---
title: "Brokeback Mountain"
year: 2005
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/brokeback-mountain"
fi1m_id: "brokeback-mountain"
imdb_id: "tt0388795"
tmdb_id: 142
wikidata_id: "Q160618"
fi1m_score: 92
critics_score: 83
critics_reviews: 7
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:29.537157+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Directed by Ang Lee · 2h 14m · MPA R · Drama, Romance

## Identity

Brokeback Mountain

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/brokeback-mountain
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** brokeback-mountain
- **IMDb ID:** tt0388795
- **TMDB ID:** 142
- **Wikidata ID:** Q160618
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388795/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/142, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q160618

**Fi1m score: 92** · Critics 83 from 7 reviews

*In a sentence:* There ought to be somewhere in all that open country for two men to be happy

> We would recommend Ang Lee’s love story to almost anyone. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal make hidden desire painfully convincing, though a few passages outstay their welcome.

## Synopsis

Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) are two cowboys who fall in love in a society that leaves them little room to acknowledge it. Their relationship brings desires neither can easily fit into the life expected of him. Keeping those feelings hidden affects the men and the women in their lives, Alma Beers (Michelle Williams) and Lureen Newsome (Anne Hathaway). Ang Lee directs this romantic drama, with a screenplay by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, about the demands of secrecy and the difficulty of imagining a life together.

## Review

Ang Lee takes the love between two cowboys seriously enough to let it be awkward, halting and difficult to explain. Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist struggle to understand each other, quite apart from what anyone else might think. *Brokeback Mountain* is an exceptionally moving romance, chiefly because Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal make those difficulties so recognisable. Lee gives their attraction time to become convincing before asking us to consider the harm that secrecy can do.

Ledger makes Ennis’s difficulty expressing himself painful to watch. We ached for him, because the effort of keeping his feelings hidden seems to exhaust him physically. His unhappiness can make him difficult company, and Lee does not soften that into the appealing shyness of a conventional romantic lead. Gyllenhaal gives Jack a more readable warmth, which is essential when so much of Ledger’s performance is about keeping things in. The two actors make us attend to the differences between the men, rather than simply wishing the world would leave them alone.

Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana’s screenplay also allows the women affected by this secrecy to count. Michelle Williams, as Alma Beers, is especially good at letting distress register without making a display of it. We wanted more time with Anne Hathaway’s Lureen Newsome, whose place in the men’s story can seem to determine how much attention she receives. Still, Lee takes both women seriously, and the film is better for refusing to treat their unhappiness as a tiresome interruption to the romance.

Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography gives the open country a scale that makes the men look vulnerable within it. The views are beautiful, but they do not make the situation look easy; there is no comforting suggestion that enough fresh air will settle things. Judy Becker’s production design makes the domestic spaces feel constricted by comparison. That contrast works because the places remain believable, rather than becoming an elaborate set of visual hints about how everyone feels.

Gustavo Santaolalla’s music has the restraint this story needs, leaving space around feelings that a fuller score could easily overstate. It allows the sadness to register without making each scene feel like an appeal for tears. Editors Dylan Tichenor and Geraldine Peroni give the performances time, and the relationships benefit from that patience. At 134 minutes, however, the film sometimes holds a mood after we have understood it. A few passages could be shorter without making these lives feel any less difficult.

We are used to westerns in which leaving other people behind looks like a sensible answer to most problems. Here, the open country offers little reassurance, because Ennis and Jack remain afraid of being known. Lee is interested in how that fear becomes a habit, including the moments when it makes a person exasperating to love. Give this an uninterrupted evening; Ledger and Gyllenhaal deserve the attention, and there is no need to have much planned afterwards.

*Fi1m score 92, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Brokeback Mountain as a moving account of forbidden love, with praise centred on Ang Lee’s restraint and the performances. Heath Ledger receives particular attention for making Ennis’s suppressed feelings visible without spelling them out, while Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Williams also earn praise. The reviews repeatedly connect the spacious landscapes with the intimacy of the story, and find Lee’s treatment of lost opportunity accessible without sacrificing emotional depth.

