Author Topic: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?  (Read 19384 times)

Offline dly64

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What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« on: August 17, 2006, 10:21:08 am »
I have often wondered about Jack and Ennis’ hats during their scenes together  …
•   TS1 – Ennis takes his hat off before entering the tent, which seems logical since he is going to lie down. But he was wearing his hat when he was sleeping outside.
•   Post TS1 – Ennis is uncomfortable with the events that happened the night prior. When Ennis talks to Jack about this being a “one shot deal,”  they are both wearing their hats
•   TS2 – Ennis takes off his hat before entering the tent. The hat covers his groin, then covers his heart. Jack gently removes the hat, which exposes Ennis’ vulnerability and symbolizes the beginning of his acceptance of having a relationship with Jack.
•   Post TS2 – Ennis and Jack are playing around and tussling. When they fall down, Ennis takes his hat off and the hat obscures Aguirre’s view of them kissing.
•   The “punch” scene – they both have their hats on at the beginning… it is a tense situation.
•   They leave each other … they both have their hats on
•   Reunion – Ennis has his hat off, Jack has his hat on. Quickly, Ennis throws Jack’s hat off right before the kiss.
•   The motel … no hats (and we can surmise nothing else, either)
•   In the mountains …. Both their hats are off at the beginning of their conversation. When Jack mentions the “sweet life,” Ennis puts on his hat.
•   Post divorce scene – very tense situation – they are both wearing their hats
•   Post Thanksgiving scene (where Jack suggests Ennis moving to TX) … they are both wearing their hats.
•   Their last trip together …. They are both wearing their hats until, after Jack makes himself vulnerable, their hats are off in TS3 (with Ennis holding Jack).
•   Their fight – hats are on the whole time.
•   The one exception to my train of thought … the “dozy embrace” their hats are both on.

Am I making too much of this? It just seems that, with the exception of the “dozy embrace,”  their hats either reflect a moment of happiness (when off … open?) or a moment of tension (when on … closed?)

Your thoughts!?

Note: I am referring only to the hats after they begin their intimate relationship … not before.

Modification: I just happened to think about the "dozy embrace" ... in Jack's memory, Ennis cannot embrace Jack face to face because Jack is a man. Could the hats reflect the "closed" part of Ennis? Hmmm ... just another theory.
« Last Edit: August 17, 2006, 10:23:00 am by dly64 »
Diane

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2006, 10:38:17 am »
Interesting train of thought, and I probably don't have too much time to respond in any depth at the moment. But I wanted to point out that the film's supreme moment of grief (for me, anyway)--"Jack, I swear..."--sees Ennis hatless. There is great love here, but also great loss, and it's also possible that Ennis has fully accepted by now everything that Jack was, what he now knows himself to be, and what they had (and will have) together.

Offline jpwagoneer1964

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #2 on: August 17, 2006, 11:17:22 am »
Generally they did not wear hats inside, always custom to take them off.

There was a thing between them where Ennis would knock Jack hat off, tussle, reunion.

Usually hats are always worn outside.
« Last Edit: August 17, 2006, 12:04:50 pm by jpwagoneer1964 »
Thank you Heath and Jake for showing us Ennis and Jack,  teaching us how much they loved one another.

Offline nakymaton

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2006, 11:43:19 am »
Generally they did not wear hats inside, always custom to take them off.
And isn't the etiquette that it's ok to wear a hat inside if there's no place to put it? So, for instance, there are men wearing hats all over the place at the Childress benefit dance where Jack meets Randall.

And that means that it's a big breach of etiquette when Jack doesn't take off his hat when he's introduced to Alma after the reunion, right? (Of course, neither Jack nor Ennis is thinking with his brain at that point, I would say...)

(And from a practical standpoint, it is hard to kiss a man wearing a hat. ;D It's like the nose problem that teenagers have when they're figuring out how to kiss, only a lot worse. Except that I guess taking off a nose isn't a good option. ;) )

Edit: but to get back to Diane's question. Ennis treats Jack's tent as "indoors," like it's a house (though he treats the pup tent the same way... he isn't wearing his hat when he wakes up in the snow, is he?).
« Last Edit: August 17, 2006, 11:51:41 am by nakymaton »
Watch out. That poster has a low startle point.

Offline serious crayons

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #4 on: August 17, 2006, 12:37:00 pm »
I'm on the same track as you, Diane. I have always thought that hatlessness indicates allowing oneself to be more open to the other person and/or vulnerable, whereas being hatted means being more closed off, guarded, self-protective, resistant.

One really distinct example of this is, as you say, when they're by the river after the reunion: Ennis is hatless when he's sendin up a prayer of thanks, but when Jack mentions the sweet life, he immediately puts the hat on.

The person who takes the lead in lovemaking is responsible for removing the other person's hat: in TS2, Jack takes Ennis' hat; in the "happy tussle" Ennis knocks Jack's hat off (he's comfortable enough to initiate now); in the back seat of the car Lureen removes Jack's hat; in the reunion scene, Ennis knocks Jack's off.

I think clothing layers have a similar significance. The fewer layers of clothing the person has on, the more open they are to the other person. Again, in TS2 Jack is shirtless but Ennis, more hesitant, has a shirt on. But by the happy tussle they are both completely comfortable with each other and both shirtless. When they arrive at the campsite after the reunion they immediately peel off their clothes, because they are completely and mutually into each other. There are a bunch of other examples.

A major exception, again, is in the dozy embrace. Why does that scene break the hat and clothing layer rule? It wouldn't have to. It could as easily have shown them without heavy jackets on. Maybe those are the obstacles that, unbeknownst to them at the time, would always keep them apart?

