Author Topic: Ang Lee talks about Heath  (Read 6715 times)

mvansand76

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Ang Lee talks about Heath
« on: January 23, 2008, 06:16:15 pm »
Sorry if this has already been posted...

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20173296,00.html

Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee reflects fondly on working with Heath Ledger, calling the actor's untimely death "heartbreaking."

"Working with Heath was one of the purest joys of my life," the director says in a statement. "He brought to the role of Ennis [Del Mar] more than any of us could have imagined – a thirst for life, for love, and for truth, and a vulnerability that made everyone who knew him love him. His death is heartbreaking."

Ledger was nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award for his role as Ennis Del Mar, a taciturn gay cowboy in the 2005 drama.

After completing the film in 2005, Lee spoke to PEOPLE about working on set with his leading man. "He understood the cowboy way, just in the way he posed, and his body language and how it developed over the course of the film," Lee said at the time.

The director also believed that Ledger understood and empathized with his character's darker elements. "He understood the shyness and vulnerability and isolation of the character," said Lee. "He really got that. And he did it while carrying the Western aura."

While praising Ledger's "great worth ethic," the director also opened up about the star's relationship with costar Michelle Williams, joking, "On the set I pushed him towards Jake [Gyllenhaal]. Maybe I pushed him too hard and he escaped out on the other side with Michelle."

"I think he will be a great father," Lee continued at the time, discussing the birth of Ledger's daughter Matilda, now 2-years-old. "It has overwhelmed him, much more than the movie has. He is enjoying every bit of it."

Offline BennyBoy

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Re: Ang Lee talks about Heath
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2008, 06:19:33 pm »
Sorry if this has already been posted...

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20173296,00.html

Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee reflects fondly on working with Heath Ledger, calling the actor's untimely death "heartbreaking."

"Working with Heath was one of the purest joys of my life," the director says in a statement. "He brought to the role of Ennis [Del Mar] more than any of us could have imagined – a thirst for life, for love, and for truth, and a vulnerability that made everyone who knew him love him. His death is heartbreaking."

Ledger was nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award for his role as Ennis Del Mar, a taciturn gay cowboy in the 2005 drama.

After completing the film in 2005, Lee spoke to PEOPLE about working on set with his leading man. "He understood the cowboy way, just in the way he posed, and his body language and how it developed over the course of the film," Lee said at the time.

The director also believed that Ledger understood and empathized with his character's darker elements. "He understood the shyness and vulnerability and isolation of the character," said Lee. "He really got that. And he did it while carrying the Western aura."

While praising Ledger's "great worth ethic," the director also opened up about the star's relationship with costar Michelle Williams, joking, "On the set I pushed him towards Jake [Gyllenhaal]. Maybe I pushed him too hard and he escaped out on the other side with Michelle."

"I think he will be a great father," Lee continued at the time, discussing the birth of Ledger's daughter Matilda, now 2-years-old. "It has overwhelmed him, much more than the movie has. He is enjoying every bit of it."


Ha Ha Ha...I can imagine Ang saying that. 

Thanks for posting this.  It makes me happy that his former co-stars and co-workers are coming out and expressing there feelings for Heath.  Makes me think that there still might be a little bit of good in Hollywood these days...
I want to know God's thoughts... the rest are details. - Albert Einstein

Offline Rayn

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Re: Ang Lee talks about Heath
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2008, 01:24:01 pm »
Yes, it's good to know what Ang Lee felt and said about Heath, but I'm not surprised that Lee liked and praised him so much.   His performances in almost everything he did were great.  I think Four Feathers and Brokeback Mt were the best with Ennis Del Mar being the very best character creation of all, brilliant, he was just brilliant and I hear his portrayal of the Joker is excellent too---

                                         I'm still in denial that he 's not here anymore....  :(

Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: Ang Lee talks about Heath
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2008, 01:53:06 pm »
I feel that it's really comforting to hear from Ang Lee too.  I really can't wait to hear from Jake too.  Brokeback people and Heath's other friends and colleagues are the people I really want to hear from... they're the people who's thoughts seem to matter the most to me right now... not reporters, pundits, etc. 

I wonder if Proulx will make a statement.

 :'(
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Offline Delmardeb

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Re: Ang Lee talks about Heath
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2008, 09:42:13 pm »
Thanks for the post about Ang Lee Snavel and I totally agree with both of you- Amanda and Rayn. It is hard to believe that our Heath/Ennis no longer walks the earth with us. :'( I am so sad :'(

I am really hating the media and the pundits right about now. They are irresponsible and heartless. I can't imagine how Heath's family is dealing with this.


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Offline serious crayons

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Re: Ang Lee talks about Heath
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2008, 10:18:27 pm »
I am really hating the media and the pundits right about now. They are irresponsible and heartless. I can't imagine how Heath's family is dealing with this.

Though in their defense, some are writing sensitive, moving tributes.


Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: Ang Lee talks about Heath
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2008, 10:38:58 pm »
Though in their defense, some are writing sensitive, moving tributes.



I'll agree with this.  In the last few days, I've seen a surprising number of journalists on TV really jump to Heath's/Brokeback's defense (over various insensitive comments, etc.).  For instance, just a little bit ago I was flipping through channels and went by Nancy Grace.  Normally, I really can't handle her.  But, I happened to catch her saying something rather nice about Heath (about respecting his memory, remembering that a tragedy occurred here, etc.) in response to something irritating that one of her guests said.  It wasn't the most eloquent statement ever made either, but at least her intentions seemed to be at least appropriate and relatively sensitive. 


But, it's true too that the sheer volume of the coverage (and a lot of it really is pretty bad coverage) is becoming overwhelming and a bit hard to take.

I'll just re-state what I mentioned earlier... it's so nice to hear from Ang Lee... and I'm looking forward to hearing from more of our Brokeback people.  Their opinions, feelings and impressions regarding this tragedy just mean so incredibly much more to me than the mass media... that I really do appreciate their statements.  Or at least Ang Lee's statement.

:(

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Offline Ellemeno

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Re: Ang Lee talks about Heath
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2008, 03:16:22 am »
Janice said she saw a video of Ang saying this.  Can someone find and post it?

yb

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Re: Ang Lee talks about Heath
« Reply #8 on: January 25, 2008, 03:30:00 am »
I read that when Ang Lee was promoting Lust, Caution in Japan, the reporters attending a press conference were specifically instructed not to ask questions about Heath's death.

Offline ptannen

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Re: Ang Lee talks about Heath
« Reply #9 on: January 25, 2008, 03:43:38 am »
I feel that it's really comforting to hear from Ang Lee too.  I really can't wait to hear from Jake too.  Brokeback people and Heath's other friends and colleagues are the people I really want to hear from... they're the people who's thoughts seem to matter the most to me right now... not reporters, pundits, etc. 

I wonder if Proulx will make a statement.

 :'(

I would be very curious to know the reactions of citizens of places like Rockyford and Fort Macleod in Alberta, where the movie was filmed.
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