British Cinema Orlando - Essay Example

British Cinema – Orlando As a tale that revolves around the experiences of life, the accomplished narrative of Orlando evokes dynamism, freedom and transition. In bringing the story of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando to life, the movie which was released in 1992 has been able to capture and advance an art that is pivotal to delivering the essence of a movie to the audience. Pidduck notes that prevalent assumptions and opinions with regards to movie genres have led to the creation of certain stereotypes that are related to films; these stereotypes essentially convey commonly held beliefs about gender, gender roles as well as the notions of masculinity and femininity that have been translated into arguments about movie genre, for example, Western movies amass an aura that delivers masculinity in all its exuberance and glory while, costume dramas are associated with femininity and are considered to be limited in their appeal and scope.1 The use of costuming in Orlando, however, challenges these stereotypical beliefs about costume dramas. In fact, the costuming in Orlando has been utilized as a significant component and indicator of movement in the movie, as the audience witnesses the life experiences and transitions in the protagonist’s journey.2 According to Wellendorf, the costuming in Orlando has been assigned as a part of the character’s identity, which is analogous to the phases of the protagonist’s life.3 Pidduck suggests “…Thus this change of clothes supports the whole film narrative since here the clothes function as the witness of Orlando’s change”.4 For the purposes of assessing the use of costuming in Orlando including hairstyle and makeup, a segment from the movie has been analyzed. Additionally, the discussion on the costume design has been aided by the incorporation of the examination conducted by Stella Bruzzi in her book titled Undressing Cinema: Clothing and Identity in the Movies. Perhaps, the staggering portrayal of androgyny in Orlando is the most vivid element of Sally Potter’s cinematic depiction. As a man, Orlando is adorned with clothing that does not serve the sole purpose of enhancing his physical strength and dexterity. In fact Bruzzi notes that in comparison with other portrayals of manliness and masculinity in period dramas, Orlando’s costumes are marked by a sense of emancipation rather than confinement.5 A notable piece of clothing from the movie that also holds immense symbolic meaning is the black colored robe worn by Tilda Swinton, the actress who plays Orlando. Bruzzi observes that the outfit adorned by Orlando as he approaches his transformation into a woman is entirely covered while, leaving Swinton’s face exposed.6 It is evident throughout the course of the movie, that Swinton’s casting as Orlando might not have been a choice that was made on the exclusive criterion of her ability as an actress; as the facial features of the actress also play an immense role in elevating Orlando’s look thus, enhancing the audiences’ belief in the portrayal, which is why in the protagonist’s transition from a man into a woman, the camera aims to focus on the quintessence of Orlando’s face. The segment from Orlando that is under discussion in this paper occurs as the movie approaches its departure – the “Birth” in the cinematic depiction of Virginia Woolf’s novel captures Orlando as a woman in the decade of the 90s, with Orlando is her young daughter and a novel that has been somewhat appreciated by her editor who is also a man from her past. In this segment of the movie, Orlando is seen reflecting, reminiscing and pondering upon an extraordinary journey. Considering the androgynous, elaborate and symbolic costumes of Orlando throughout the course of the movie, certainly, Sandy Powell and her costume design team, who were later nominated for an Academy Award for displaying costuming excellence in Orlando, must have been faced with a monumental challenge in maintaining the essence and meaning behind each and every outfit under the contemporary setting of the 90s as well. For Bruzzi, this standard in costume design is maintained by adorning a female Orlando with a conformist, rather unadventurous androgynous wardrobe such as leather jackets, tight-fitting trousers and knee high boots.7 As the last segment of the movie approaches its finale, Orlando is seen wearing a white shirt and it is unclear whether the shirt has been exclusively designed for men or for women. Unlike, the fashions of today the clothing does not accentuate the femininity of Orlando’s body nor is it marked by the fitting of what could be a men’s outfit. Bruzzi notes that this specificity or ambiguity in outfits worn by the character successfully delivers the narrative’s visionary message to the viewer by an outstanding use of costuming – clothes are an expression of style, individuality and personality, therefore, costuming excellence and timelessness is reached once a designer’s creativity is not limited by restrictions of gender or period amongst other factors. 8 While, the significance of costume design in the development of the protagonist’s identity in Orlando is exceptional9 the role of makeup and hairstyling in attaching meaning to the depth of the character, transforming actors into characters and bridging the gap between cinema and reality for the ultimate audience experience cannot be ignored. From a common perspective, hair has no intrinsic importance however; assessments of different eras in history suggest that hair can be gifted with significance by the means of culture.10 The deliberate defiance of this statement in the hairstyling of Tilda Swinton as a female Orlando towards the end of the movie is evident. The simplicity of Swinton’s hairstyle is clear as her red hair is slicked back and contained in a braid, which is a far cry from the elaborate and flamboyant wigs that appear earlier in the movie. The simplicity of the hairstyle greatly enhances the androgynous look as it appears as though Orlando’s hair has been cut short. Furthermore, the simplicity and minimalism of female Orlando’s appearance has been respected by the makeup team, in the segment under discussion, Swinton’s identity as a woman has not been augmented by any artistic elements or enhancements, in fact, the segment intends to capture the soul of Swinton’s natural beauty. Under the setting where the portion has been shot, the color of the fields and the rays of the sun boost Swinton’s facial features and pale skin which augments the natural appearance of female Orlando and maintains the androgynous element that is most vivid in the latter part of the film. As Orlando’s daughter, carefree and unaware of the troubles of the world and the experiences of life runs across the fields, the viewer is able to comprehend the end of an incredible journey. The emotions and facial expressions of Orlando who has finally escaped the spiritual confinement that lasted for centuries are greatly complimented by the costuming, makeup and hairstyling which intends to capture the real meaning behind Virginia Woolf’s novel. As Pidduck understands, the representations of costuming in Orlando are reflective of an evolution that commences along with the progression of the narrative such that it also intends to capture the movements of Orlando.11 Every critical transition and transformation of the character in Orlando is paid tribute to by changes in costume, hairstyling and makeup to augment not only the visual and aesthetic aspect of the movie but also attach meaning to the changes that Orlando is going through. This notion is significantly strengthened by use of costuming towards the end of the movie, which is reflective of a stark contrast between outfits such as Turkish robes, turbans, elaborate wigs and bowed neckerchiefs worn by Swinton before Orlando’s transition into a woman and the more conventional androgynous clothing that is worn by Orlando in the backdrop of the 1990s.12 In essence, the end of the movie marks the end of Orlando’s wanting, desperation and desire that could not be fulfilled even after centuries of existence. Now Orlando has everything she could have wanted, a young daughter and a book that is about to be published which is why the abundance of emotions and feelings being experienced by the character is overwhelming. It is at this point, that the simplicity of costuming is presented to the viewer. According to Bruzzi, this reflects the utopianism of Orlando’s narrative which aims to look beyond the restrictions of gender to create enduring designs13 that are an amalgamation of creativity and various elements such as style, culture and period. In Orlando, director Sally Potter breaks the traditional barriers and stereotypical assumptions that are associated with a movie of its genre, and its costumes also achieve the same feat. Works Cited Bruzzi, Stella. Undressing cinema: clothing and identity in the movies. Routledge, 2012. Pidduck, Julianne. "Travels with Sally Potters Orlando: gender, narrative, movement." Screen 38, no. 2 (1997): 172-189. Wellendorf, Kassandra. "The Undressing Women: The Function of Film Costume in Hollywood\ Film The Women from the." (2010). Read More