What is your favorite movie?

This movie so close to my heart. The isolation that is felt in such open country is captured so well and the romance is so heart-felt. It is my absolute favorite movie of all time!

This is the most beautiful love story I have read or seen. The film was breathtaking in its splendor and the acting was just supurb. The roles were incredible and the actors without peer.

Performances so real by all involved that none of it looked like “ACTING”. Combine that with a powerful, moving story in a perfectly paced understated film brought to life by a brilliant director and you have a film that will grow in stature over the decades ahead.

A wonderful movie which pushes the boundaries of societies limited ability to think for one self. A movie which truly shows actors that in it for the craft of acting, making it an unforgettable and thought provoking movie.

I have to say that I love a great deal of movies. I have so many favorites that it’s nearly impossible to pick. However, no film has haunted me as much as Brokeback Mountain. Most movies I see are wonderful entertainment and I can return to life as normal when I leave the theater. This wasn’t the case with Brokeback Mountain. Days after seeing it, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So I saw it again. It affected me even more the second time around. It just hits me in a very deep place like no movie I have ever seen. The music alone is enough to send me back to this heartbreaking story. In fact, I haven’t seen it for over a year, because it’s impact on me is so intense. It’s an experience that I try to live on by seeing it once a year. I truly LOVE this film.

At first, I thought it would be hard to pick a film among the thousands I’ve seen, but then it seemed too easy. It was too obvious. Even if one says that it hasn’t passed the test of time, I’m sure BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN will always be remembered as one of the most breathtaking love stories of all time, along with Gone With The Wind and Casablanca, because of its mood, theme, structure, timing and craft.

The direction, the adaptation, the acting, the cinematography, the soundtrack… everything is impeccable and flawless. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN won many, many awards. Too many to write them down now. The movie had a consensual critical acclaim around the world and not winning the Oscar for Best Film was just an Academy bad joke. The cult will grow and that will help.

But the importance of this piece of art was beyond the movie scene. Like American Beauty, it made the “mainstream” talk and think about uncomfortable matters like conscience, desire, homosexuality and family values.

This daring story of two cowboys in love had a major impact on societies around the world. Its cultural significance was huge and we can read the threads in the forums in many internet movie sites to see the real impact of this film everywhere.

Midnight Cowboy, The Graduate, Last Tango in Paris, Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain, Citizen Kane, Godfather(s)… Yes, I’ve seen them all. And yes… I believe they were ahead of their times. But what do they say about my life? How long were they in my mind and in my heart since the first time I saw them? Did they shake my soul? Did they make me discuss important matters with my friends?

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Taxi Driver… Fantastic movies that make us think about the society vs the individual. My follow-ups!

Universal themes: movies about love - Casablanca, It’s a Wonderful Life; movies about justice: Mr Smith Goes to Washington, 12 Angry Men; movies about despair: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Suddenly Last Summer, Rebel Without a Cause, A Streetcar Named Desire; movies about paranoia and conspiration theories: Hitchcock; movies about war: Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Black Hawk Down…We see the real thing everyday live on television. (Of course these subjects are important to dissecate and develop, to help the audience understand and question them. But, so are Michael Moore documentaries and…)

All About Eve, Sullivan’s Travels, Terms of Endearment, Sophie’s Choice, Moonstruck… I just love these ironic, deep and powerful movies. And - more recently - Requiem for a Dream, Donnie Darko, The House of Sand and Fog and The Lives of Others. But with all these choices I still think that BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is the most complete and balanced movie of them all. And it’s about love!

This movie is great.greater than other movie.

Tank you.

Along with Casablanca one of the two greatest love stories ever filmed.
Based on the time period and geography of it’s setting it presents a realistic and honest portrayal of two men’s desparate attempt to come to terms with their love of one another.

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN IS FILM FILLED WITH EMOTIONS. THE MINUTE THE MOVIE STARTS YOU SCENE A TASTE OF SADNESS AND DESPAIR. THE MOVIE WAS WELL WRITTEN AND THIS IS DUE TO ANNIE PROULX AN EXCELLENT WRITER AND DIRECTED BY AN EXCELLENT DIRECTOR ANG LEE. THIS MOVIE IS THE ONLY MOVIE THAT HAS ACTUALLY MADE ME CHANGE MY PERSPECTIVE TOWARD HOMOSEXUALS. I KNOW FEEL THAT WHETHER YOU ARE GAY, LESBAIN, STRAIGHT YOU DESERVE TO BE WITH WHOEVER YOU WANT TO BE WITHOUT FEAR. LOVE SHOULD BE FREE AND SELECTED BY OUR SOCIETY. THIS MOVIE IS DEFINITELY THE BEST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN, IT WILL REMAIN WITH ME FOREVER.

