Brokeback Mountain is one of my favourite movies in 2006. Thanks to Mrs Laverty for her interest in this movie, I feel a sudden urge to write and share with you how I feel about this movie, while listening to the soundtrack of this movie.
Brokeback Mountain is a great film with mesmerizing music, stunning cinematography and superb acting. Director Ang Lee takes his time developing the characters and situations, making the proceedings credible. Don't expect to watch a very entertaining tear-jearker. There are no ups and downs and it is slowly-paced, but what happens to these two men who love each other may touch you.
For the prejudiced folks disliking homosexuals, this movie may reaffirm their beliefs that homosexuality ruins families when people follow their sinful desires. However, they don't see that Ennis and Jack are not only lying to their wives, but also to themselves, and the principal culprit leading to the tragedies is the "social norms" pressurizing them to get married and have children. They are in fact victims whose lives become regreattable as a result.
The magnificent Wyoming settings captured emphasizes natural beauty, as well as the feeling of remoteness and isolation. It seems that Ennis and Jack can only live happily there, without others. Both of them are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The story is a tragedy because Ennis and Jack have found something that some people, of whatever sexual orientation, never find - true love, AND they can't do anything about it. I finished watching this haunting film with a heavy heart and a profound sigh, pondering how the social norms cruelly ruin the lives of these two men who love each other. "If you cannot fix it, you have to stand it."
Open your heart to see the film and it will break your heart, quietly, without special pleading and sentimentality, at the end. LOVE the people around you before it is too late.
我個時寫BBM都寫左好多，都覺得套戲唔錯既，起碼李安佢明白人地西方既文化再加以融會，有時又唔駛下下大製作大cast既，最緊要係個劇本同導演掌唔掌握到個個節奏同氣氛。 係呀咁架喇，佢(oscar)肯俾個最佳導演李安，可能佢地都唔係好順氣，最佳電影梗係唔會俾BBM啦!何況，crash講既係多元種族文化衝突，評委係評審果時會傾向呢類型，因為911既關係佢地oscar會buy呢類多。今個星期上既《巴別塔》咪又係講呢d囉，擺到明又係oscar杯茶。
回覆刪除Brokeback Mountain was so overwhelming that I could hardly utter a word after watching it. I did not shed a tear, but I left the theatre with a very heavy heart and the images of the movie kept lingering in my mind... Reality is cruel. Without discrimination, the tragedies would have been avoided. Whenever I talk about this film, I think of 勞斯萊斯, a song by 何韻詩. ... 能成為密友 大概總帶著愛 但做對好兄弟 又如此相愛 旁人會說不該 忘形時搭膊頭 自有一面退開 暗裏很享受 卻怕講出來 兩眼即使 移開轉開 心裏面也知 這是愛 為何還害怕 若覺得 這樣愛 尚在計算 他又是誰可否愛 旁人那個 接受這種愛 明明絕配 犯眾憎 便放開 永遠的忍耐 永遠不出來 世界將依然 不變改 只會讓更多罪名埋沒愛 ... 可要像梁祝 那樣愛 A naked truth is that, all over the world, BBM has won much more awards than Crash. Although the film was not awarded the Best Picture in Oscar, it has changed the world and won deafening applause, at least from me.
回覆刪除TOUCHING... I love the ending of your review very much! 黃格子 : 他們的情況倒像西遊記的孫悟空對紫霞仙子說︰「塵世間最遙遠的距離，不是我站在你面前，你卻不知道我愛你，而是明明知道彼此相愛，卻不能在一起……」我看見，在場有很多觀眾為末段的戲而落淚。Ennis在Jack的衣櫃內找到他倆在斷背山時的格仔襯衣，兩件襯衣相疊在一起，沾上血跡的手袖，散發了山草和香菸的味道，兩個人彷彿抱住對方，Ennis只好深深擁在懷中來哀悼Jack。梁祝尚有緣雙雙化蝶遠飛，蝶與小葉也能破繭而出，唯獨Ennis和Jack只剩下這座沉默不語的斷背山，青山依舊，人面全非，直到最後也沒機會說出一句「我愛你」。
回覆刪除BBM? IS NOT MY CUP OF TEA~ today i go to cinema and saw THE HOLIDAY.. May be it is just like slapstick comedy for you. However it is so relaxing for myself~ HAHA~ 沒有你們對電影評得那麼深入, 只是路人甲 ==
回覆刪除CECI: 我只是口水多過茶而已，哈哈！ Kenji: Sure. Finger cross.
回覆刪除I haven't watched Crash yet, but I think I like such story better.
