My little viewing party and I (mind you, after a few glasses of wine on Saturday night) came to the consensus that the single black hat in Ennis' world means there is only one other man for him, whereas the multiple black hats in Jack's world mean that though he loves Ennis best of all, he is secure enough in his own sexuality that he can be satisfied, at least for a little while, by other men.
OK, I'll stop before I go on and on about the man in the white hat that walks out of the frame behind Ennis during the parting conversation with Jack during the Brokeback summer while Jack and Ennis are leaning on the black truck...
We also have to remember that if the movie were to based on the lives of real people, and the movie makers were not trying to inject symbolism into the scenes, the hats themselves would have no special meaning whatsoever.
I amusing ask "What does yin and yang (a Chinese philosopy) have to do with the color of cowboy hats in Wyoming?"
LOL - I love you Amanda! I watched BBM a couple of days ago and after weeks of listening to your observations, I can say I had a tremendous time watching for hats and knowing glances, etc. These just never registered for me in the dozen previous viewings! What can I say, I think I'm missing a chromosome.
LOL, thanks Chris. You're a sweetie. Also thanks for all the interesting comments ednbarby and starboardlight... I like your idea, ednbarby, that black and white might have particular meanings... like fixer vs. stander (by the way, I feel like I'm speaking in a special Brokeback language when write things like that... fun!). I don't know what to make of Jack switching to light hats once in a while (reunion kiss and post-divorce). Why doesn't Ennis change his hat color ever?
And, thanks starboardlight... you explained perfectly what I meant by yin and yang. I think that's a really important component of the movie actually.
Why doesn't Ennis change his hat color ever?
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?
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! ;)
I think the idea of yin and yang (two halves of the same whole, broken down the middle, pushing and pulling at each other) is central to the movie. Along the lines of the Broken In Two discussion, I think the name lends itself to this concept. I know, I know - Annie Proulx has never said this is why she named it what she did, and maybe it wasn't even a conscious choice on her part. Regardless, I think Ang Lee took it and ran. He said he liked "the taste of" the title Brokeback Mountain. I take this to mean that there is a whole lot more meaning there to him than just a quaint name for a particular range.
Whereas, Jack is not innocent and is the instigator of their relationship...he is the tempting cookie Ennis wants to steal but doesn't want to get caught with.
Person two, "Just because, no reason. I just did it."
BTW, I have directed stage plays and I even designed the scene sets, too. I just created them the way I thought would look the best from the audience POV, composition and design wise, with no thought of philosophy whatsoever.
But Ang Lee is not you ???
O0
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! ;)
This discussion reminds me of an conversation which I have heard lots of times when a person inquired why someone did something a certain way.
Person one, "Why did you do that?"
Person two, "'Cause."
Person one, "'Cause why?"
Person two, "Just because, no reason. I just did it."
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!
Well, here is my report after last night's viewing. He is wearing a patterned shirt underneath a light grey canvas jacket. But the interesting thing about the patterned shirt is that the stripes are so close together as to seem almost solid. So it's certainly the most solid shirt he wears in the entire movie. I like to think this means that he wasn't quite there yet - but almost. Another thing I noticed about this ensemble is that he seems to have *the exact same* one on in the Lightning Flat scene, as if he contacted Jack's parents (Mrs. Twist looks like she expects him when she comes to the door) immediately after getting off the phone with Lureen, got in his truck, and drove straight there.
"Hell yes, I been. Where's the fuckin problem?" Braced for it all these years and here it came, late and unexpected.
Back to the hats for a moment...
So, I just watched the whole movie twice tonight (someone please help me...). Once with a friend and once by myself. And,believe it or not... I noticed a new significant white hat moment. When Jack is in Mexico and first enters the dark alley, he is immediately preceded in his walk down the alley by a man in a white hat and a white shirt. You can see him begin to enter the alley in the shot of Jack with the crowded scene behind him... as Jack looks down the alley. Then there's another shot as the camera travels down the alley (sort of following Jack's gaze/ footsteps) where the white-hatted man is essentially centered in the alley (we see him from behind) and he slips into the darkness at the end of the alley just as Jack's gaze focuses on the prostitute. It's a bit as if Jack is chasing him or pursuing him.
