Brokeback, film of the the Noughties but still relevant - 'we all have lips'

With the end of the Noughties looming, the impulse to to make lists increases. Two newspapers - the Times and the Telegraph - have listed their best and/or most defining films of the decade and Brokeback Mountain features prominently. I'm also pleased to say that Donnie Darko also gets a nod, as it deserves.


The Telegraph lists Brokeback Mountain as its second most defining movie of the 00s. 'Director Ang Lee insists on calling this simply “a love story” but it broke new ground as a gay cowboy movie. Achingly moving, with career-high performances from Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as the strong, silent, repressed lead characters. A stunning achievement, brilliantly executed, with an acute sense of time and location.' Fahrenheit 9/11 takes first place. This is an interesting list because it doesn't reflect on what is best but what is important, and how the cinema both reflects and prods at society. The full list is here.


The Times went for the 'best' approach and listed Brokeback at No. 17. Not a bad spot when one considers just how many movies have been made over a decade, but, still, not high enough. 'This achingly sad love story gave Heath Ledger a chance to explore hitherto unsuspected depths. It’s a hugely powerful performance — his inarticulate yearning is almost painful to watch.' I think Jake Gyllenhaal played a part in it too. Obviously, the whole point of a poll is to argue with it and this point is proved by this poll placing The Queen at No. 9 and Casino Royale at No. 8!


Time to crank open the archives chest once more and go back in time to 2005 and listen to Jake and Ang Lee (at a press conference) discuss Brokeback Mountain:


'"There are women I've done love scenes with that I'm not very attracted to, and women that I've done love scenes with that I probably should be a little less attracted to. [This is] different obviously, but there's a weird sense when you're on the set, there's definitely a performance aspect to it," Gyllenhaal said. "Everything is heightened in that way, when you're performing with another actor. When we were doing it, there was something very similar to fighting, especially the love scenes. When we kissed each other, you know whatever, we just did it -- really raw human beings, we all have lips, it just happened, you know?"'


'Ledger's next film after "Brokeback" is "Casanova," where he plays the most notorious lover of women, and Gyllenhaal appeared last month as a macho soldier in "Jarhead." When suggested that these roles have been seen as affirming the heterosexuality of both actors, Gyllenhaal responded without missing a beat, "I don't need to play any role to affirm my sexuality. Whatever questions anybody has about that, if they do have any questions, I welcome them," he said. "I don't need to affirm anything to anybody, that's why I picked the movies I've done and why I've picked this movie. I don't think Heath feels that way either, I mean when someone offers you 'Casanova,' gay or straight, you should do it... I think it's kind of brilliant that people go in with this idea of actors, knowing or thinking that they're straight and then that they're playing these roles too; I think it's just another degree of deconstructing that whole theory of sexuality," he said.'


'"It was written almost 10 years ago. And it just so happens that right now on television, we all love 'Will and Grace' and we all love 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,' and things have changed, and there is a reason why this movie is coming out now," Gyllenhaal said. Seemingly trying to avoid politics, Lee argued for the opposite. "I think if it's a love story, it's important to come out anytime. I think we don't know what love is. We know what love stories are all about and we started making them 2000 years ago. We always look for new material, precious new obstacles to tell the same old story," Lee said.'


Gyllenhaal doesn't seem to be too concerned with offending or losing any of his male fans. "Well, 'male' is broad," he said, adding, "I mean, I've been told by a lot of people I have a very faithful gay audience too, and they're male." After a statement was made about the film being highly anticipated, particularly from the gay community, the actor responded: "I think there should be high expectations for it-from the gay community, from all..." before being cut off quickly by Lee. "I don't think it's for one community. Just because they're gay doesn't mean they think alike. There are gay people who come out crying, there are gay audiences who are disappointed -- they want to see more exposure in the love scenes," the director said. "The other day after I watched it, I was walking on the treadmill and I start crying, not because I'm gay but because I'm middle-aged. You get comments from the whole spectrum."'


'Gyllenhaal gave personal examples of his family's response to the film. "My parents walked out of the movie and my father was like, 'If we weren't talking after this movie, I probably would've gone into the bathroom and kept crying.' And my mom felt the same way," he said. "And my two gay godfathers walked out going like, 'Mm-hmm.' Who is it a story for? I don't know. But it's definitely affecting people in different ways."'


Yesterday was 7 November, Pine Creek Day, a Brokie Day. It seems appropriate that I spent it in the good company of Brokies (and some giant pink reindeer). Here is a rather festive Carnaby Street.


Includes pictures from IHJ, article from the WDW Archives - as always pdf available on request.