Offline jpwagoneer1964

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #5 on: August 17, 2006, 01:19:46 pm »
I
One really distinct example of this is, as you say, when they're by the river after the reunion: Ennis is hatless when he's sendin up a prayer of thanks, but when Jack mentions the sweet life, he immediately puts the hat on.

 
 
A major exception, again, is in the dozy embrace. Why does that scene break the hat and clothing layer rule? It wouldn't have to. It could as easily have shown them without heavy jackets on. Maybe those are the obstacles that, unbeknownst to them at the time, would always keep them apart?

Ennis was also laying dowm making it hard to wear a hat.

It was likely very cold in the "dozey embrace". I often thought it was the night before they were called down fron the mountian.
Thank you Heath and Jake for showing us Ennis and Jack,  teaching us how much they loved one another.

Offline dly64

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #6 on: August 17, 2006, 01:37:59 pm »
I'm on the same track as you, Diane. I have always thought that hatlessness indicates allowing oneself to be more open to the other person and/or vulnerable, whereas being hatted means being more closed off, guarded, self-protective, resistant.

The person who takes the lead in lovemaking is responsible for removing the other person's hat: in TS2, Jack takes Ennis' hat; in the "happy tussle" Ennis knocks Jack's hat off (he's comfortable enough to initiate now); in the back seat of the car Lureen removes Jack's hat; in the reunion scene, Ennis knocks Jack's off.

I think clothing layers have a similar significance. The fewer layers of clothing the person has on, the more open they are to the other person. Again, in TS2 Jack is shirtless but Ennis, more hesitant, has a shirt on. But by the happy tussle they are both completely comfortable with each other and both shirtless. When they arrive at the campsite after the reunion they immediately peel off their clothes, because they are completely and mutually into each other. There are a bunch of other examples.

A major exception, again, is in the dozy embrace. Why does that scene break the hat and clothing layer rule? It wouldn't have to. It could as easily have shown them without heavy jackets on. Maybe those are the obstacles that, unbeknownst to them at the time, would always keep them apart?

We are on the same wavelength. What I had not considered was the person taking the lead in the lovemaking scenes is the one who takes the other’s hat. And the other thing I had not considered was the clothing layers. But it all makes perfect sense!

Another thing that I think is apparent is Lureen’s neckline. At the beginning of Jack and Lureen’s relationship, she wears looser shirts with a few buttons open. As the years progress, Lureen’s hair gets stiffer and blonder, her make-up gets thicker, and her shirts are either buttoned to the top or she wears a shirt/ dress with a high neckline. It shows her bitterness deepening … which I would surmise that her sexual dissatisfaction plays a role in all of that …. “Husbands never seem to want to dance with their wives ….” Hmmmmm … that line speaks volumes!  :-\
Diane

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Offline nakymaton

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #7 on: August 17, 2006, 01:57:32 pm »
It was likely very cold in the "dozey embrace". I often thought it was the night before they were called down fron the mountian.
I think that's probably true, about it being cold.

I think that symbolism and metaphor are most powerful when they work on multiple levels -- where they make sense in terms of the characters and the place and the story, and also work on another level. (For instance, snow=bad, but it would be really bizarre to see it snow in Mexico.)

And the layers of clothing do work that way, particularly in a few instances where we see the guys wearing less than you might otherwise expect. When Jack strips off his jacket during TS1, for instance -- he doesn't have to do that (and I bet he didn't do it in every take, given the maybe-a-continuity-error where Jack is wearing his jacket when he wakes up). Or when Jack is shirtless and Ennis is wearing only his shirt (THE shirt), no jacket, in TS2. Or Jack doing laundry naked, which makes him look especially vulnerable. Or the skinny-dipping scene, which seems to emphasize a brief sense of complete freedom from societal constraints.

But it seems like wearing jackets ought to be the default state for high altitude in Wyoming at night... and I'm not sure it makes sense to read the jackets as meaning anything that conflicts with what we can read from Jack's and Ennis's faces (which looks like comfortable intimacy, even though we know at that stage in the movie that the sense of peace will not last :( ).
Watch out. That poster has a low startle point.

Offline jpwagoneer1964

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #8 on: August 17, 2006, 02:13:15 pm »
I think that's probably true, about it being cold.

 
 

But it seems like wearing jackets ought to be the default state for high altitude in Wyoming at night... and I'm not sure it makes sense to read the jackets as meaning anything that conflicts with what we can read from Jack's and Ennis's faces (which looks like comfortable intimacy, even though we know at that stage in the movie that the sense of peace will not last :( ).
Its a lot more comfortable to sleep spooning in a cooler rather than a warmer enviroment. With or without clothes it shows us they came together for warmth in many more ways than one.
Thank you Heath and Jake for showing us Ennis and Jack,  teaching us how much they loved one another.

Offline Mikaela

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #9 on: August 17, 2006, 02:13:50 pm »
Quote
…. “Husbands never seem to want to dance with their wives ….” Hmmmmm … that line speaks volumes!

As does poor Lashawn telling Jack Randall hasn't danced with her since the wedding. Makes me want to kick Randall because that one line completely reveals the one and only reason Randall married IMO - and that reason's not exactly fair to his clueless wife..... But I digress! On to the topic at hand.  :)



The hats are put to excellent use throughout the film - a combination of practical realism and symbolism that is so seamless it's nearly impossible to untangle the one from the other. I'm completely on board with what has been said here so far, so I won't repeat to prove that I agree.  ;)  I do however want to say how impressed I am at the use of those hats as effective props throughout the entire movie. And how impressed I am at Rodrigo Prieto for the camera angles that manage to show off the hats and their significance to the emotions of the characters in scene after scene, depending on the angle of the brim and how much or little of the face (and eyes) is shown.