Probes the depths of the souls of two people never before seen in cinema. Great Americana, great social commentary, great love story, great tearjerker, told with extraordinary intelligence, passion and vision, gets better on repeat viewings. Ang Lee paints a canvas of angst and yearning, a paradise lost, resulting in a paradise found, this movie, the finest of the American screen.

I remember when I first saw BBM at the Denver Film Festival, there was so much hype surrounding the movie that I was afraid I was going to be disappointed. Well, seeing as I placed it as my favorite movie, it’s quite obvious that the movie moved me tremendously. The acting was top notch, the directing was amazing and the story was beautifully heartbreaking. Everything that makes a movie great, and a classic for sure.

This movie gave me a perspective on an issue I never really thought of, and for that reason was life changing. It showed a world in which it is impossible to love, a feeling all to familiar to everyone. The visuals are stunning from beginning to end, and although it was simple, it showed the simplicity of love. The score was brilliant, all the actors showed their versatility, the direction was beyond belief, the writing was stunning, and the movie itself is a personal favorite.

Brokeback Mountain does not spoon-feed its audience. It makes you think and wonder about the mysteries of love. The second time was the charm, it is one of the smartest, finest crafted and most moving films I have ever seen. If one can see past one’s own prejudices, it is also most universal. Brokeback should have ranked high on the AFI list, I am quite surprised it did not, especially considering the virtually unprecedented international acclaim it received. Hopefully AFI will rectify its error in 2017, just as it did with The General, Intolerance and Sunrise (though the latter 2 are still ranked far too low!).

The depth of feeling, the imagery, the artistry, make this an all-time great. This comes from a straight man who respects great movie making and story telling. Its Picture loss at the Oscars (and only the Oscars, it deservedly won everything else there was to win) renders the Academy irrelevant.

I am able to tell you about Ang Lee’s story. I am a Chinese and my english skill is not good enough. So I translate Chinese into English and use Alta Vista.

Ang looks original book and then go to find the best place to film brokeback mountain. He insists that he must does his best to fulfill what his dad demands. Everything he does that and then he writes note to find out what is the best way to produce the brokeback mountain.

God never promises you have good luck forever. However, he loves to see diligent person in his work. When good luck meets a diligent person, he only achieves more than what he has.

AS I SEE THE GREEN VALLEY AND HEAR THE FIRST NOTE OF SANTOLALLA I FEEL ALL THESE INCREDIBLE EMOTIONS…DON’T KNOW WHY BUT THIS MOVIE IS INSIDE MY HEART AND MY BLOOD. THANKS ANG AND ALL THE CAST (HEATH AND JAKE ARE ASTONISHING) AND CREW FOR THIS WONDERFUL GIFT!

WOw! This film changed my outlook on love and life. Brokeback mountain is revolutionary for our time and, not to mention, is beautifully shot. Aside from the wonderful writing and directing, the dead-on character portrayals by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal make this movie so authentically lovely. Brokeback mountain was robbed of its much-deserved 2006 Oscar for Best Picture! It is truly a love story that will go down in history as one of the greatest!

Since about 2,000 of us took the time to visit this site and vote, I thought it would be interesting to see what film got the most votes. After all, almost only movie buffs visit this site, just as valid as the “official” poll in which people like Bush and Clinton voted. As of 6/26/07, I did my best to count. AFI made it difficult by refusing to compile this list despite repeated requests from many of us, and by allowing multiple votes for the same film by the same person. Trying to eliminate those, one vote per person, here is the approximate finish:

AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE MOVIE BUFF POLL - TOP 100 -
6/26/07

