Women don't understand me...: Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Male homosexuality in “Brokeback Mountain” is presented, not as feminine, but as hyper-masculine, even bordering on misogyny. These men are drawn to each other by shared activity in a job done well, and by direct speech that lacks complex meaning—in short, all that straight men traditionally prefer in the world of the cowboy—and not by the discussion of feelings or clothing. When they hug, they slap each other hard on the back, and when they smooch, it looks like a WWF move.

In fact, the men who are attracted to one another in “Brokeback Mountain” treat all things feminine with something that ranges between polite, contrived interest to downright indifference. These gay guys are not a “girl’s best friend” visiting from Planet Fabulous to comment on color-coordinated drapes. I am reminded of a friend of mine who says his gay uncle “can’t stand flamers.” Another friend of mine remarked that he had no issue with men having sex with other men, but preferred those involved to “be a man about it” and not lisp or wear short shorts.

When the two lifelong lovers (Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal) in “Brokeback” sit by the riverside, middle-aged and crumpling up cheap beer cans, trading monosyllables about their motormouth wives and complaining about high taxes, I realized that an almost identical movie could be made about two straight men. The world of women and civilization, as portrayed in “Brokeback,” is a sordid, cramped indoors of nagging babies, loudmouths-in-law, and general phoniness. The world of men is outdoors and honest, with clearly defined rules and goals, as much as any Michael Mann movie, except Mann’s men would rather put lead in each other than their gizzer-gazzers.

The movie’s first section is its best, as Twist and Ennis (often pronounced “anus,” I’m not making this up) work side-by-side in the 1960s. They’re looking after another’s man sheep, alone in the Wyoming mountains, and these quiet episodes are pastoral and tranquil. They go their separate ways, half-believing they will never see the other again and not sure if they want to. They find wives (Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway). Twist’s father-in-law is that one Southern character actor who seems destined to play Tom DeLay in a TV movie one day (his name is Graham Beckel and he, according to IMDb, has a recurring role on “Battlestar Galactica” as “Jack Fisk;” whether or not he is knowingly named after Brian De Palma's and “The New World’s” production designer is anyone’s guess). Twist is the more ambitious of the two, working for his father-in-law’s tractor business and venturing down to Mexico for male prostitutes when Ennis is being uncooperative. Ennis’s life, however, goes nowhere and gets worse. The characters in “Brokeback Mountain” are complex enough to be contradictory: it is Ennis who turns down Twist’s suggestion that they not marry and live on their own ranch together. Yet it is also lovesick Ennis who is unable to sustain his double-life while Twist becomes comfortable with their fishing trips.

Tiawanese director Ang Lee (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Sense and Sensibility”) gives the movie a clean, even sparse look, and does not give into the temptation to use a heavy hand and “make a statement.” I was so scared of this being a Big Meaning Movie, but it’s not. The result is honest and soulful, with a feeling of loss and sadness by the end. There is no villain, although Randy Quaid’s ranch boss comes closest. He mostly seems irritated that Twist and Ennis are doing the business when they should be on the job. He accepts that in the world of men alone these things sometimes crop up.

“Brokeback” is being hailed as one of 2005’s best more for cultural, political, and personal reasons than for filmmaking prowess, and will no doubt require a U-Haul to transport all its Oscars. It is being attacked—I mean, meaningfully attacked—by those who find this approach to criticism irritating. Usually I’m in that second camp, but it would be dishonest to rail against “Brokeback” simply because “it’s not as good as everyone says it is.” I mean, I’ve never done that before, have I?