The picture is pretty spectacular and retains almost all of its visual pinache on the small screen. The intimacy of the story isn't second to the epic nature of the project which is probably why it'll translate very well to your TV. You can even notice little details that you won't see on the big screen, such as the grass blowing in the background when Jack Twist arrives at Joe's trailer early on in the film.
There are 4 features, between them lasting about 45 minutes."On Being a Cowboy"
This goes through some of the training Heath, Jake and Anne went through to make it look believable that they could ride horses and for H&J herd sheep and be authentic ranch hands. Anne is really cute in her time and they show her double who is actually one of the best female riders in the world.
"Directing From the Heart: Ang Lee"
Listen to the cast and crew gush endlessly about Ang Lee. I believe this is the only time I've seen Anna Faris talk about the film or in any type of promotional footage of the film. (Oh, I timed it by the way. She appears in the film for 1 min and 45 seconds.) She seems very well spoken and doesn't seem to be the empty brained blonde she plays so well. Ang discusses the story and what it means to him, as well as how it relates to some of his other films. You'll also get to see Rodrigo Prieto - the film's DP - discuss the film, all the more odd when you consider he played the Mexican prostitute in the film.
"From Script to Screen: Interviews With Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana"
The award winning writers talk about adapting the acclaimed short story to a full length film shedding some light on some of their process. Diana likes to write the men and Larry is fond of crafting the women, interestingly enough. Some of the actors also discuss their characters and how perfect the script was to them.
"Sharing the Story: The Making of Brokeback Mountain"
This is the promotional show that aired on Logo during the film's release. It's the longest of the supplementary material and shows a lot of behind the scenes footage and has lots of interviews with the many people involved. I believe this shows Jake talking about working with sheep and how dumb they are. He said you can just go up to them and spread your arms out and they will freak out. It was cute.
For the next edition whenever it might arrive, let's get some interviews with Annie Proulx, footage from the film's various premieres and festivals, more footage of Oscar-winner Gustavo Santaolalla discussing the composing of the score and various songs used in the film, a travelogue of Calgary, maybe a few deleted scenes and commentary.
And as much as I love them, outtakes don't really seem appropriate here. Do I really need to see Heath get bit by a sheep or Anne hit in the head with a mic during her big moment? I think not.
You can order the Brokeback DVD from Amazon.com here.
Here is their editorial review of the film:
"A sad, melancholy ache pervades Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee's haunting, moving film that, like his other movies, explores societal constraints and the passions that lurk underneath. This time, however, instead of taking on ancient China, 19th-century England, or '70s suburbia, Lee uses the tableau of the American West in the early '60s to show how two lovers are bound by their expected roles, how they rebel against them, and the repercussions for each of doing so--but the romance here is between two men. Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) are two itinerant ranchers looking for work in Wyoming when they meet and embark on a summer sheepherding job in the shadow of titular Brokeback Mountain. The taciturn Ennis, uncommunicative in the extreme, finds himself opening up around the gregarious Jack, and the two form a bond that surprisingly catches fire one cold night out in the wilderness. Separating at the end of the summer, each goes on to marry and have children, but a reunion years later proves that, if anything, their passion for each other has grown significantly. And while Jack harbors dreams of a life together, the tight-lipped Ennis is unable to bring himself to even consider something so revolutionary.
Its open, unforced depiction of love between two men made Brokeback an instant cultural touchstone, for both good and bad, as it was tagged derisively as the "gay cowboy movie," but also heralded as a breakthrough for mainstream cinema. Amidst all the hoopla of various agendas, though, was a quiet, heartbreaking love story that was both of its time and universal--it was the quintessential tale of star-crossed lovers, but grounded in an ever-changing America that promised both hope and despair. Adapted by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana from Annie Proulx's short story, the movie echoes the sparse bleakness of McMurtry's The Last Picture Show with its fading of the once-glorious West; but with Lee at the helm, it also resembles The Ice Storm, as it showed the ripple effects of a singular event over a number of people. As always, Lee's work with actors is unparalleled, as he elicits graceful, nuanced performances from Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway as the wives affected overtly and subliminally by their husbands' affair, and Gyllenhaal brings surprising dimensions to a character that could have easily just been a puppy dog of a boy. It's Ledger, however, who's the breakthrough in the film, and his portrait of an emotionally repressed man both undone and liberated by his feelings is mesmerizing and devastating. Spare in style but rich with emotion, Brokeback Mountain earns its place as a classic modern love story."
If you haven't yet seen and enjoy the film when you do pick it up, I'd also recommend checking out the following films:
Boys Don't Cry
The Bridges of Madison County
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Days of Heaven
Far From Heaven
The Ice Storm
The Last Picture Show
Midnight Cowboy
My Own Private Idaho
Today is also Heath Ledger's 27th b-day. Happy Birthday, you crazy Aussie!
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