Just to mention some of the hat moments I love, in no particular order:

Jack dipping his head to conceal his whole face and his overwhelming emotions in the scene with Alma and at the leavetaking after Brokeback.

Both guys peeking at each other from under their hats and shielding their faces from each other  in the scene where they meet for the first time.

Ennis using his hat to protect his heart in TS2, and Jack putting the hat away, leaving Ennis's heart "exposed".

Ennis knocking Jack's hat off out in the open - then using his own hat to nevertheless create a small bubble of privacy in the happy tussle. He's not yet ready to let his instinctive hiding completely go - but he's getting there.. If only the snow hadn't come early.

Ennis sitting hatless, emotions out in the open at their reunion, and then putting on his hat and pulling it thoroughly down over his face when Jack starts talking of living together. Hiding his emotions and his true self away from Jack's proposal - using the hat as a protective shield...... Poor Ennis.

Ennis peeking up at Cassie from under his hat brim in the desolate cafe.

Ennis of necessity having to remove his hat at Jack's parents' place - his emotions and his true self thereby out in the open and more vulnerable in an already very vulnerable situation.

I can't help thinking that one reason they kept the hats on in the dozy embrace was not only the realism (they're outside, and it's pretty cold) but the stunningly iconic image the two of them in their white and black hat create. They come close to forming the yin / yang symbol. I think Ang Lee may have thought it worthwhile prioritizing that over strict adherence to a consistent symbol language of hats donned and doffed.  :)


And finally, hats off to two more hats on moments in the film that I love:




« Last Edit: August 17, 2006, 02:22:49 pm by Mikaela »

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #10 on: August 17, 2006, 02:44:49 pm »
Great post, Mikaela! I've been wearing my straw cowboy hat over the summer, and I can tell you that having it on really does affect your world view. And it's the most natural thing in the world to duck and have the hat take over when there is something you don't want to look at or confront. Also, when you're putting your hat on, especially with a straw one, you tend to "rock" it which is what I saw Ennis doing one or two times in the movie.
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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #11 on: August 17, 2006, 02:47:16 pm »
Wow, such great observations, and all these scenes where the hats play such a big role are becoming iconic, especially when Jack looks around after his first glance at Ennis in front of Aguirre's trailer, the point where he turns away from him and looks away, his hat lowered, and then to the ground and we see him in profile. Oh my God, the first time I saw that I knew the movie was going to be unforgettable, that shot is a classic one. 
« Last Edit: August 17, 2006, 02:49:42 pm by mvansand76 »

mvansand76

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #12 on: August 17, 2006, 02:51:44 pm »
Great post, Mikaela! I've been wearing my straw cowboy hat over the summer, and I can tell you that having it on really does affect your world view. And it's the most natural thing in the world to duck and have the hat take over when there is something you don't want to look at or confront. Also, when you're putting your hat on, especially with a straw one, you tend to "rock" it which is what I saw Ennis doing one or two times in the movie.

 :D I have been wearing my straw one over the summer too, it's great, it's easy to pull it over your eyes when you are on the train!

Offline dly64

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #13 on: August 17, 2006, 03:03:56 pm »
The hats are put to excellent use throughout the film - a combination of practical realism and symbolism that is so seamless it's nearly impossible to untangle the one from the other. I'm completely on board with what has been said here so far, so I won't repeat to prove that I agree.  ;)  I do however want to say how impressed I am at the use of those hats as effective props throughout the entire movie. And how impressed I am at Rodrigo Prieto for the camera angles that manage to show off the hats and their significance to the emotions of the characters in scene after scene, depending on the angle of the brim and how much or little of the face (and eyes) is shown.

Well stated! You have provided so many additional thoughts about how the hats were used.

I love everyone’s insights on this topic. All of you keep providing more and more ideas that I had not previously considered! Love it!!


Quote
I can't help thinking that one reason they kept the hats on in the dozy embrace was not only the realism (they're outside, and it's pretty cold) but the stunningly iconic image the two of them in their white and black hat create. They come close to forming the yin / yang symbol. I think Ang Lee may have thought it worthwhile prioritizing that over strict adherence to a consistent symbol language of hats donned and doffed.  :)

Great point!
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Offline serious crayons

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #14 on: August 17, 2006, 04:04:09 pm »
Fantastic post, Mikaela! And I love your explanation of hats in the dozy embrace!  :D

Offline Mikaela

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #15 on: August 18, 2006, 01:38:06 pm »
Diane and Katherine, thank you for the lovely comments.  :)

(I'm trying to remind myself to remember to give more positive feedback. There are so many insightful and wonderful posts to be read from all of you here and it's too easy to forget to say so before I hit the keyboard to post my own view on the topic at hand...... )

I can't believe I forgot the reunion knocking--the-hat-off moment in my list above. It's been mentioned in this thread, so it's not been forgotten (how could it, ever?) - but still. No overview of memorable BBM hat moments is complete without that one prominently featured.


**reminiscing mode**

After I'd read and fallen in love with the short story back in November (I think), one of the first actual film clips I got to see (beyond the trailer) was a relatively poor copy of the reunion kiss that someone had copied onto the net from the Logo Special. Don't know how many times I played that clip. It made such an impression. The whole thing, of course.... but the urgency of Ennis knocking that hat off is certainly part of it.  :-*

mvansand76

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #16 on: August 18, 2006, 03:15:17 pm »
Diane and Katherine, thank you for the lovely comments.  :)

After I'd read and fallen in love with the short story back in November (I think), one of the first actual film clips I got to see (beyond the trailer) was a relatively poor copy of the reunion kiss that someone had copied onto the net from the Logo Special. Don't know how many times I played that clip. It made such an impression. The whole thing, of course.... but the urgency of Ennis knocking that hat off is certainly part of it.  :-*

It shows the passion Ennis is feeling, the knocking the hat off was the first thing that struck me about the whole scene, and still, that's what gets to me most when I watch the movie. I also love that Jack, after a fraction of a second, lays his hand against Ennis' head, I always notice the wedding ring then. Sorry, that had nothing to do with hats...