Reservations concern the pacing and the expansion of the source material rather than the acting. Slant Magazine supplies the clearest dissent, finding the film overlong and too politely directed, with its performers doing much of the work of sustaining it. The Guardian, by contrast, welcomes the fuller treatment of the story and the dramatic presence given to the wives. The balance is firmly positive, though Lee’s restraint strikes some as affecting and others as a limitation.

## Straight answers

**Is Brokeback Mountain worth watching?**

*Brokeback Mountain* is worth watching for almost anyone who can sit with a slow, sad love story, and we scored it 92. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal make two men's hidden desire painfully convincing, and Ang Lee gives it time to become real. At 134 minutes a few passages hold a mood longer than they need to, so give it an uninterrupted evening.

**How long is Brokeback Mountain, and what is it rated?**

*Brokeback Mountain* runs 2h 14m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and romance film.

**Where can I watch Brokeback Mountain in the US?**

*Brokeback Mountain* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Brokeback Mountain, and is it suitable for children?**

*Brokeback Mountain* carries a UK 15 certificate, which places it firmly outside children's viewing. It is a romantic drama rather than anything frightening, and the certificate points to sexual content and adult themes rather than to horror or action. Older teenagers should be fine; the film's difficulty is emotional, and the sadness lands heavily.

**How does Brokeback Mountain compare to Brief Encounter?**

*Brokeback Mountain* and [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) are both romances in which ordinary obligations make happiness hard to claim, and we would urge a stranger to see either. Lean's film is the tighter of the two, following one affair with clipped restraint, while Lee's stretches across years and gives the wives, Alma and Lureen, a weight Alec never quite gets. Choose Lee for scale and patience, Lean for economy.

**What should I watch after Brokeback Mountain?**

After *Brokeback Mountain*, try [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) (1945, Fi1m 90): For another romance in which ordinary obligations make happiness difficult to claim. Then [*Happy Together*](https://film.one/film/happy-together) (1997, Fi1m 86): Another pair of lovers discover that getting away does not settle everything; and [*Weekend*](https://film.one/film/weekend) (2011, Fi1m 86): Two men talk towards an intimacy they have little time to explore.

### Reviews we read (11)

- **Radio Times**, Adam Smith (5/5): The critic calls it an exquisitely made and moving account of suppressed love that transcends the 'gay western' label. They single out the wrenching final sequence and the superb performances by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger for praise. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-v2c881/brokeback-mountain/)
- **Empire**, Damon Wise (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Ang Lee's film as possibly his finest, a romantic and accessible blend of arthouse style with emotional depth, highlighting the beauty of the landscape and Heath Ledger's revelatory performance as the tortured Ennis. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/brokeback-mountain-review/)
- **Total Film** (85/100, inferred): The review calls it a masterly adaptation and heartbreaking tale, commending the stunning vistas, Ledger's tragic hero turn, and Lee's richly emotional direction that deserves Oscar recognition. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/brokeback-mountain-review/)
- **The AV Club**, Keith Phipps (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's austere direction and strong performances, especially Heath Ledger's, for capturing repressed passion and its consequences. The review highlights how the story illustrates that unfulfilled desires leave characters ghostly and unfulfilled. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/brokeback-mountain-1798308368)
- **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez (60/100, inferred): The critic finds the film overly long and politely directed compared to its source material but commends the expressive performances, particularly Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger, for conveying the sadness of hidden love. It singles out the actors for salvaging a story that stretches thin. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/brokeback-mountain/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: The critic praises the film as a rich, spacious and passionate love story told with superb intelligence and magnificent candour, beautifully composed and wonderfully acted. He singles out the central performances and the way the film expands the source short story while giving dramatic presence to the wives. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/jan/06/3)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane: The critic praises the film as a moving love story that gains power from the characters' thwarted happiness and the director's restraint. He highlights the final shot and the elegiac tone as particularly affecting elements that linger after the credits. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/12/12/new-frontiers)
- **The New York Times**, Stephen Holden: The critic finds the film a heartbreaking epic western about two cowboys whose accidental love endures despite societal pressures and personal tragedies. He singles out the lead performances, especially Heath Ledger's transformative portrayal, for making the anguish physically palpable. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/09/movies/riding-the-high-country-finding-and-losing-love.html)
- **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun: The critic praises Ang Lee's sensitive and intelligent adaptation as a radical mainstream Hollywood gay love story, highlighting its accessible themes of forbidden love and lost opportunity. They single out the subtle character differences between the two leads and Heath Ledger's superb performance as particularly moving. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/london/film/brokeback-mountain)
- **Digital Spy**, Daniel Saney (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the film one of the best and most important love stories put to screen, crediting its seamless adaptation, careful pacing, and universal appeal beyond the issue of sexuality. They single out the superb acting by the entire cast, especially Ledger and Gyllenhaal, for bringing complexity to the central characters. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a27996/brokeback-mountain/)
- **Eye for Film**, Darren Amner (4/5): The critic praises Ang Lee's deft handling of forbidden love between two cowboys, the breathtaking visuals of the Wyoming landscapes, and strong performances, especially from Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams. It is described as more than a gay cowboy movie thanks to a well-written script with funny moments, making it an enjoyable artsy film and guilty pleasure. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/brokeback-mountain-film-review-by-darren-amner)

