Gyllenhaal: ‘Brokeback showed me the power of movies’
By Sam Rigby
Jake Gyllenhaal has revealed that Brokeback Mountain showed him how “important” movies can be.
The actor starred opposite the late Heath Ledger in the 2005 Ang Lee film, which won three Academy Awards.
The film won prizes for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score, but controversially missed out on Best Picture to Crash.
“It was at the time, culturally, it gave me the idea that movies can be important,” Gyllenhaal told The Huffington Post. “That they do have some sort of political value… it’s become something beyond what any of us could have imagined.”
He continued: “It’s a beautiful story and it was very successful in many different ways and so that’s what brought a lot of the attention…
“That film lives in its own space. It’s one of those films that’s no longer mine – it’s sort of everyone’s.”
The movie follows Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal) and Ennis del Mar (Ledger), who begin a complicated romantic relationship after herding sheep together one summer in the Wyoming mountains.
Earlier this year, a Brokeback Mountain opera opened in Madrid – find out more here.
Take a look at our Picture Special dedicated to Jake Gyllenhaal here.