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“Brokeback Mountain”
Directed by Ang Lee
There is a scene in “Brokeback Mountain” in which Heath Ledger, playing a cowboy named Ennis, has had enough. He cannot contain himself any longer in front of two chauvanistic loudmouths who have no respect for his wife, his young daughter and himself at an outdoor carnival, and have rudely ignored his request that they stop. Ledger gets to his feet, walks over to the two men and threatens them. The two readily rise to his strong suggestion that they should scuffle, but find themselves thrown flat on the ground, cowering before this unexpectedly vicious cowboy. As Ledger admonishes them, a tall volley of fireworks explodes behind him.
It is this scene that lays one of “Brokeback Mountain”‘s not-so-secret secrets on the table: This is a grand, American melodarama, and for that it will take home an armful of Oscars. One gets the impression, in the end, that this film has insistently clung to the traditional look and feel of a melodrama and that it is unhealthily aware of its own hype.
Based on a story by Annie Proulx and adapted by Diana Ossana and Larry Mcmurty, “Brokeback Mountain” tells the story of two men, Ennis and Jack (Jake Gyllenhall) who meet one summer when they are employed as ranch hands on a mountain in Wyoming, where they will herd sheep. Their time together begins in an awkward co-existence, develops in to a friendship and then turns in to a love affair. After that first half-hour of the film, they have to go their seperate homes – Jack in Texas and Ennis in Wyoming. They both marry, have children and hold down successful jobs, but then one day Ennis gets a letter from Jack. Soon the two meet up again, and so begins their first romantic rezendevous in a series that continues for the remainder of the 1970s, inevitably creating marital problems for Ennis and his wife (Michelle Williams) and eventually causing trouble between Jack and himself.
The director, Ang Lee, is certainly a courageous filmmaker, not because he has dared to make a film about gays, but because his movies are so varied in content yet still retain similarities in themes. Here, that courage can’t quite save “Brokeback Mountain,” which unevenly balances the individual stories of its two protagonists unevenly and, more unforgiveably, seems structured around the false idea that a film can be as literary as the literature itself. Its story is entirely devoted to character development and largely dependant on dialogue. During the first 20 minutes of the film, the fireworks scene and Heath Ledger’s undeniably skillfull performance contain the life the film could have had as a whole. “Brokeback Mountain” succeeds as a melodrama and will probably succeed at the Oscars, but it never succeeds at just being a movie.
- Damon Griffin
“Munich”
Directed by Steven Spielberg
It is said that Steven Spielberg does not know how to end a film. If that is true, then it should also be noted that he can direct a gem of an beginning. The opening fifteen minutes of “Munich” are a series of scenes that add up to such a marvel.
First, we are introduced to a group of shady individuals who are sneaking in to an airport complex at night. Then we are treated to a cannonade of handheld camerawork showing these men killing and kidnapping Israeli athletes inside the airport. The camera then cuts to various televisions showing the various recountings of the hostage situation in “Munich.” The reactions of different families all over the world are shown. Eventually, we meet Avner (Eric Bana) and his pregnant wife (Valerie Bruni-Tedeschi).
In this opening, “Munich” simultaneously announces itself as a political thriller and cleverly introduces its protagonist. It also brings to the forefront one of the film’s major motifs: group dynamics. In the story that follows, Avner, being of Israeli descent, is assigned to lead a mission of five men all over the globe in order to kill eleven terrorists who are a known threat to Israel. These five men meet and bond quickly, but as their journey progresses, complications arise, all centered around professionalism, devotion towards Israel and their temperaments.
One of the greatest aspects of Spielberg’s directing style is his genuine cinematic reverence. No one utilizes the techniques of Akira Kurosawa more often than he does, and “Munich” contains echoes of “Seven Samurai,” both in the intense drumming on its soundtrack and in its plot. Appropriately, he dabbles Hitchcockian visual tension everywhere.
Spielberg’s cinematic reverence couples with his deep concern for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Eventually, we begin to wonder what the real difference is between the group of freedom fighters we have been watching all this time and the group of Palestinian terrorists; both kill unnecessary numbers of people, are stubborn in their beliefs and are equally devoted to their respective countries. Munich often asserts that Israeli Jews are just as dangerous as, and more self-righteous than Palestinians.
And yes, there is still something wrong with the ending. This is a departure for Spielberg in its dark and untrustworthy view of humanity. But at least the film doesn’t attempt to answer it. That is because the filmmakers have made up their minds; there are no answers as of yet.
-Damon Griffin
“Hostel”
Directed by Eli Roth
Eli Roth’s new flick, “Hostel,” has to be better than the writer/director’s last box office endeavor, “Cabin Fever,” right? Not exactly. Even a less clich� and more mature plot – well, a little more mature plot – and the name of film genius couldn’t make this film meet my unusually high expectations.
“Hostel”s first half is, for all intents and purposes, an unofficial sequel to Euro Trip – only with barrels of more topless women, drugs, and sex. By the time the film changes gears to its actual premise – a European hostel where the guests are abducted, tortured, and killed by wealthy men willing to dish out enough cash for the deed. The switch is extremely jarring to an audience that has seen nothing but sex and comedy for over a half hour.
While this abrupt change in tone was probably what director Roth was looking to do, there lies a problem in the film’s second half. It’s the “Saw” series without a plot. While films like “Saw” and “Seven” weave grisly torture and death around intricate plots, clever twists and compelling characters, “Hostel” opts to try to skip these steps and compensate for them with even more sick and demented levels of violence. The bottom line is that “Hostel” is a disappointment for viewers with high hopes, perhaps worth one viewing if you’re into violence and extreme gore peppered with sex and jokes. And a friendly tip to anyone still thinking about seeing this film someday: a certain scene involving an eyeball will haunt you for the rest of your life. Consider yourself warned.
For fans that expected something special since Tarantino slapped his name on this movie, don’t blame yourself. I started drooling at the mention of my favorite filmmaker, too. Just know that “Hostel” is not in the same league as classics like “Seven” and “Saw.” It ain’t even in the same ballpark. Hell, it ain’t even the same sport.
-Zach Dionne
Bangor Daily News