回覆刪除To Ceci: My review is not a formal one. I think many other people has written MUCH MORE than I did, haha. Watching movies can be an entertaining pastime, but it can also help us reflect on what we believe and how we behave. Self-reflections may take place when I left the theatre. Expressing how I feel here offers me an opportunity to practise writing in English and thinking about LIFE. By the way, whether or not a movie is good can be subjective, but we can objectively analyse a movie from different perspectives. I will see the Holiday tonight. 黃格子 doesn't like it and I may share with you how I feel. I GUESS, according to reviews in Rottentomatoes, it is an entertaining movie with an impressive cast, but it may not be a classic... a slapstick comedy? NO... I believe it is NOT bad, thought not VERY good.
回覆刪除BBM is a very very controversial movie, since it touches one of the greatest issues of our Age - homosexuality. This is an issue comparable to race, but homosexuality involves religion, family and demography of our world. You know, America is actually very religious. Also, BBM or Leung-joke may have the same theme - 明明知道彼此相愛，卻不能在一起 - and this is also the same as "Siu Lung Lui" and "Yeung Gor"!! There are so many kinds of love that are blocked - same-sex, teacher-student, family backgrounds.... THE HOLIDAY is great. I have enjoyed it so much. Love is so fascinating. So many people keep an blind eye and cannot see through the reality. Just like the British girl in the movie. The movie talks about love with a deceased wife, unilateral love, long distance love...
回覆刪除Interesting examples! The characters in 梁祝 violate the social norms at their time. People nowadays appreciate what they did because it was brave of them to stand up to injustice. WE (now) understand that what most people believe (in the past) may not be correct. Moral values keep changing as time goes by and vary widely across different countries. Whose and which values are right? Living in a city with FREEDOM, we are entitled to rights to do whatever we want on condition that others are NOT affected. Ennis and Jack love each, affecting no one, but homosexual love was forbidden at that time. Homosexuals might be even killed! Apart from these people, it is also interesting to observe that "Wai Siu Po", who has lots of wives, and "Yeung Gor", who got married with his "teacher", are welcomed by Chinese, though having more than one wife and romance between teachers and students are still unacceptable in MODERN Hong Kong. These examples are inspiring! Are social norms equal to correctness? Folks, it's time to think!
回覆刪除自古陰陽兩極，雌雄兩性；龍配鳳，鳳求凰。
回覆刪除四時五行皆有序。
但時間慢慢地行到了斷背山的附近時，
卻感受到一股巨大的力量，
兩男相愛的力量。
這股力量使陰陽失調，雌雄難辨。
使迷離的愛變得更加深遂。
斷袖下桃花紛飛，燦爛迷人。
花香四濺，漫延全世界。
俗世再也不厭惡這種愛的方式，
也被這股力量之強大所感動。
從此從珈瑣中解放，
勇敢地接受，勇敢地去愛!!
hehe.. here is the little poem which I wrote after watching this movie!!
By the way, i remember the director Ang Lee once said, ' 每個人心裏都有一座斷背山。' So, where is yours!??
By the way again,, i think of <勞斯萊斯> as well when I think about this movie!
What an interesting poem! Perhaps I should write an English poem, haha! I believe Brokeback Mountain symbolizes secrets and dreams that are hard to achieve. I am in fact going to acheive one of my dreams soon. Keep visiting my blog and you will know that in February.
回覆刪除By the way, I personally prefer Brokeback Mountain to Crash. The actors and actresses in BBM are able to deliver very natural performances, while the lines in Crash are too intentional / pretentious. Some even say that Crash is 造作突兀及刻意堆砌. Of course, there are some impressive and touching lines. That's why Crash is not one of my top ten movies last year, though it is NOT bad.
回覆刪除好鍾意呢套戲!!! kenji, 520: 睇到電影最後一幕, 我也想起hocc嘅勞斯萊斯, 仲有梁祝.下世傳奇, 好動人!!!
回覆刪除hey.. Kenji.. you hv told me that u r going to acheive one of ur dream and may tell me in Feb. and now is march.. wt r u going to do??
回覆刪除I will formally announce it in my blog next week. Hopefully, we can fix the problems as soon as possible. I am so excited!
回覆刪除睇完一個字﹕Garbage!!!完全唔明點解可以攞到Oscar最佳導演，仲想攞Best Picture佢真係發緊夢!!!〈Crash〉攞Best Picture絕對係實至名歸!!!
回覆刪除[版主回覆11/02/2008 14:36:00]I am afraid I totally disagree with you. Besides, I never use the word GARBAGE to describe a film, because every film has its strengths and weaknesses. Lots of people work together to make a film. I think I do feel their hearts and so under no way will I say a film is rubbish.