So, it turns out that Mexico must also really have something for boys like Ennis too. (at least visually *like* Ennis)
I love this movie. :) (as if there was any doubt) ::)
Also, even though it is summer (or late summer? I'm not up on my BBM dates) he wears the lightweight solid gray jacket in three of the last five scenes, not including the one where he gets the postcard nor the one with Alma Jr. -- right?
He's wearing the light gray jacket in the scene were he gets the postcard, too. And he also wears it in the trailer scene with Alma jr.
He wears it from the pie scene on (directly after the flashback and the one shot of Jack) through the entire rest of the movie: pie scene, receiving the postcard, phone call, Twist home, sticking numbers on the mailbox outside the trailer, Junior arriving, inside the trailer, up to "Jack, I swear".
Do we see Ennis in that light grey jacket before Jack's death? I don't think so, but I'm not sure. Hmmm...
I believe, before Jack's death we see him only in brown jackets, after Jack's death in only in a grey one.
What about the pie scene? Is Jack already dead at this point? Maybe the grey jacket indicates that.
"Ennis didn't know about the accident for months..." (from story). At the pie scene neither Ennis nor the audience know about Jack's death, but maybe the pie scene takes place in one of the months Ennis doesn't know about it, but it already had happened.
Any thoughts, someone?
What a poetic theory, Penth. I like it. It's like all the rest of the color of Ennis' life runs out of him when Jack dies. He goes from the brown of the earth to the gray of the rock beneath.
I still see it as Ennis going directly from the bus station/diner to the post office to the phone booth all on the same day. When you watched it again, Katherine, did you get this sense, too? I can see where he'd go to Lightning Flat on a different day - he'd have to look up the Twists and arrange a visit with them beforehand after all. But those three other things seem to take place in succession to me in the movie, anyway.
Barb, I've always assumed they happened on different days. Either of us could be right, I guess (let's check to see if the shirt under the jacket changes to find out for sure!).
You really watched very intensly yesterday, didn't you?
He's wearing the light gray jacket in the scene were he gets the postcard, too. And he also wears it in the trailer scene with Alma jr.
He wears it from the pie scene on (directly after the flashback and the one shot of Jack) through the entire rest of the movie: pie scene, receiving the postcard, phone call, Twist home, sticking numbers on the mailbox outside the trailer, Junior arriving, inside the trailer, up to "Jack, I swear".
Do we see Ennis in that light grey jacket before Jack's death? I don't think so, but I'm not sure. Hmmm...
I believe, before Jack's death we see him only in brown jackets, after Jack's death in only in a grey one.
What about the pie scene? Is Jack already dead at this point? Maybe the grey jacket indicates that.
"Ennis didn't know about the accident for months..." (from story). At the pie scene neither Ennis nor the audience know about Jack's death, but maybe the pie scene takes place in one of the months Ennis doesn't know about it, but it already had happened.
Any thoughts, someone?
but he does wear the tan jacket on this trip to Lightning Flat, right? I'll have to watch the dvd again, but I'm sure that it was tan, when he came out of the house with the paper bag, mirroring what he wore at the beginning of the movie.
I know this has been discussed either on a board long ago and far, far way or maybe even here (sorry, I haven't re-read this whole thread tonight) that Jack's sudden transition into purples and muted red colors after the post-divorce fiasco may have something to do with the metaphor of a bruise. I know it's been discussed that these are the colors of blood (both wet and dry) and indicate not only his somewhat brokenheart from this point on, but also his hidden secret about the blood soaked shirts in his closet. Kind of a lovely thought actually.
