tragedy

This past weekend, I watched Brokeback Mountain twice. I hadn't seen it since it was in theaters, and I had hesitated to watch it again because of the intense emotional reaction I had the first time around. But Friday night rolled around and I was doing laundry and my roommate had the DVD rented from Netflix, so there we were. I was amazed all over again. The film is so wonderfully acted, directed, composed visually, everything. So on Saturday night, I watched it again.

All day Sunday and Monday, I was thinking about it. Toward the end, the film touches something so unbelievably human - there is a scene where Ennis is sitting alone eating pie and drinking coffee in a bus station, and of course the final scene where his 19-year-old daughter tells him she is getting married. It is just so beautifully heart-wrenching, and Heath Ledger - god - is so amazing. I really think an actor cannot be that good unless s/he is tapping into something deeply emotional within his/her self.

I cannot get this image out of my head:


What an incredible talent he had - the ability to flood each of us with a sensation from the deepest parts of our hearts. I felt a genuine loss yesterday for a wonderful artist, a truly talented human being.

... I just found this article, echoing my exact sentiments.