Ennis del Mar (Heath Ledger) meets Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) when they both get hired to herd sheep one season up Brokeback Mountain, in 1963.

A sexual relationship develops, but at the end of the job they go their separate ways, both clearly affected by the experience, although the emotion unspoken.

They both get married (to women) and have children.

Four years later, Jack sends a postcard to Ennis and they meet, starting off a string of sexual meetings in Motels and in the mountains under cover of a 'going fishing' story. This goes on for around 20 years, a full-time relationship seemingly made impossible by Ennis's circumstance / deeply ingrained social 'norms' / family commitments.

"First and foremost: This isn't a cowboy movie. It is a sheepboy movie."

"This movie focuses quite heavily on the domestic situation of Ennis, fully building up the tragedy that his life becomes by the end of the movie. A bit slow but eventually great. "

"Respect to Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal for doing this."

Del Marr's marriage fails but even so he turns down the opportunity to live with Jack.

Jack is killed in what his wife, Lureen, says was an accident, but what Ennis thinks was an attack. Ennis is left on his own to mourn.

Del Marr's 19 year old daughter comes to visit him, he is now living in a trailer park with just his memories. She asks him for his permission to marry. He says yes. She is the same age he met Jack up Brokeback Mountain. Not a dry eye in the house.

"I wish I knew how to quit you."

The reason this movie probably got all the attention that it did was that two major Hollywood stars did it. Twenty years ago this movie would have been career suicide. Thankfully, today it isn't. That is probably why everyone is going around saying this movie is remarkable and amazing. So on that level yes it is a remarkable movie.

To be a bit picky, the movie does get a bit bogged down in the domestic situation, but this is complete invention, in the most part, from the short story by Annie Proulx.

The cinematography of the vast open landscape is nothing short of stunning, the acting brilliant. The emotion truly breathtaking.

The French have been doing this stuff for years.