Actually, my referring to black hats and white hats when starting this thread was meant to be a nod to the idea of Jack and Ennis being the yin and the yang. I realize Ennis' hats aren't truly white. :)
I like the idea Amanda touched on a few posts back that made me think of that conversation we had earlier about the guys at the pool table in the Jimbo scene, and why some are in black hats and some are in light hats - that maybe the black hats aren't so much fixers vs. standers as black sheep - special and singular in some way. I like it. I like it a lot.
Back to clothes: in the swingset scene, Ennis is wearing a tan vest with a red lining -- he's back with Alma, but keeping his love (symbolized by the red) hidden and close under his regular tan. And if I'm not mistaken, Jack is wearing a vest like that in the reunion kiss scene. Not sure -- I am going to try to watch it one more time tomorrow, so I'll check.
that conversation we had earlier about the guys at the pool table in the Jimbo scene, and why some are in black hats and some are in light hats - that maybe the black hats aren't so much fixers vs. standers as black sheep - special and singular in some way. I like it. I like it a lot.
So maybe this is the unfolding of the "ink-blot" pattern of the movie's structure that's been mentioned in threads here and there. This scene mirrors a scene that's relatively close in timing/ proxiimity (i.e. the reunion scene) since they're both quite near the center of the movie/ ink-blot.
Every movie can be scrutinized for hidden meanings ... but do we see that sort of thing in BBM?
there are tons of amazing threads on this board discussing the hidden meanings of all kinds of things in the movie: hats, rotary fans, elk, sheep, bear, binoculars, clothing, colors, snow, water, coffee pots, buckets, laundry, spitting, windows ...
Fernly once pointed out something I never noticed before: Lureen rejects two men in white hats--and goes for Jack-in-black instead.
I like that in the happy tussle, not only does Ennis playfully knock Jack's hat off, but once they're on the ground together Jack reaches up and takes Ennis's hat off too (he sort of uses it to cover their faces as they seem to kiss). I think this even heightens the idea that they've reached a mutual level of comfort in their romps at this point.
I've always wondered that about Jack's gesture with Ennis's hat too. I don't know.
I have another hat question... What should we make of the fact that during the confusing tussle (prior to the punch) Jack is able to keep his hat on while Ennis loses his hat? When Jack tries to wipe Ennis's bloody nose he still has his hat on, while Ennis is hatless. I'm honestly forgetting at the moment... does Jack lose his hat too after the punch? In any case, there's a lot of complex hat action in this scene.
::)
Why do you all think it is that Jack's hats get lighter from the Reunion Scene on - they go from black (the summer up on Brokeback and upon his return the following summer, looking for Ennis) to medium brown. I still am kinda partial to my black sheep/white sheep analogy, and if that applies, perhaps the lighter shade means that by marrying money and having a son and a successful (at least on the surface) career, he's not quite the rebel he once was.
On the other hand, if you apply brokebackdev's theory that the black hats symbolize Jack's security within his own sexuality, perhaps the lighter shade means that his marrying and having a son and playing the role of being straight is obscuring his true nature/feelings for Ennis - at least on the surface.
That point about Ennis's coat is very interesting.
Yes, and he wears it constantly from the bus station scene to the end of the movie. I think we once wondered whether it was a sign that Jack was dead by the time Ennis was in the bus station.
As regards the hats, Jack wears a brownish hat, ie darker than Ennis but lighter than his own, on 3 occasions and on all those occasions he asks Ennis to come and live with him: at the Reunion, after the divorce, when he suggests Ennis moves to Texas. This intermediate colour could therefore be something like mingling, becoming one? By the final weekend at the lake he has a black hat again, he has lost hope of being together.
Randall has a brownish hat too - willing to share a cow and calf operation, if only Jack asked him?
Why is he in a bus station anyway, he who never travelled farther than round a coffee pot? Is it a sign that he is ready to travel a bit further to meet Jack?
Penthesilea, Latjoreme, hi! Thanks for the welcome, I am enjoing this thread.
I have always been of the opinion that by that time Ennis was ready for some change. Probably going somewhere metaphorically rather than geographically for the time being (eg giving more of his time to Jack), but who knows, perhaps he was finally starting to give more consideration to that cow and calf operation?