1. Brokeback Mountain - 124
2. The Godfather - 79
3. Gone with the Wind - 44
4. Star Wars - 43
5. Casablanca - 42
6. The Shawshank Redemption - 42
7. Lord of the Rings Trilogy - 34 [note: Return of the
King - 11]
8. Titanic - 34
9. To Kill a Mockingbird - 21
10. Citizen Kane - 20
11. The Sound of Music - 20
12. The Empire Strikes Back - 20
13. It’s a Wonderful Life - 19
14. Lawrence of Arabia - 17
15. American Beauty - 17
16. 2001: A Space Odyssey - 16
17. Schindler’s List - 16
18. The Godfather II - 15
19. Raiders of the Lost Ark - 15
20. Pulp Fiction - 15
21. Doctor Zhivago - 15
22. Goodfellas - 13
23. Vertigo - 12
24. The Third Man - 11
25. The Best Years of Our Lives - 10
25. On the Waterfront - 10
25. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest - 10
25. Fight Club - 10
25. Jaws - 10
30. The Graduate - 9
30. Singin’ in the Rain - 9
30. The Quiet Man - 9
30. Memento - 9
30. The Color Purple - 9
35. Sunset Boulevard - 8
35. All About Eve - 8
35. Breakfast at Tiffany’s - 8
35. Rocky - 8
35. The Princess Bride - 8
35. Gladiator - 8
35. Braveheart - 8
35. Back to the Future - 8
43. Chinatown - 7
43. Raging Bull - 7
43. A Clockwork Orange - 7
43. Fargo - 7
43. Blade Runner - 7
43. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - 7
43. Moulin Rouge - 7
43. Forrest Gump - 7

51 - 59 [6 votes each]
Almost Famous, Amadeus, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance
Kid, The Deer Hunter, Patton, Psycho, Some Like It
Hot, Taxi Driver, The Wild Bunch

60-66 [5 votes each]
Annie Hall, E.T., The Green Mile, Out of Africa, Rear
Window, The Searchers, The Sting

67-90 [4 votes each]
The Adventures of Robin Hood, Aliens, Ben-Hur, Close
Encounters of the Third Kind, Crash, Dances with
Wolves, The Exorcist, A Few Good Men, Field of Dreams,
Good Will Hunting, Heat, It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World,
King Kong, LA Confidential, Magnolia, The Matrix,
Requiem for a Dream, The Right Stuff, Roman Holiday,
Saving Private Ryan, Scarface, A Streetcar Named
Desire, The Ten Commandments, The Usual Suspects

91-122 [3 votes each]
First 10: “Official” Selections for Top 100:
American Graffiti, City Lights, The General, The
Grapes of Wrath, Network,
North By Northwest, Notorious, Shane, Silence of the
Lambs, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Next 22: The Adventures of Robin Hood, Airplane,
Apollo 13, Becket, The Big Lebowski, The Breakfast
Club, The English Patient, Full Metal Jacket,Funny
Farm, Ghostbusters, Gunga Din, Inherit the Wind, Local
Hero, Mary Poppins, Million Dollar Baby, Mulholland
Drive, Philadelphia, The Royal Tenenbaums, The
Shining, Splendor in the Grass, Superman

INELIGIBLE [2006]
The Departed - 18
V for Vendetta - 7

High Vote-getters among non American (or British)
Films
Spirited Away - 7
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - 5
4 apiece: Once Upon a Time in the West, Passion of the
Christ, Pan’s Labyrinth
2 apiece: City of God, Ikiru, Life is Beautiful, The
Motorcycle Diaries, The Passion of Joan of Arc, The Pianist

____________________________________________________________________________________Ready
for the edge of your seat?

This is not a best movie note. But I find the 136 hits for this film disturbing, because I think they represent a political statement, not a best film opinion. This is a beautiful love story, gorgeously filmed, lovingly told and with the greatest onscreen kiss OF ALL TIME in my humble opinion. But it is a film you often have to suffer through because of its pace. And I understand that was a stylistic choice so that the audience would feel the ache of these characters, and their struggles. But I can’t rewatch this film except in pieces because it is so painfully slow. BEAUTIFUL but slowwwwwww…..

A MOVIE FOCUSES IN A LOVE STORY REGARDLESS THE SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

The reason this is my favorite film is because it is outstanding.

A break through for the gay community, whom I support, but LaCage aux Follies was more entertianing.

All I can say, it’s a masterpiece!

Brokeback Mountain should have been on the top 15!

Although I thought the Movie was good…
I think it is a rehash of “TORCH SONG TRILOGY”
which was made about 25 years ago with
Harvey Finestien and Mathew Brodrick.
In my teen Growing up, “TORCH” had a
profound effect on me…
So I can see how “BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN”
might be a watered down “TORCH SONG TRILOGY”
for the newer Generation.
Seems like Bi-Gay love is more “Acceptable(?)”
today then the Gay-Gay love of 2 decades ago?
Just an opinion, because much of the same problems
and heartach are in both movies.
Chris

A bit disgusted it didn’t join the new 10th Anniversary movies 2007. This was the first movie to tell what really the gay society was really going.