## Details

- **Director:** Ang Lee
- **Director:** Ang Lee
- **Screenplay:** Diana Ossana, Larry McMurtry
- **Cinematography:** Rodrigo Prieto
- **Editor:** Dylan Tichenor, Geraldine Peroni
- **Music:** Gustavo Santaolalla
- **Production design:** Judy Becker
- **Costume design:** Marit Allen
- **Producer:** James Schamus, Diana Ossana
- **Cast:** Heath Ledger as Ennis Del Mar; Jake Gyllenhaal as Jack Twist; Michelle Williams as Alma Beers; Anne Hathaway as Lureen Newsome; Randy Quaid as Joe Aguirre; Linda Cardellini as Cassie Cartwright; Anna Faris as Lashawn Malone; David Harbour as Randall Malone
- **Runtime:** 2h 14m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 13 January 2006
- **Genres:** Drama, Romance
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 2005); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Winner, 2005); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Winner, 2005); [Golden Lion winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-lion.md) (Winner, 2005)
- **Budget:** $14 million
- **Box office:** $178 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZvu-SczR1Y

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd
- Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FR, GR, HU, IL, JP, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, SE, SG, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2006: Best Actor (nominated); Best Cinematography (nominated); Best Picture (nominated); Best Supporting Actor (nominated); Best Supporting Actress (nominated); Best Director (won); Best Original Score (won); Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (won)
- BAFTA Film Awards 2005: Best Film (won)
- Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film 2005: Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film (won)
- European Film Award for Best Non-European Film 2005: European Film Award for Best Non-European Film (nominated)
- Venice Film Festival 2005: Golden Lion (won)

## If you liked this

- *Brief Encounter* (1945), Fi1m 90: For another romance in which ordinary obligations make happiness difficult to claim. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter.md)
- *Happy Together* (1997), Fi1m 86: Another pair of lovers discover that getting away does not settle everything. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/happy-together.md)
- *Weekend* (2011), Fi1m 86: Two men talk towards an intimacy they have little time to explore. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/weekend.md)
- *Portrait of a Lady on Fire* (2019), Fi1m 89: For desire conveyed through close attention, and a world unwilling to accommodate it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/portrait-of-a-lady-on-fire.md)
- *The Bridges of Madison County* (1995), Fi1m 84: Another adult love story that takes the lives outside the affair seriously. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-bridges-of-madison-county.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/brokeback-mountain