Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Black Hats, White Hats
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: atz75 on May 09, 2006, 02:43:44 pm --- Why doesn't Ennis change his hat color ever?
--- End quote ---
Good one! Because he doesn't change himself ever? Because he steadfastly tries to play the acceptable "white hat" role?
On a related but slightly OT note, I always notice that in the pie scene, Ennis is wearing an uncharacteristic plain gray shirt. Does this mean anything? Does it mean he's confused or depressed (since I think he is both)? I think he wears it at least one other time -- perhaps in the Twist ranch scene? Is he confused then?
Or maybe it's just a shirt. But in this movie, when is anything just an anything?
ednbarby:
--- Quote from: latjoreme on May 09, 2006, 03:07:00 pm ---Good one! Because he doesn't change himself ever? Because he steadfastly tries to play the acceptable "white hat" role?
On a related but slightly OT note, I always notice that in the pie scene, Ennis is wearing an uncharacteristic plain gray shirt. Does this mean anything? Does it mean he's confused or depressed (since I think he is both)? I think he wears it at least one other time -- perhaps in the Twist ranch scene? Is he confused then?
Or maybe it's just a shirt. But in this movie, when is anything just an anything?
--- End quote ---
OH-MY-GOD. I think this is HUGE! And why on Earth did I never notice it before???
To me, throughout the movie, Jack always wearing solid shirts symbolizes his security in his sexuality. Ennis always wearing light, patterned shirts symbolizes his lack thereof. If he's wearing a solid shirt in the pie scene and in the Lightning Flat scene, even if it is light in color (and all the more appropriate, really), this CLINCHES that he was ready to accept himself as he was and therefore possibly make a go of having a life with Jack.
HOLY crap. Now I've gotta watch it again tonight. DARN you, Katherine! ;)
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: ednbarby on May 09, 2006, 03:12:35 pm ---OH-MY-GOD. I think this is HUGE! And why on Earth did I never notice it before???
To me, throughout the movie, Jack always wearing solid shirts symbolizes his security in his sexuality. Ennis always wearing light, patterned shirts symbolizes his lack thereof. If he's wearing a solid shirt in the pie scene and in the Lightning Flat scene, even if it is light in color (and all the more appropriate, really), this CLINCHES that he was ready to accept himself as he was and therefore possibly make a go of having a life with Jack.
HOLY crap. Now I've gotta watch it again tonight. DARN you, Katherine! ;)
--- End quote ---
Barb, I've never been so pleased to be cursed! ;)
I LOVE your interpretation. I hope I'm right about when he wears the solid color. I know for sure he does in the pie scene, but I haven't seen the movie in weeks, and my memory of what he's wearing at the Twists is not trustworthy. I went to my old reliable reference source, YouTube, and the site is down. So Barb, you and other DVD-owners will have to check it out and report back!
It would be funny if that's it, wouldn't it? How many movies make you figure out major plot points by analyzing the color of the characters' shirts?
TJ:
But, would Ang Lee tell an interviewer or just a member of an audience that he used the Asian tradition of "yin and yang" to make the movie?
When I studied design and color composition/theory in college art classes, we did not use anything related to religious traditions to explain why we created our designs nor did the professors refer to Asian traditions during class.
But, if you see programs on TV related to what we studied in class, such as architectural design and home improvements, so many of the experts on the shows and the people they are working with have to use Asian religious terminology to explain why they did certain things.
There were no orientals in the movie/story itself as major or minor or minor characters.
IMO, to claim that Ang Lee used the theory of yin and yang when we don't even know whether he did it or not is called "eisegesis," the adding of personal ideas and one's own world view in to a piece of art using "visualized words" or a piece of writing using "word pictures."
ednbarby:
Hey, now - I'm not saying that's the absolute answer and that any other interpretation is wrong, TJ. Just that it's mine.
For what it's worth, Jake says that Ennis and Jack are the yin and the yang in one of the special feature interviews (I forget which one - sorry about that). It may very well just be his interpretation, but it makes me think they all must have discussed it in rehearsal. But then, maybe I'm just transferring my own personal ideas and world view onto a piece of art again. ;)
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version