Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Black Hats, White Hats
Brown Eyes:
--- Quote from: Gabreya on April 27, 2008, 01:04:03 am ---I always thought that the black hat and white hat are the symbolisms of Ennis and Jack's differences, despite they do in fact attract. Black and white colors will always go well with eachother. Plus, black hats isn't always worn by the bad guys. Lol!
--- End quote ---
This is a very interesting point about the black and white hats... we may have touched on it in the past, but I don't recall a huge discussion about the traditional cowboy symbolism of "black hat = bad guy" and "white hat = good guy."
I wonder if there's something to be analyzed there? Why would Jack be in the "bad guy" hat? I've always seen the black hat as a metaphor for being a "black sheep"... or a rebel/ outsider. But, that's not exactly the same thing as a "bad guy."
And, as for the white hat... it makes sense to me that Ennis would wear the white hat, because to me it signifies "protagonist" as well as the traditional "good guy" idea.
Maybe as far as the '63 summer goes, this has to do with experience. Maybe Ennis is in "virginal" white (he's still a little naive and of course literally loses his virginity with Jack). And, maybe we really are supposed to see Jack as more experienced (even sexually) and thus the black hat. Jack is also a form of temptation for Ennis, which may factor into this to a degree.
It's hard to think very literally in terms of "good" and "bad" when it comes to Ennis and Jack though.
retropian:
I've been reviewing threads on this board that I've missed. I don't know how I missed this one because the subject is one of my favorites. I haven't finished reading thru all the posts but there are lots of great ideas.
My own idea of what Jacks black and Ennis's white hat I posted long long ago on IMDB. In the Western film genre the good guy, the hero frequently wore a white hat and the bad guy a black hat. So much so that it became a cinematic trope, the audience would know who the hero was and who the villain was instantly, especially in a silent film. In later westerns of the 50's and 60's the good guy is usually just trying to make an honest life for himself as a rancher, or farmer, or just trying to keep the peace in his little community as the sheriff. The black hat is the one who starts the plot moving. He's the one who instigates the action. The white hat is threatened in some way and must respond in an effort to return things to the way they where before the black hat showed up. And usually the white hat would get the girl too in the end, so he'd have it all. The white hat would also come to a greater understanding of himself and those around him; the woman he loves the other inhabitants of his community and even of the black hat.
In BBM Jack being the black hat instigates the action which drives the film forward. He is the 1st to put out his hand to Ennis and introduce himself, he leads the way to the bar, he draws Ennis out of his shell, he instigates the sex, he instigates the reunion, he suggests the cow and calf operation. Ennis in contrast as the white hat is simply trying to live his life as best he can and to him that means conforming to what western society claims as a proper life: Married with kids, a hard worker competent at what he does. Heterosexual. He needs to be the stoic cowboy. Jack throws a wrench into all of that and Ennis must reject him, at least at the end of the summer of '63. Later Jack reappears and Ennis engages with him, again he rejects him, but only partially and tries to have it both ways. In the end Ennis wind's up where he started; alone and still poor. But he does have his daughter's. He's also learned something about himself and Jack along the way.
Lynne:
Keep of the good work, mining these old threads, Ian. This is one of my classic favorites!
retropian:
--- Quote from: Lynne on December 25, 2008, 11:38:56 am ---Keep of the good work, mining these old threads, Ian. This is one of my classic favorites!
--- End quote ---
Yeah, from time to time I like to go back and read thru old threads such as the IMDB rewind threads. It's fun to get reacquainted with old posts from when BBM was still in release. I'm always surprised and happy to encounter ideas people had presented that are either new to me, or that I've forgotten.
Brown Eyes:
I can't believe the last post in this classic old thread was in 2008!! :o Wow, it's amazing how well-established the Brokie community is at this point.
Well, I'm reviving this thread because I had a genuine question come up about the tradition of cowboy hats in movies. In a completely different type of discussion with non-Brokies over on facebook, it was mentioned that there is a long tradition in western movies of the "good guy" rarely losing his hat or having his hat knocked off even in action sequences.
I don't know if this is accurate, I don't really know enough about a wide variety of westerns to know. So, I was wondering if anyone else had ever heard this? And, I also wonder if it is the case... if it could have some interesting ramifications for BBM? I'll have to go back and watch the movie to see if and when various characters lose their hats (or keep their hats in improbable moments).
Also, I apologize if this has come up before. I haven't re-read this entire thread before posting this question.
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