Patterson-Gimlin: Did You Ever Notice...?

I was rewatching the film, trying not to be distracted by the context in which it was made; someone going in search of BF and getting her on film.

1. What strikes me about this is when you watch her strides. It isn't just the gait, but look at the head specifically. As an ex-model/pageant gal, I had extensive training on how to walk without my head bouncing up and down. Humans step off on the ball of their foot and it causes a rise and drop in our height. This figure on film appears to be keeping a level head and the conclusion is that it does not step off on the ball of its foot. To do this, one would have to rest the weight on the hips and use the legs to remain slightly bent and have enormous leg muscles, as well as a mid tarsal break that bends the foot in the center to put the heavy weight on a larger portion of the foot. We're talking about snowshoeing versus walking. As well, she appears to sway side to side a bit when walking which would to me mean perhaps a very wide pelvis. Runway models walk with one foot in front of another and this creature seems to walk the opposite, creating a kind of rocking side to side motion instead. Try walking with your feet wide apart and walk flat footed, not stepping off your toes. Interesting gait, huh? Would definitely support a much heavier weight.

2. Bigfoot doesn't run. Why doesn't she run? Well, most encounters with BF have been in the woods. When my team went on their first hunt, we studied the context of where BF lives more than just looking for the creature. We wanted to learn how she/he uses the woods to hide. Just one step to the left or right and a team member only 20 feet away disappears into the brush and tree trunks, darkness and shadows. What does BF do in the open? This is not a creature that would seem to be built or have the gait to be a runner, though she should be able to trot away in some large sprinting strides for a distance. Why didn't she run when she looked right at the horses and men? Well, lesson #1 as a creature in the woods--if you run, you're asking for a chase. A creature running away screams "I'm the victim, you're the bigger stronger one." Perhaps it is in her dignity and DNA that she is the biggest creature to contend with and running is only for prey.

3. For someone who wanted to film, BF, it's the placing of the recording on the film that interests me. He used the end of his film to film it. He ran out of space. He spent 3/4 of the time bouncing like shit until he got a few seconds of still shot. If he were someone who hoaxed it, it seems rather messy and vague.

I spent my entire life laughing at the film and in the past few years, I stopped and gave it some real consideration. It is a piece of work and probably one of the most replayed films of a supposed cryptid ever made. I try not to let my mind be cluttered with the context in which it was taken. These men certainly did not make it big or create a fortune off of this film, though nowadays it could be worth a great deal. There were no computers then, no cable channels and only local networks that were too conservative to show exploit it. So, it didn't benefit them so much taking this film as a guy with a cellphone camera could profit from today. I still don't think anyone can absolutely say for sure if it was genuine, but it has been examined within an inch of its life (44 years) and still the jury is out.

What do you think of the film?