Offline dly64

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #17 on: August 18, 2006, 03:20:42 pm »
It shows the passion Ennis is feeling, the knocking the hat off was the first thing that struck me about the whole scene, and still, that's what gets to me most when I watch the movie. I also love that Jack, after a fraction of a second, lays his hand against Ennis' head, I always notice the wedding ring then. Sorry, that had nothing to do with hats...

It doesn't matter! ;DThese are free flowing discussions.

Yeah ... the wedding rings.  :(   I have to admit that I hate seeing those rings during the reunion scene. Not sure why that bothers me so much, but it does. Am I the only one?
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Offline bbm_stitchbuffyfan

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #18 on: August 18, 2006, 11:51:45 pm »
*bump* I really wonder if this was intentional...
If you'd just realize what I just realized then we'd be perfect for each other and we'd never have to wonder if we missed out on each other now
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Offline dly64

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #19 on: August 19, 2006, 06:44:54 pm »
I really wonder if this was intentional...

Do you mean the rings?

I also noticed that there are a number of scenes where Jack is wearing a "taupe" colored hat vesrus his signature black hat. I'm unsure if there is a trend there .... can anyone enlighten me?
Diane

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Offline nakymaton

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #20 on: August 19, 2006, 07:03:09 pm »
I also noticed that there are a number of scenes where Jack is wearing a "taupe" colored hat vesrus his signature black hat. I'm unsure if there is a trend there .... can anyone enlighten me?

The reunion, the post-divorce scene, and the camping trip after the Thanksgiving scenes.

The three times that Jack mentions living together (even indirectly) with any smidgeon of hope that it's possible.

(Jack also wears a white (?) hat when he's demonstrating in the tractors in the "didn't that pissant used to ride bulls?" scene.)

Another thing I noticed... in the Angry Tussle, Jack knocks Ennis's hat off, but Jack's hat stays on until after the punch.

As for the rings... I think it is intentional that they're shown. They're kind of a subtle reminder of how complicated the relationship is, even when the guys seem to forget it (like during the reunion kiss, during which both rings show up on hands holding faces, or during the Motel Siesta scene, where they're naked except for their rings). Alma's wedding ring also is really obvious in a couple scenes, like right after Ennis takes off on his first fishing trip, when Alma is hugging Alma Jr.

So now that makes me wonder. When we see Alma hanging out the laundry, she's just been washing the shirt Ennis was wearing when he had sex for the first time. But do we ever seen Lureen handling anything of Jack's that would have similar significance? When Lureen knocks Jack's hat off in the car, maybe?
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Offline dly64

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #21 on: August 19, 2006, 08:18:19 pm »
The reunion, the post-divorce scene, and the camping trip after the Thanksgiving scenes.

The three times that Jack mentions living together (even indirectly) with any smidgeon of hope that it's possible.

Excellent observation! I never saw it that way, but it makes sense. Interestingly, I saw it exactly opposite. Every time Jack wore the lighter hat, his hopes and dreams were dashed. Maybe we are saying something similar. It is just the opposite sides of the same coin.

Quote
As for the rings... I think it is intentional that they're shown. They're kind of a subtle reminder of how complicated the relationship is, even when the guys seem to forget it (like during the reunion kiss, during which both rings show up on hands holding faces, or during the Motel Siesta scene, where they're naked except for their rings). Alma's wedding ring also is really obvious in a couple scenes, like right after Ennis takes off on his first fishing trip, when Alma is hugging Alma Jr.

This makes sense. It shows the incongruity of the situation. The idea that Ennis and Jack are in bed together is diametrically opposed to the wedding rings and what those rings symbolize. 

Quote
So now that makes me wonder. When we see Alma hanging out the laundry, she's just been washing the shirt Ennis was wearing when he had sex for the first time. But do we ever seen Lureen handling anything of Jack's that would have similar significance? When Lureen knocks Jack's hat off in the car, maybe?

I don’t think Lureen “handles” anything that is significant to Jack and Ennis’ relationship. Lureen is the dominant person in Jack and her marriage. Alma, however, is subservient (at least at the beginning). Alma is handling the shirt in which her husband lost his virginity and then is seen washing Ennis’ underwear on a washboard inside the house (wearing several layers of clothes). It is the polar opposite to BBM. Jack is washing Ennis’ shirt outside and he is wearing nothing (except his boots). Ennis doesn’t even have any underwear while on the mountain. Additionally, Lureen is closed off and becomes more and more embittered. Alma is much more vulnerable and is never able to get beyond the fact that Ennis loved Jack. It is ironic that Alma has washed and handled the shirt in which her husband’s relationship with Jack was consummated … and then it is Alma who sees Jack and Ennis together.
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Offline nakymaton

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #22 on: August 19, 2006, 08:57:03 pm »
Excellent observation! I never saw it that way, but it makes sense. Interestingly, I saw it exactly opposite. Every time Jack wore the lighter hat, his hopes and dreams were dashed. Maybe we are saying something similar. It is just the opposite sides of the same coin.

Yep. Two ways of describing the same thing, I think. I was scrambling for some way of separating the "maybe Texas" scene from the lake confrontation, where Jack is wearing a black hat again. I guess you could say that, since Jack didn't have any hopes left ("I did once"), they weren't dashed in quite the same way at the last meeting.

