‘Brokeback Mountain’: Ang Lee’s masterpiece still resonates 20 years later

“Brokeback Mountain,” which was originally nicknamed, “the gay cowboy film,” is getting a 20th anniversary re-release on June 20 at area theaters. Fans will likely flock — ahem, like sheep — to cinemas in misty-eyed nostalgia to rewatch this classic film on the big screen.

Looking at it now, “Brokeback Mountain” is still an incredibly well-made film. Ang Lee, who won a Best Director Oscar for his work — and was the first Asian filmmaker to do so — paces this romantic drama deliberately, milking every ounce of meaning out of a scene, a gesture, or a look. He lets the audience sit with the characters as they struggle in their lives and emotions, which is why the film is so moving.

The film also has a bittersweet feeling to it that seems more apt today. The images of the West lensed by Osca