Film Review: Swoon

Most people expect films set in the 1920s to be fluffy and romantic, or even a little bit silly, but if you're looking for sweetness in Swoon then you'd be hard pressed to find a single drop. Even so, I rather enjoyed it, even if I was confused at times, not being familiar with the  Leopold-Loeb case. The whole film was a black and white nightmare that came in and out of focus and jumped scenes like a dream sequence, atmospheric, broody and surreal.

The story follows the gay relationship between Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two lovers with a penchant for danger and thrills. At a first glance their love is sweet yet reckless, as they kiss out in the open during homophobic times and vandalise properties, breaking glass windows and stirring up trouble. This feckless kind of life would have undoubtedly led to trouble the way they were heading, yet it seemed that they had no reason to kill a poor child, which caused their downfall and imprisonment. I felt that this wasn't very well explained in the movie, and I was left wondering what on earth made them kidnap a boy and murder him, and why they were so cool and collected about it. Either way, it was very disturbing.

 I wish there were more happy films about LGBT people set during historical times, especially in the 1920s. If anyone has any recommendations, I'd be pleased to hear them! 

The Wizard of Oz

Right now I am completely enchanted with the world of Oz; from the sweet yet creepy world in the original film, to the darker, gritty, yet beautifully descriptive Gregory Maguire universe, I am in love. The other night I watched the 1939 version of the Wizard of Oz, and while it wasn't as amazing as I remembered it to be as a child, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The surrealist, almost hallucinogenic, feel of the movie reminds me a lot of Alice in Wonderland, and thus I'd recommend it to any fan of the former novel and film.

Isn't July Garland as Dorothy adorable!

I love the colour and vibrancy of this film, as well as how when Dorothy finds herself in Oz, the world is transformed from sepia to full-colour. I also love Dorothy and Glinda the Good Witch, but the other characters, such as the Munchkins, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion freaked me out a bit, as did the Wizard illusion special effects.
Also, the Wicked Witch of the West was a tad disappointing compared with Elphaba's complexity, though I knew that this would be the case.

Both Wicked and the Wizard of Oz has inspired me to think about making costumes from movies and the theater. Who wouldn't want to go about their day dressed as Glinda, decked from head to toe in tulle ballgowns? Maybe some day in the future I'll make Glinda and Elphaba dresses, inspired by different time periods and their characters...

I'm so in love with this costume, and I think Glinda is my spirit animal, haha.

Film Review: Belle

I bought this film ages ago but haven't watched it until now - for some reason I'm always nervous to watch something new to me, and have to pluck up the nerve to do it for ages (Aspie problems, I suspect), but I have no idea why I waited so long for Belle. I loved it! It was just my cup of tea; historical, about historical, upper-class, prejudiced society, and with plenty of gorgeous dresses and a touch of romance. The actors were amazing, the costumes were stunning, and the music was very pleasant too. There was also plenty of atmosphere and emotion - I almost needed to cry for poor Dido!

The story follows Dido Elizabeth Belle, the mixed-race daughter of an admiral who goes off to sea, leaving Dido in his family's care. At first they are stunned and rather perplexed that she was black, but it seems through the course of the movie that many people love her despite her colour, especially her cousin Elizabeth - whom claims she is like a sister to her - and a few men that try to win her heart. I love the relationship between Dido and Elizabeth - very sweet, and very realistic, as even Elizabeth has to snap at Dido at some point.
There is naturally a lot of racial discrimination throughout this film, very saddening in parts, especially when Dido appears to hate herself because of her race and we learn about the slaves that were killed on a cargo ship voyage. Dido finds herself intrigued by the case regardless of her family telling her not to get involved, and sets about trying to solve it and gain justice for the murdered slaves.

Belle was inspired by this 1779 painting, which I find very inspiring. Hopefully many more 18th Century-based movies can be made based around interesting portraits - I'd certainly watch them!

Rosemary's Baby

As part of my research for college - we're doing a fashion project based on the psychedelic years 1966-70 - we were given a list of films to watch and review. Thankfully Rosemary's Baby was on this list, as I've been meaning to watch it for a long time now.

Pregnant Rosemary is expecting her first child, and along with the usual worries of bearing a child, she comes to suspect her neighbours and husband of being a witches' coven; at first she is paranoid that they want to use the blood and flesh of her first child in a ritual, but it is soon revealed that the child belongs to Satan. Naturally she is horrified at the ordeal, though towards the end her horror begins to wane as she rocks the child.

