Reflection 2: I Feel Pretty—Costuming in Film

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As any actor will tell you, a character doesn't really come together until the right costume is in place. In fact, many films have become classics, in part, because of their unique costuming. That's because when done right, a costume can add an unexpected element to an actor's performance. In some cases, the right costume can tell us everything we need to know about a character in just seconds. And some characters and costumes are so intertwined that they're difficult to divorce, such as the tattered suit of Charlie Chaplin's Tramp or the leather and metal of Johnny Depp's Edward Scissorhands. For audiences, costumes can also become a sentimental part of a favorite film. One need only look at the robust movie costume auctions to see that collectors will pay top dollar for costumes they consider special or important—in an upcoming auction, for example, one of C-3PO's iconic heads is expected to fetch upwards of $1 million. For your this reflection, you will consider the important role costuming plays in a scene. Below is a list of iconic films, each of which contains equally iconic costuming. Watch three of the scenes and analyze the function costuming plays in the role. Specifically, consider what the costume adds to the overall experience of the scene. For example, is the costuming subtle or does it make a statement? Does it utilize color? If so, how? How does the costume act as an extension of the character or actor? You may also consider hair and makeup in your analysis.

Choose three of the following scenes to explore:

1. Frodo and Gandalf the Grey (Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen) in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 2001
   
2. Velma and Roxie (Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renée Zellweger) in Chicago, 2002
3. Buddy (Will Ferrell) in Elf (2003)
   
4. Rex, Kip, and Napoleon (Diedrich Bader, Aaron Ruell, and Jon Heder) in Napoleon Dynamite, 2004
5. Marie Antoinette (Kristen Dunst) in Marie Antoinette, 2006
   
6. Juno and Paulie (Elliot [née Ellen] Page and Michael Cera) in Juno, 2007
   
7. The Joker and Rachel Dawes (Heath Ledger and Maggie Gyllenhaal) in The Dark Knight, 2008
   
8. Nina (Natalie Portman) in Black Swan, 2010 
9. Annie and Helen (Kristen Wiig and Rose Byrne) in Bridesmaids, 2011
   
10. Katniss Evergreen and Effie Trinket (Jennifer Lawrence and Elizabeth Banks) in The Hunger Games, 2012
11. Fantine (Anne Hathaway) in Les Miserables, 2012
12. Mad Max and Furiosa (Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron) in Mad Max: Fury Road, 2015
13. Annie (Baily Spry) in It Follows, 2015 [Warning: Gore]
    
14. Elio and Oliver (Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer) in Call Me By Your Name, 2017
15. Queen Anne and Sarah Churchill (Olivia Coleman and Rachel Weisz) in The Favourite, 2018
    
16. Dani (Florence Pugh) in Midsommar, 2019
17. Lance Corporal Schofield (George McKay) in 1917, 2019
    
18. Batman and Catwoman (Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz) in The Batman, 2022
19. Waymond Wang, Evelyn Wang, and Deirdre Beaubeirdre (Key Huy Quan, Michelle Yeoh, and Jamie Lee Curtis) in Everything Everywhere All at Once, 2022
20. Barbie and Ken (Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling) in Barbie, 2023
    

Requirements:

• MLA Style
• Approx. 500 words

Due: Fri 12.1 (submitted with Reflection 3 via Canvas)