From the opening strains of the haunting musical score, to the final, heart-wrenching moments in Ennis’s trailer, this film is the most outstanding movie I’ve seen in recent memory.

The superb direction of Ang Lee, and the excellent adaptation for the screen of Annie Proulx’s short story, by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, make this film a true masterpiece. Combined with all of the above, is the stunning cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto, and the haunting musical score, by Gustavo Santaolalla.

Of course what makes this whole story “come alive” is the outststanding performances of the two main actors, Heath Ledger, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Heath, wasn’t playing Ennis Del Mar, he had BECOME Ennis. His subtle, understated portrayal really made one think that they were being invited into this man’s complex, and tragic life, as he wrestled with his own fears, and tried to deal with his own sexuality.

Jake Gyllenhaal, likewise BECAME Jack Twist, by portraying, his innocent, carefree, optimistic attitude. We see Jack change from this demeanour, to one of sadness, disappointment, and frustration as we near the end of the film.

The supporting cast of Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway helped us to see who else were the the vitims in this essentially tragic story.

Michelle, as Alma, and her look of shock at seeing her husband’s “secret” revealed right before her eyes, will always be remembered for its poignant impact, as it becomes one of the defining moments of the movie.

Anne, as Lureen, in her telephone conversation with Ennis, played her role so perfectly, that it re-enforced the ambiguity of the scene, which Annie Proulx so eloquently wrote in her short story.

One scene in the movie that always comes toi mind as a truly gut-wrenching momnet, is in the scene where we see Jack and Ennis, in what is to be their last time together. I like to call this an example of “acting that isn’t”. In other words, I totally forgot, that Heath and Jake were ACTING. They had, as I’ve already said, BECOME Ennis and Jack.
The total honesty of this scene was outstanding. The dialogue was delivered in a subtle, understated manner, yet with such intensity and depth, that you could literally feel the underlying emotional tension between the two characters, as if you were right in the scene with the.

In short, this movie, is by far the most profound cinematic experience, I’ve had in recent memory. This film has earned every award and accolade it has received, and a few that it for some reason or another didn’t receive.

In conclusion, I would like to paraphrase the words of Jack hen he says to Ennis: ‘ Old Brokeback got me good.’

Doug O’Connor

In Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee did with images what William Shakespeare did with words.

Ang Lee’s haunting Brokeback Mountain is on top of my list. This groundbreaking film instantly became a cultural phenomenon worldwide and already stands as a milestone in the history of cinema. Like a few other exceptional masterpieces over the last decades, it changed the way we look at movies. It was one of the best directed and acted movies in recent years and was indisputably the “most talked about film of the year” and the “most acclaimed film of the decade” - in short, it is a true landmark film.

Heath Ledger rendered an outstanding and unforgettable portrayal of Ennis del Mar - his heart-breaking performance ranks among the most powerful and poignant by a male actor ever seen on the silver screen. Thanks to the brilliant short story by Annie Proulx, the remarkable screenplay by Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana, the sensitive and masterful direction by Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain set new standards in American cinema. This film is at once the most lyrical, powerful, inspirational, and yet heart-wrenching film we’ve seen in a long time. It has done what very few films can: it made us feel, it made us think, it made us reflect on the true value & meaning of ours lives.

Brokeback Mountain did not fit the conventional and typical Hollywood mold. The fact that such an exceptional cinematic accomplishment got snubbed for the Best Picture Oscar after an unprecedented and historic sweep in virtually all precursor awards tells much more about the irrelevance, the pettiness & the short-sightedness of the LA-based Academy than it does about the film, especially when considering the fact that the big prize ended up going to a less-than-ordinary and much inferior movie. This incomprehensible and shocking upset clearly demonstrated how important and meaningful Brokeback Mountain was. In the end, this film was probably too good, too profound, simply too honest and truthful for Tinseltown.

Almost two years after its release, there are still references to this remarkable film in newspapers, on television, on the Internet and in various columns around the world on a daily basis. Brokeback Mountain has attained instant cult status and its impact has crossed borders - it is already considered a “reference” and a “timeless classic”. Brokeback Mountain is a movie “that will never grow old”.

I have never had a movie affect me as much as this movie did. I could not stop thinking of the powerful story weeks after I first watched it. It was a movie that made each of us re-examine the choices in our lives–choices we may be given briefly and only once.