Though I suspect that there's another reason Jack is wearing a black hat in the last scene: to help the viewers make a connection back to the mountain, both emotionally and visually. It helps the editing of the dozy embrace that Jack's wearing a black hat in both scenes -- and by keeping the hat similar, it makes the difference in Jack's eyes so much more painful. (The softer, more romantic look as Jack watches Ennis leave in the flashback, and the... dead? hopeless? look as Jack watches Ennis drive away for the last time.)
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Offline dly64

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #23 on: August 20, 2006, 10:58:25 am »
Yep. Two ways of describing the same thing, I think. I was scrambling for some way of separating the "maybe Texas" scene from the lake confrontation, where Jack is wearing a black hat again. I guess you could say that, since Jack didn't have any hopes left ("I did once"), they weren't dashed in quite the same way at the last meeting.

Though I suspect that there's another reason Jack is wearing a black hat in the last scene: to help the viewers make a connection back to the mountain, both emotionally and visually. It helps the editing of the dozy embrace that Jack's wearing a black hat in both scenes -- and by keeping the hat similar, it makes the difference in Jack's eyes so much more painful. (The softer, more romantic look as Jack watches Ennis leave in the flashback, and the... dead? hopeless? look as Jack watches Ennis drive away for the last time.)

Again, a great observation, Mel. Your comments made me start to think (which is a scary thing …  :laugh: ). I know there is another thread (I think started by Opinionista) talking about the “yin and yang” between Jack and Ennis.

http://altreligion.about.com/library/glossary/bldefyinyang.htm

The yin yang is the easily recognized Taoist symbol of the interplay of forces in the universe. In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang represent the two primal cosmic forces in the universe. Yin (moon) is the receptive, passive, cold female force. Yang (sun) is masculine- force, movement, heat.

The Yin Yang symbol represents the idealized harmony of these forces; equilibrium in the universe. In ancient Taoist texts, white and black represent enlightenment and ignorance, respectively.


I bring this theory back into discussion because I think the yin-yang symbol illustrates Jack’s and Ennis’ relationship …. albeit not the “passive, cold female force” … but the concept that they exemplify the “harmony of these forces.”  It is stated in the screenplay that, after the “dozy embrace,” when we see an older Jack watching Ennis drive away …. Jack is watching his “other half.” Their hats are an outward expression of the “yin-yang” philosophy. Since the lake scene was their last time together (although Jack and Ennis didn’t know it) we, the audience, are brought back to the idea that one is not complete without the other. 
Diane

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #24 on: August 20, 2006, 12:32:13 pm »
Do you mean the rings?

I also noticed that there are a number of scenes where Jack is wearing a "taupe" colored hat vesrus his signature black hat. I'm unsure if there is a trend there .... can anyone enlighten me?

I always think it shows how close they are at that moment, I always see the reunion scene as the peak of their love for each other, and this is where Jack wears a hat that matches the color that Ennis wears mostly. He also wears a light-colored one when he drives up after the divorce, maybe showing that he thinks this is the point where he thinks they will be together? I don't know...

Offline dly64

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #25 on: August 20, 2006, 01:21:46 pm »
I always think it shows how close they are at that moment, I always see the reunion scene as the peak of their love for each other, and this is where Jack wears a hat that matches the color that Ennis wears mostly. He also wears a light-colored one when he drives up after the divorce, maybe showing that he thinks this is the point where he thinks they will be together? I don't know...

Something you said has triggered this thought .... could the lighter hats signify a new phase in their relationship? I mean, they are no longer on BBM and they will never be able to recapture that time (i.e. the complete freedom that BBM represented). Hmmmm ....  :-\ . Other viewpoints??
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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #26 on: August 20, 2006, 11:29:17 pm »
Yes, in that terrible flashback, the first thing that happens is he is hit from behind, and his hat is knocked off.  :(
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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #27 on: August 21, 2006, 06:21:59 am »
Yes, in that terrible flashback, the first thing that happens is he is hit from behind, and his hat is knocked off.  :(

I always close my eyes during this flashback, I cannot watch it.

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #28 on: August 21, 2006, 08:49:26 am »
Yes, in that terrible flashback, the first thing that happens is he is hit from behind, and his hat is knocked off.  :(

But it's not really a "flashback." It's what Ennis thinks happened. Although it's amiguous, I do tend to think that is what happened.  :'( No matter what, it is incredibly difficult to watch.
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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #29 on: August 21, 2006, 01:59:49 pm »
You're right, it's not a flashback. I stand corrected.  :)
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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #30 on: August 21, 2006, 02:10:47 pm »
I bring this theory back into discussion because I think the yin-yang symbol illustrates Jack’s and Ennis’ relationship …. albeit not the “passive, cold female force” … but the concept that they exemplify the “harmony of these forces.”  It is stated in the screenplay that, after the “dozy embrace,” when we see an older Jack watching Ennis drive away …. Jack is watching his “other half.” Their hats are an outward expression of the “yin-yang” philosophy. Since the lake scene was their last time together (although Jack and Ennis didn’t know it) we, the audience, are brought back to the idea that one is not complete without the other. 

I mentioned this in the original y/y thread, but one of the many things that  I really love about the lake scene and yin/yang is that the original meanings of yin and yang are the north side of a mountain and the south side of a lake (yin) and the south side of a moutain and the north side of the lake (yang) so when I watch that scene as well as all the emotion and everything [gulp] I also love the harmony of the setting and the reminder of the two as two halves of the same natural element.