Back to the hats:
the very white hat with Bobby in the tractor and while selling tractors - somebody mentioned, very astutely, that the very white hats were the straight men (Jimbo and his friends, the tractor buyers). In this case, Jack is trying to conform, and to give the image of a straight man. Ennis is just off-white, ie trying desperately to look straight and conform to straight principles and way of life , to convince himself that he is staight really, because he was quite sure that's what he should be; while Jack, more confortable with his sexuality, just lies blatantly to others (very white, not off-white) for convenience and for his own safety but he does not lie to himself (he never gives up on the black hat)
Black hat at the 'You're late' fishin trip. This is a trip when he does not mention anything about living together. He is abiding by the rules that Ennis has set for their relationship, and trying to make the most of what he gets without asking for more. But he arrived before Ennis although he has such a long drive to do, he is VERY keen to see his man and keep him, whatever the conditions.
The Reunion and the After Divorce are scenes where he goes to Ennis with the express intention of arranging a future together - these are almost marriage hats. I don't think he intended to make another attempt during the 'come to Texas' fishin trip, he just happens to mention it because the conversation leads this way. But it is the only other scene apart from Reunion and Divorce when he mentions living together, and he wears a brown hat, so there must be some link. Perhaps to show that living with Ennis was always on his mind? His answer to Ennis comes out so spontaneously, he was just 'thinkin out loud' ie this was in his mind all the time and just escaped from his mouth.
Black hat at the 'You're late' fishin trip. This is a trip when he does not mention anything about living together. He is abiding by the rules that Ennis has set for their relationship, and trying to make the most of what he gets without asking for more. But he arrived before Ennis although he has such a long drive to do, he is VERY keen to see his man and keep him, whatever the conditions.
Ever notice that its still the middle of the day when Ennis arrives even after Jack said goodby to Lureen and drove for 14 hours? Logisticaly it could be the next day were it not for Jack wearing the same shirt.
Well, the shirt alone doesn't indicate it's the next day. Or is it so uncommon to wear a shirt for more than one day?Jack would want to have a clean shirt on for Ennis, as well as Ennis for Jack. Remember Ennis checking his shirts as he packed them for that very same trip?
the very white hat with Bobby in the tractor and while selling tractors - somebody mentioned, very astutely, that the very white hats were the straight men (Jimbo and his friends, the tractor buyers). In this case, Jack is trying to conform, and to give the image of a straight man. Ennis is just off-white, ie trying desperately to look straight and conform to straight principles and way of life , to convince himself that he is staight really, because he was quite sure that's what he should be; while Jack, more confortable with his sexuality, just lies blatantly to others (very white, not off-white) for convenience and for his own safety but he does not lie to himself (he never gives up on the black hat)
I agree with much of what you've said, but in one thing I disagree: Jack proposing a move to Texas was not a slip. The topic may have come from Ennis' side, not initiated by Jack. But he saw the chance and was determined to use it. Look at his face and his tone, the casual manner was only pretended (when he shrugs while mentioning it). And Ennis knows it. That's (one of the reasons) why he blows up right the next second.
It may have been spontanously, but notwithstanding deliberate.
Missed chance, I'd say. May have been better to take Ennis' concerns more serious instead of using them for his (absolutely legitimate) goal. Jack was trying to take advantage of Ennis' revelation.
Jack would want to have a clean shirt on for Ennis, as well as Ennis for Jack. Remember Ennis checking his shirts as he packed them for that very same trip?
sweet, salty stink
Penthesilea, Latjoreme, hi! Thanks for the welcome, I am enjoing this thread.
The bus station - like you I always found it strange that he was in a bus station of all places. Especially considering that he seemed to have his favourite bar in town. It was the mention of men with black and white hats buying tickets (I have not spotted them yet, look forward to yet another detail to take in) that gave me this idea, as, like you, I have always been of the opinion that by that time Ennis was ready for some change. Probably going somewhere metaphorically rather than geographically for the time being (eg giving more of his time to Jack), but who knows, perhaps he was finally starting to give more consideration to that cow and calf operation?
