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 ...
Hey there Bud,
Yup, I love that this movie elevates absolutely mundane things, as demonstrated by your list, to the level of poetry and deep meaning.
And, I also love this new observation about the types of hats... and the trim. I've always noticed the trim but never thought to ponder possible meanings... silly me. Well, actually, I have always wondered about the decision to remove the detail of the eagle feather from Jack's hat. It's mentioned twice in the story. I wonder if it would just be a distraction in his costume. I know some posters have argued that movie viewers might strongly object to the notion or visual suggestion that Jack might have shot an eagle during his first solo summer on Brokeback. But, still he could have just
found the feather.
I would have liked to see it there as a further metaphoric link between Jack and the wind/ air. The "twist" aspect of Jack's hat and the rigidity of Ennis's hat (fireworks scene, etc.) are amazing things to notice! About the removal of hats as foreplay/ sexual innuendo... 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.
Ennis's hats are interesting because he gravitates away from wearing outright cowboy hats. Jack's hats change color and style, but they remain clearly recognizable cowboy hats. I know lots of people don't like Jack's mustache (and I agree with this thoroughly), but Ennis's later hat is almost the same thing for me. That hat that really does look more like a fisherman's hat has always bothered me. I'm sure it's meant to help make him look older (and it works) but it bothers me that it isn't so classically "cowboy" in appearance. It's funny because Ennis is the one that maintains an identity as a cowboy through his work over the years more than Jack, yet in a way Jack seems to cling to the image. He doesn't give up on his rodeo belts and by the last argument scene he's graduated to a Texas-sized black cowboy hat.
ps. I love that this thread has gotten a jolt of new life! It's a great old thread.
