfying? Umm...
It's not what I expected, I can tell you that. Not at all.
Before I watched it, I fairly knew the story. Heck, I even knew the final scene. But the way around it was what I was most interested in.
Still, I can't form any kind of opinion on Brokeback, because it's an intense movie. Intense as in...it's really not for the weak of heart. I'm still recovering from the initial shock of that very first love scene, which I'm not going to elaborate on. One word to describe, though: graphic.
I can say that Brokeback Mountain is good...but not great. It doesn't leave that awed feeling to you, but nevertheless, it affects you. The characters were deep and well-acted. The art production was great...the music was awesome (Gustavo Santaolalla is super good). I would recommend though that you don't familiarize yourself with the music beforehand, because it ruins the mood sort of, like what happened to me (I have the soundtrack).
I would recommend it...but not to everyone. If you're not open to the idea of homosexuality (which I'm partly not...so I was really just shocked by a lot of scenes)...don't watch it. Also, don't watch it on a whim. Prepare yourself psychologically.
From filmcritic.com:
"The love story depicted in Brokeback Mountain is as traditional as that depicted in Casablanca, Romeo & Juliet, or Gone with the Wind, but instead of war, family rivalry, or the general bitchiness of one of the characters getting in the way, societal prejudice is the culprit. This is not to say that the film explicitly attempts to make some sort of statement about gay rights or social injustice. If anything, the film’s unswerving focus on the relationship, treating it with the same narrative respect reserved for Rhett and Scarlett or Harry and Sally, is a statement in and of itself. That Lee, Ledger, and everyone else involved are in top form elevates this film from mere gimmick to a work of universal substance, earning its heartbreak every step of the way."