I always get the sense that Ennis is checking to see that the shirts are not actually clean, but merely clean enough by his standards.
I think that at the lake finally admitted to himself that he couldn't live without Jack,
I think that at the lake finally admitted to himself that he couldn't live without Jack, but maybe he felt like Jack left him alreadly.. (I wish we knew what they said after Ennis was crying in Jacks arms.) I think he chose to be in a place where he was totally alone because he was so broken and depressed at that point.
I believe thatthe conversation with Cassie changed him, when she said "I don't get you ...." I think that made him realize what he was doing to people and then he decided to change, and mailed the postcard to Jack.
:-X :-X :-X
The bus station - like you I always found it strange that he was in a bus station of all places. Especially considering that he seemed to have his favourite bar in town. It was the mention of men with black and white hats buying tickets (I have not spotted them yet, look forward to yet another detail to take in) that gave me this idea, as, like you, I have always been of the opinion that by that time Ennis was ready for some change. Probably going somewhere metaphorically rather than geographically for the time being (eg giving more of his time to Jack), but who knows, perhaps he was finally starting to give more consideration to that cow and calf operation?
I'd never heard or thought of the idea that Ennis' bus station visit being a sign of him wanting to go further -- either literally or figuratively -- in his relationship with Jack. We've talked about the two guys standing at the counter, one in a white hat and one in a black hat, as representing a hypothetical Ennis and Jack going off on a life together. But maybe there's even more going on. Come to think of it, why is Ennis in the bus station? Is Riverton that devoid of cheery coffee shops or cafes that you'd have to go to such a bleak place for a piece of pie? Or is that a sign that Ennis is ready to "make a move"? I've always leaned toward thinking that Ennis wanted to improve their relationship when they met in November, so I'm partial to this theory. Thanks, mouk!
Here's the picture of the two cowboys (black hat - white hat) buying the tickets. I wonder what Ennis thought when he saw them, if he saw them at all, of course. He did seem to be totally caught up in his own world... :-\
What do we think about the person (who seems to have a black hat) that walks passed the window of the bus stop (I think quite early in the bus stop scene)? I've always seen that figure as very ominous. Like the first visual cue that Jack is no longer with us.
Oh, wow. Nice catch, Amanda. In all my viewings (and reviewing screen caps), I've never seen that one. Especially nice touch in that he's also wearing a tan jacket. Just further affirmation of the genius of Ang Lee.
(http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m312/Belbbmfan/brokebackmtn_3479.jpg)
all this time and I never realised they were buying tickets, heading towards the sweet life!!!!!!!!!
that is very very good
Here's a new detail that just came to me the other night as I lay awake in bed, not having seen the movie in months...
Did you ever notice that throughout the movie, Jack is always on the right side of the screen when he and Ennis are intimate?
Think about it: TS1 (while he's sleeping, anyway), TS2, post-TS2 romp, Reunion, Motel Siesta... Jack is on the right, or on Ennis' left.
But in the final Tent Scene, Jack is sleeping on the left side of the screen (on Ennis' right).
Coincidence? I think not. ;)
we had other examples where Ang Lee mostly stuck to one pattern (with symbols or whatever) - but not always. Maybe it would be too easy otherwise :).
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!
Keep of the good work, mining these old threads, Ian. This is one of my classic favorites!
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).
- does Ennis' hat get knocked off when he falls off his horse as he encounters the bear? I think yes, but not sure.
Interesting that only Ennis is wearing the hat; must have been very difficult to film the dozy embrace without knocking off each other's hats!
Paul brought up another example where they keep their hats off, even though it seems against probability:I think the hats were left on to reinforce the fact that they are cowboys (I know - sheep hearders - but still).
But if you ask me, it's purely for the looks in that scene, I don't see any other significance in the fact that they keep their hats on other that it looks simply glorious.
Interesting that only Ennis is wearing the hat; must have been very difficult to film the dozy embrace without knocking off each other's hats!