The secret Life of the Cowboy Hat.
by RanchDel-T (Sun Apr 1 2007 17:23:54 ) UPDATED Mon Apr 2 2007 17:55:20
Well...It's taken many years for this supernatural or evolutional phenomenon to manifest itself ......But it has finally came to pass.
Particularly in the eventful and historical year of 2005 when, during the filming of Brokeback Mountain,the characters/wearers hats began to reflect the conscious and unconscious inner psyches of both the wearer's personal and emotional attributes
The cowboy hat is such an integral part and parcel of the cowboys life, we should have guessed it was only a matter of time until it actually took on a life of it's own. Incorporating itself into the wearers life force, much like the spirit inhabits the body at birth.
A cowboy wearing a cowboy hat is like...well...a truism. So obvious or self-evident as to be hardly worth mentioning or given to a second glance.Perhaps because of this,the cowboy hats personification may have been the reality for years before BBM, but has been so subtle,or the vibrations so rapid, it's been undetectable to the naked eye.
Until now.
What I am about to present is not absolute and is up for revision by those more knowledgeable,but it's a basis to what I believe is indeed a reality. So examine it for yourself and feel free to edit as you see fit.
There are at least two components of a cowboys hat of which I have became aware that give away the wearers secrets.
The brim and the band.
I have chosen three of the main characters of BBM and listed them below.I will correspond each individual to what I suspect their hat reveals or speaks of them.
Aquire:
When he first arrives on the scene, his hats brim is flat and his band is twisted tightly. The flatness of the brim indicates several things.He is a rather nonchalant,well seasoned man who has experianced life fully.He "has arrived" so to speak to a stature which says he has "seen it all".So he is indifferant to life and feels he is unikely to experiance any more surprises. If he does, he feels he surely will be unaffected by them. On the other hand this could also translate as his "poker face" which enables him to be unapproachable and aloof . In command until he is ready to call the shots.
The leather band circling his hat is twisted tightly, indicating that inside,he is wound up very tightly himself,is very conservative and most likely a redneck to boot.
Aquires hat brim gives it up a bit, when he is first seen spying on the couple as they frolic on the campground and then hide behind Ennis hat to steal a moment of bliss. Aquires hat is still basically flat but the ends are curled up now as if at sudden alert as he happened upon the unsuspecting couple. Sort of how your toes curl up a bit when...well,you know.
When he works his way down to Jack, Aquires hat band is mostly flat but it has a double band.One on top of the other. Perhaps this suggests Aquire's mind is conflicted,at odds with itself or confused and not sure what to make of this discovery. When we see Aquire next, he is very unhappy with the sheep count and with the hired "ranch hands" neglect of his flock of woolies. Fittingly,his hat brim is at full attention and the band completely wound up tight.
Ennis:
His hat brim makes the most transformation. At the begining the brim is curled up high and perky.Just like a young pups ears or tail,a tribute to his youthfulness along with the accompaning promises and hopes for the future.Through the years,His hat brim become progressively flat,until it becomes seemingly devoid of life to the point where it is completely limp when Cassie spys him eating pie at the bus depot.
His hat brim is limp when he first meets Cassie at the bar when she grabs him and steers him to the dance floor but it does seem to revive a bit when he starts dating her.However,at that point of time his hat is made of straw,not the tough rugged material which is normally worn by authentic cowboys. I'm not sure what that suggests.Perhaps something akin from his true nature or perhaps the less sturdy material suggests his vunerablity .
At the begining,Ennis hat band is in a twist and wound up tight.Suggesting he too is "wound up tight" inside,conservative and not very trusting or approachable.The first time we see his hat band ease out and flatten is when he is with Alma at the drive-in so he feels at ease and comfortable with her.The other occasions his band is flat and at ease is when he is with Jack of course.It's flat when he meets Jack for their first "fishing" scene and all fishing scene's afterwards.
Jack:
His hat brims are ALWAYS at full attention and NEVER loses it's resiliency. He is always optimistic and playfully perky as a young pup.
The band on his hat at the beginning and for most of the film, is mostly smooth and flat with three sections that are twirled with three twists(I guess this has something to do with the number three and its significance).This also may suggest Jack is easy going for the most part(the smooth flat band) but can be impulsive( as indicated by the sudden small twists).
There is a short, sorta decorative tail in the back of Jacks hat.My thoughts are this indicates a break from convention,a touch ( or more) of rebelliousness. It caused me to think of the liberal 60's peace and love movement,particularly the long haired hippies(ponytail?). I am no authority on cowboy hats but I suspect to most cowboys of that era,the tail may be the equivalant of a male wearing an earring long before it became acceptable,so it may leave Jack suspect...If you know what i mean.
There is only one occasion where Jacks hat band is twisted tight all around and that is where he first arrives at Ennis and Alma's apartment. I imagine this signifies his anticipation, anxiety and the uncertainty of what to expect fron Ennis when he meets him upon their first reunion.
Even though his hat brims remain perky and "optimistic", his hat bands flatten considerably and appears pale towards the end of two decades with Ennis and at the final lake scene.The band is completely non-descript .I am sure it's easy to guess this indicates Jacks expectations and optimism of a life with Ennis have diminised substantually.
http://www.cowboyhathistory.org/