Hat wise, some of my favourite moments in BBM are to do with their hats; TS2, the happy tussle, the reunion kiss....  And when Ennis goes to Lightening Flat at the end there is something about his hatless head that makes him seem extra vunerable  :'(

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #31 on: August 21, 2006, 02:58:03 pm »
I mentioned this in the original y/y thread, but one of the many things that  I really love about the lake scene and yin/yang is that the original meanings of yin and yang are the north side of a mountain and the south side of a lake (yin) and the south side of a moutain and the north side of the lake (yang) so when I watch that scene as well as all the emotion and everything [gulp] I also love the harmony of the setting and the reminder of the two as two halves of the same natural element.

Hat wise, some of my favourite moments in BBM are to do with their hats; TS2, the happy tussle, the reunion kiss....  And when Ennis goes to Lightening Flat at the end there is something about his hatless head that makes him seem extra vunerable  :'(

Well said! Where did you hear about the original meanings of y/y? I never read that! It's GREAT!

As for the "hat" scenes ... AGREED!
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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #32 on: August 22, 2006, 03:31:58 pm »
*Warning - comments on Jack's death scene*

Quote
But it's not really a "flashback." It's what Ennis thinks happened. Although it's ambiguous, I do tend to think that is what happened. 

Since I am definitely of the opinion that Jack was in fact killed, much like we see in that scene in the film, I too have tended to think of it as a sort of "flashback"; - that is: A combination of the real event and the horrific scene as played out by Ennis's imagination.

But we know that Jack's fate will remain ambiguous to us and to Ennis.... and so the scene that we see in the film is Ennis's grief and fear given life, breath and motion, and not a faithful representation of what actually happened to Jack. The events and elements in the scene do clearly underline that. I've steeled myself to watch it in slow motion:

There's the hat falling off as Jack is knocked viciously to the ground. The black hat is a Jack symbol not only to us, but to Ennis; - the hat being removed through violence indicates that a part of what makes Jack *Jack* is being removed. Hatless, he's symbolically being rendered vulnerable, unprotected, helpless.

After watching the vicious beating from a distance Ennis’s inner eye moves to close-up. One assailant proceeds to stomp viciously down on Jack's crotch, echoing Ennis's memory of the torment Earl was subjected to. And then comes the tire iron, striking Jack across the face, - Jack's beloved face beaten, rendered bloody, almost unrecognizable. Jack’s face seen “upside-down” adds further to the disoriented, nauseous feeling of the scene. All of it happens on a patch of vibrantly green grass, eerily reminiscent of the lush surroundings where J&E’s used to meet for their “fishing trips”.

The hat, the face, the genitals, the vibrant greens of nature: Concrete physical elements, the recollection of which would clearly speak to Ennis of Jack, speak of their relationship and their love and passion. And here in this violent, blurry scene it’s all under lethal attack from those faceless malevolent assailants Ennis has been waiting for, all of it being visually and intimately tied to Ennis's recollection of what happened to Earl. Though the indications are subtle (even if the scene in itself is not), and the whole scene flies by in a blur, leaving a horrified emotional impression but few concrete or detailed visuals, it seems certain from the elements in the scene that we are witnessing Ennis's deepest fears brought to life by his imagination….. doing its very worst. And Jack’s hat flying off is one of the first indicators, perhaps.

Offline dly64

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #33 on: August 22, 2006, 07:43:52 pm »
Since I am definitely of the opinion that Jack was in fact killed, much like we see in that scene in the film, I too have tended to think of it as a sort of "flashback"; - that is: A combination of the real event and the horrific scene as played out by Ennis's imagination.

I am on the same wavelength.

Quote
The hat, the face, the genitals, the vibrant greens of nature: Concrete physical elements, the recollection of which would clearly speak to Ennis of Jack, speak of their relationship and their love and passion. And here in this violent, blurry scene it’s all under lethal attack from those faceless malevolent assailants Ennis has been waiting for, all of it being visually and intimately tied to Ennis's recollection of what happened to Earl. Though the indications are subtle (even if the scene in itself is not), and the whole scene flies by in a blur, leaving a horrified emotional impression but few concrete or detailed visuals, it seems certain from the elements in the scene that we are witnessing Ennis's deepest fears brought to life by his imagination….. doing its very worst. And Jack’s hat flying off is one of the first indicators, perhaps.

Great interpretation! I had never watched that scene in slow motion … too painful. But after you said that you did this and you caught so many things, I decided to do it, too. The thing I noticed was that the first swing of the tire iron was towards Jack’s head. What I can’t make out is if his head was actually struck, or if it was just Jack’s hat that was thrown off. Either way, it is nightmarishly reminiscent of Ennis and Jack’s reunion scene. What I mean is that these men are pushing Jack and, in violence and hatred, knock Jack’s hat off (as opposed to Ennis’ grabbing Jack out of love and knocking Jack’s hat off due to Ennis’ pure and unadulterated passion). 
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Offline serious crayons

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #34 on: August 24, 2006, 01:57:27 pm »
I don't think I could stand to watch it in slow motion; I can barely stand to read Mikaela's vivid and observant but painful blow-by-blow description. I'm sure this was probably mentioned on another thread, but as I read it what kept coming to mind was Ennis' "Sure enough, if you don't get stomped doin it."

I think I'll have to stick with watching the tent and reunion scenes in slo-mo.

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #35 on: August 24, 2006, 05:10:51 pm »
That scene is particularly horrible, even in normal speed, because those attackers act on cruel intent all along. It's not something that is escalating and getting out of hand while in progress. Those guys aim to kill from the very first we see them, and the sheer force used and the deliberate cruelty of their actions testify to an overwhelming hatred....   My slow-mo watching didn't only show me that, proving that the scene clearly represents Ennis's deepest fears brought to horrible life,  - it by extension also very strongly reminded me of this:

This is what Ennis firmly believed, or rather *knew* that he was protecting Jack from, all those years. In denying to meet Jack anywhere else than a couple of times a year out in the middle of nowhere, he was using all his strength of will to ward off this very fate, the fate he felt sure would be Jack's if he gave in to the wishes for that sweet life together. Watching that scene carefully, and remembering this is what Ennis held in his mind, this is what his fears showed him, this is what he struggled to avoid, - it's nearly impossible to blame Ennis or to be exasperated with him for refusing to budge, for worrying over "people knowing".


