When Brokeback Mountain was released in 2005 it quickly became more than just a film. Ang Lee’s adaption of Annie Proulx’s short story has since been recognised as a landmark in cinematic history, making waves not as a “gay cowboy” movie as it was reductively labelled, but as one of the most devastating love stories of the 21st century. Two decades on, its resonance feels as powerful, and perhaps as necessary, as ever.
It centres on Ennis Del Mar, played by the late Heath Ledger, and Jack Twist, played by Jake Gyllenhaal; two men whose summer on a mountain ranch turns into a tumultuous, lifelong affair. Ledger portrays Ennis with a tenseness, as if each pause he takes is loaded with what he cannot say. His restraint, subtly shown through Ledger’s tight shoulders, swallowed words and long silences, communicates an entire life built around fear of exposure. In contrast, Jack is his foil, open and reckless; all longing and heartbreak at once. Together, their chemistry is so natural, so unforced that it feels heartbreakingly real. Even the landscape itself feels part of the story. Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto captures the scenery beautifully as the mountains and empty skies are striking, yet isolating and strangely alive.
In 2005, a mainstream film treating a gay relationship with this kind of care and consideration was ground-breaking. It demonstrated that cinema goers were willing to interact with stories that had been mainly disregarded or mocked, and took home three Oscars. Even if it does fall victim to the (spoiler alert) ‘bury your gays’ trope that saturates queer media, it is undeniably, and unfortunately, a realistic portrayal for a film about two gay men set in 1960s rural Wyoming.
Two decades on, it reminds us how far we’ve come in terms of queer representation but also how fragile that progress can be. With the rise in conservative politics across the world and anti-LGBTQ+ laws resurging, Jack and Ennis’ story doesn’t just feel like a piece of history but a matter of urgency, and perhaps even deeply relatable to those living under restrictive regimes. It asks us to consider how the effects of oppression affects society as a whole, not just for queer people.
Unlike many cultural phenomena that fade into nostalgia, Brokeback Mountain endures not just because of awards or critical acclaim, but because of the way it continues to influence conversations about love, identity, and who gets to see themselves represented on screen. Despite all of the blockbusters, legacy sequels, and formulaic dramas that have come and gone since 2005, this is a film that still continues to haunt our minds and hearts with its soft and tragic whisper; you cannot quit it.
“Heath Ledger” by Howie is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.