Based on the short story by Annie Proulx, it is an unusual tale of forbidden love between two people of the same gender.

The story takes place in Signal, Wyoming. Ennis Dei Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaaal) met during the summer of 1963 while working in a range owned by Joe Aquirre (Randy Quaid). Jack is a very talkative rodeo rider from Texas on the other hand Ennis is a man of few words. Their days at the range are hard and the biting coldness at night is unbearable. In order to protect the herd, one of these men stayed at the base camp in a small tent while the other roamed at high altitude near the sheep.

One cold night Ennis slept by the fire at the base camp instead of roaming the hills. With the fire dead, Ennis was shivering and Jack asked him into the tent. At sleep, Jack and Ennis happened to have sex. In the morning both of them were embarrassed about what happened at night and they didn't want to talk about it. As the days went by, their love deepened and a strong bond developed between them. But at the end of the summer job, they went their separate ways.

As the years passed, Ennis married Alma (Michelle Williams) and Jack married a rodeo queen, Lureen (Anne Hathaway) and they both had kids. Jack settled in Texas and started working for his father. After four years Ennis and Jack decided to get together in Wyoming. When Jack arrived for a visit, the two men embraced passionately and kissed not realizing that Alma is watching them from behind but she said nothing, she never ever did.

Ennis and Jack started to get together more frequently and they went on fishing trips on Brokeback Mountain. Now, Jack suggests that they should leave their wives and kids and live together in a range somewhere in  Wyoming. But Ennis is worried about the public backlash and hatred towards the homosexual relationship that he is sure to happen sooner or later.

The talented Taiwan born director Ang Lee boldly presents an unusual tale of forbidden love. Every scene has some kind of surprise involved and he skillfully presents a love story that is socially forbidden and unacceptable. He very well portray the complexities involved in a homosexual relationship and the pain and the agony it causes for other family members. He puts together a superb cast and draws an excellent performance out of them. He is brave and courageous enough to bring out a film with a stigma of homosexuality and a universal theme of forbidden love.

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal present an Oscar worthy performance. Their portrayal of the forbidden relationship is excellent. Their passion for each other as well as the pains that they cause to their families are  shown well. Michelle Williams as Alma and Anne Hathaway as Lureen are eloquent and very good.

This is an unusual love story because both lovers are men. Their relationship is complex but tender, tragic but real. The touching and heartbreaking film is not for everyone. Many viewers will find themselves emotionally touched by this vibrant story, not only by Ennis and Jack but also by their families too. Photography, editing and direction are very good and the film could be an Oscar contender in many categories.

Because of the theme of homosexual love, you have to make your own decision about the worthiness of this film, definitely it is a different kind of love story. Overall we rate it good.