It's possible that Ennis was on the brink of taking the plunge and accepting to change their relationship to a "life together" when he received the "deceased" post card. I do tend to think so myself. Watching the death scene I now wonder whether Ennnis's fear of this fate for Jack might have played some little part in pushing Ennis to changing his mind at last: At their last meeting Jack revealed that he was seeing other men, that he couldn't make it on those few times a year with Ennis. Apart from everything else that would make Ennis feel and think, that would also mean to Ennis that despite Ennis's caution, despite his costly self-denial, Jack was at obvious risk from those long-feared shadowy attackers. And Ennis would be far away if it happened. Perhaps in weighing matters, Ennis might come to think that in this situation, Jack would be no more at risk if actually living with Ennis, while Ennis himself would be close by to at least be able to try to protect him? This is just speculalion on my part, I don't think anything in the film supports it - but I don't think it's all that far-fetched either.


Quote
Either way, it is nightmarishly reminiscent of Ennis and Jack’s reunion scene.

You are right - there is an frightening and eerie similarity there. In both scenes Jack is losing control, is being pushed along, has his hat knokced off - as love overwhelms him from the front, as hatred attacks from the back.  :'( Wonder if that parallell was intentional?
« Last Edit: August 24, 2006, 05:15:38 pm by Mikaela »

Offline dly64

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #36 on: August 24, 2006, 05:32:24 pm »
This is what Ennis firmly believed, or rather *knew* that he was protecting Jack from, all those years. In denying to meet Jack anywhere else than a couple of times a year out in the middle of nowhere, he was using all his strength of will to ward off this very fate, the fate he felt sure would be Jack's if he gave in to the wishes for that sweet life together. Watching that scene carefully, and remembering this is what Ennis held in his mind, this is what his fears showed him, this is what he struggled to avoid, - it's nearly impossible to blame Ennis or to be exasperated with him for refusing to budge, for worrying over "people knowing".

I can follow your logic. I am one of those who tend to become angry with Ennis. I think there is an element of Ennis protecting Jack and caring for him. (Katherine – didn’t you bring that up in another thread?) As I was reading your note I thought of two things:
1.   During the phone call with Lureen, Ennis envisions what he believes to be the real way that Jack died. Certainly, Ennis became aware that Jack was sleeping with other men (lake scene).
2.   While at Jack’s parents, when OMT talks about the “other ranch fella” … Ennis reacts. IMO, Ennis’ reaction is not soley based on the reality that he may have lost the only person he ever loved to another man. Rather, the knowledge that Jack may have been seen in a compromising situation with another man … reinforced the possibility that Jack was murdered.

Quote
You are right - there is an frightening and eerie similarity there. In both scenes Jack is losing control, is being pushed along, has his hat knokced off - as love overwhelms him from the front, as hatred attacks from the back.  :'( Wonder if that parallell was intentional?

It is hard to know. There are times I say to myself … “Girl, you are overanalyzing again!” However, I do think it was intentional.
Diane

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Offline serious crayons

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #37 on: August 25, 2006, 01:59:16 am »
This is what Ennis firmly believed, or rather *knew* that he was protecting Jack from, all those years. In denying to meet Jack anywhere else than a couple of times a year out in the middle of nowhere, he was using all his strength of will to ward off this very fate, the fate he felt sure would be Jack's if he gave in to the wishes for that sweet life together. Watching that scene carefully, and remembering this is what Ennis held in his mind, this is what his fears showed him, this is what he struggled to avoid, - it's nearly impossible to blame Ennis or to be exasperated with him for refusing to budge, for worrying over "people knowing".

I agree. In fact, in the story, where Ennis is less internally homophobic, his choice not to live with Jack seems almost logical and reasonable -- it suggests his fears were not at all unfounded. Movie Ennis' homophobia muddles the issue, but I do think this irony adds to the tragedy. The very fate Ennis spent his life denying himself in order to avoid happened anyway.

Quote
And Ennis would be far away if it happened. Perhaps in weighing matters, Ennis might come to think that in this situation, Jack would be no more at risk if actually living with Ennis, while Ennis himself would be close by to at least be able to try to protect him? This is just speculalion on my part, I don't think anything in the film supports it - but I don't think it's all that far-fetched either.

Interesting idea! And I agree, it's quite possible.

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #38 on: August 25, 2006, 11:49:59 am »
The hats are an interesting contrast. Jack's hat always has an upturned brim and is often flying off, while Ennis's hat is stuck on his head with a flat brim, or even downturned a little, and shielding his eyes. So characteristic.
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Offline dly64

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #39 on: August 27, 2006, 06:23:13 pm »
Great observations!

It occurred to me when we were discussing the scene where we are seeing Jack being attacked. Has anyone noticed that this is occurring by a railroad? When Ennis and Jack first meet, there is also a railroad. The train heads away while Jack’s truck arrives. Does this mean anything? Opinions anybody!?
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Offline Mikaela

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #40 on: August 27, 2006, 07:01:44 pm »
It does seem clear that Jack (in person, not just the thought and memory of him)  enters and leaves Ennis's life close to a railroad track.

It's been said that the train going by Ennis in the beginning of the film for a few moments make us see him as if in the separate images of a roll of film. The train carriages separate the view of Ennis into one passing image after the other: The first few images of a whole life in revue.

So perhaps the train in the beginning tells us we are about to see the relevant images / scenes of Ennis's and Jack's lives together; - Jack appearing and entering Ennis's life as soon as that train has gone past. Then, with Jack's exit from Ennis's life there's the now empty railroad track as part of Ennis's vision of what happens to Jack: The train has left and is gone for good, the track is empty, there are no more new images to be had.

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #41 on: August 28, 2006, 07:42:48 pm »
Thanks for bringing this up, Diane. I'll try to add to Mikaela and goadra's excellent observations. The thing I think of first with the railroad tracks is the beginning and end of a journey. The story is like a journey, and the actors wind up in a far different place than where they started. On another level, trains are an icon in the West because they tamed the West and made it possible for people to come in and populate it and "civilize" it. Trains bisected towns and whole areas of the country and brought divisiveness so that you had to be from the right side of the tracks and never go to the wrong side of the tracks. I talk about this more in the subject "Broken in Two" on Chez Tremblay. On yet anohter level, there are two tracks which are forever joined, so the train tracks are a symbol speaking of the duality of Jack and Ennis.

The way I interpret the beginning view when we see Ennis through the gaps in a passing train is an alternating dark and light scene, which introduces the theme of yin and yang, the opposite and complementary forces of dark and light, noisy and quiet, etc. that will work upon Ennis and Jack throughout the film.
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Offline dly64

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #42 on: August 29, 2006, 12:12:53 pm »
Great observations all! My town is full of trains. So now, whenever I see a train go by I will think of Jack and Ennis' relationship (instead of rolling my eyes and pounding on the stearing wheel!).  ;)

Trains are also a heavy and forceful piece of transportation. When a train tries to stop, it can take miles. When it hits someone/ something it is very destructive (often deadly). Jack and Ennis’ relationship seemed to be directed by a force that neither knew how to handle. After the reunion, when Jack asks Ennis (in essence) how long they will be able to continue their secret relationship … Ennis uses a horse metaphor: “As long as we can ride it. There ain’t no reins on this one.”  I’m not sure where I am going with all of this. It just seems to me that the train, when started, it very difficult to stop unless forced to do so. In essence, isn’t that what happened to Jack and Ennis?
Diane

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Offline nakymaton

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #43 on: August 29, 2006, 02:02:12 pm »
Short on time to post, but...

Do any of you know Michelle Shocked's song "If Love Was a Train"?

Lyrics here: http://www.michelleshocked.com/chords_if_love_was_train.htm

I guess I should list this in "songs that remind me of BBM," huh?
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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #44 on: August 29, 2006, 06:51:57 pm »
Short on time to post, but...

Do any of you know Michelle Shocked's song "If Love Was a Train"?

Lyrics here: http://www.michelleshocked.com/chords_if_love_was_train.htm

I guess I should list this in "songs that remind me of BBM," huh?

That song's lyrics hit the mark! WOW!
Diane

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #45 on: August 30, 2006, 11:00:40 am »
Well, the train was known as the “iron horse.”

OMG! I didn't know that! That makes even more sense!
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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #46 on: September 07, 2006, 04:26:12 pm »
I was just reading the interesting interview with the location manager of the movie, and he said this about finding the best old-time and dilapidated locations for the movie:
Quote
we took a map of Alberta and highlighted every rail line, current and former.

Read the interview! There's a link in Movie Resources.
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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis's hats?
« Reply #47 on: September 08, 2006, 11:44:31 pm »
Ennis takes off his own hat when he kneels in the alley (using his hat to shield himself from the world),

Somebody just noticed this on an imdb thread as a bookend to the moment in the "happy tussle" where Ennis takes off his hat to shield their kiss -- even when, as far as he knows, the world can't see them.

Quote
Ennis puts on his hat after the Thankgiving dinner (someone mentioned that he puts it on backward, but I can't tell); his hat is then knocked off when the trucker hits him.

And as a result of posting on the aforementioned bookend thread, I'm so hyperaware of bookends that this makes me think, "Is this a bookend specifically linked to some former scene of hat-knocking off?" I mean, lots if not all of the love scenes involve knocked-off hats.

I suppose I'd need a little more to go on to call it an actual bookend, though. But part of me is busily thinking, is this the anti-reunion scene?. Once you start looking for stuff like this, it's hard to know where to stop!

 :laugh:

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #48 on: September 09, 2006, 08:35:46 am »
Quote
....is this the anti-reunion scene?

Surely the scene where Jack is murdered is the ultimate anti-reunion scene... But of course there can be more than one, since so much in both their separate and difficult lives is anti-reunion to some degree.


A bookends thread would be great!  :)
« Last Edit: September 09, 2006, 08:38:30 am by Mikaela »

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #49 on: September 11, 2006, 06:51:53 pm »
Amanda has a "bookends" thread in the archive. Maybe we can get her to revive it. If she doesn't, I will start one, altho I'll need to do some research first!!
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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #50 on: September 11, 2006, 07:52:36 pm »
F-R, I'm glad you volunteered. I was kind of stymied because 1) I noticed Amanda's thread in the archives, 2) I've read through the newer imdb thread so I'm familiar with a lot of them, 3) I did a min-survey about whether the thread should take the form of a game, in which one person names one end of a bookend and everybody else tries to find the other, or simply a list of bookends. It was a tie.

I do have a couple of ideas, though, that I didn't see on the imdb thread, so I'd love to get one going again here.

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Re: What is behind Jack and Ennis' hats?
« Reply #51 on: September 11, 2006, 08:12:56 pm »
Okay I will try to work up the mental acuity. My brain has become addled by spending too much time on the PT thread and the ABCs game so this is definitely what they call a "stretch assignment."  :)
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