Despite being rated an 18, I didn't really find this film scary or obscene in any way; I suppose in the mid-sixties a theme of Satan worship would have been rather controversial and frightening for people (I assume), but today it seems rather dated, with far more disturbing films available. Perhaps the scariest part was when the camera briefly zooms in on a woman that committed suicide, showing blood. Despite this, I enjoyed it, as the character Rosemary Woodhouse had me constantly on the edge of my seat.

My favourite parts were how the music added suspense - I particularly liked the opening song/main theme music as it reminds me of the creepier Ennio Morricone songs with Edda Dell'Orso (my kind of music from the 60s and 70s) - and the slow build up to her hysteria.
However, I would have liked to have seen what Rosemary's Baby looked like, being half-Satan and all. The inverted cross hanging above the baby's crib was a nice touch for adding further creepiness, as well as the crowd yelling "hail Satan" and "God is dead" amidst Rosemary's cries of "oh God".

I also liked the constant imagery of medicinal/ritualistic herbs throughout, like the foul-smelling herbs in hers and the woman that committed suicide's necklace, which was claimed to bring good luck, the herb gardens that keep getting mentioned and promised by the husband, the medicinal drinks that her Satan-hailing neighbour makes her take, as well as Rosemary's own name. These herbal references hint at witchcraft from the beginning, perhaps foreshadowing what the family-to-be would get into by moving to the old deceased woman's apartment.

Suffragette

Yesterday evening my Mum took me out to see Suffragette, and it probably has to be the best film I've watched this year! It's so well done and so important to watch that I recommend everybody to see it, regardless of whether historical matters interest you or not!

Instead of following the stories of Emmeline Pankhurst or Emily Davison as you'd expect, Suffragette is about Maud Watts, a young woman who unwillingly at first becomes involved with the Suffragette movement and loses everything, leading to her to fight for her rights with the rest of the women. Of course, the infamous scene where Emily Davison throws herself in front of the horse is also shown, and I could barely watch, and I felt so sorry for poor Maud who had to watch that happen.

As for the actors, I thought they were brilliant, especially Helena Bonham Carter (one of my favourite actors) who played the chemist and Suffragette, Edith Ellyn, and Carey Mulligan (Maud Watts).

This movie is an emotional rollercoaster filled with tragedy, and in places I very nearly cried, especially where her son was taken away from her. The men in the film absolutely fill me with disgust, especially the owner of the factory that preys on young working girls (though he gets his just desserts soon enough, which serves him right), the random jeering men that believe women will never get the vote, and even Maud's completely ignorant husband.

Maud's life seems terrible, and still she keeps going to work and even manages to laugh and smile once in a while! She was a great fictional character addition to the Suffragette story, and even though she didn't exist in real life, I think the story is very believable.

I love this film and it makes me want to make a Suffragette-themed Edwardian costume at some point!

The Duchess

Last night I watched The Duchess for the first time and I was stunned by the costumes. Usually I wouldn't watch a movie with that kind of plot line (not really into dramas, being a comedy kind of girl), but I was pleased I did. Lots of inspiration has come from this film and it's confirmed my dream that I want to be a costume designer, as well as an author! Really, who wouldn't want to be surrounded by Georgian dresses all day?!
At the same time, I've purchased Patterns of Fashion 1660-1860 by Janet Arnold on Amazon, and designed some of my first 18th Century garments, including a sack-back gown, an anglaise dress, undergarments, and accessories. Wish me luck!

The story follows the tragic life of Georgiana the Duchess of Devonshire, stuck in a loveless marriage with the adulterous Duke, who even goes as far as to make her best friend - Elizabeth Foster - his lover. Not only that, but Bess was living in her home and she couldn't do a thing about it! So when she proposes that the Duke accept her love affair with politician Charles Grey, she is violated and blackmailed into submission in the end.
From what I've heard dotted around the internet, this story is based on real events. I've even seen Foster on a Duchess of Devonshire blog, listed as one of the biggest, most infamous Tart of the Week - which I admit made me giggle quite a bit.

Anyway, here are some screen shots of particularly gorgeous outfits:

Black Butler Live-action Film

This film... was not what I was expecting. At all. Ciel was a girl, living in modern-day Japan as opposed to Victorian England - you can't get any more different than that! Still, I quite liked it for what it was, even if it was a stark difference to the Black Butler we all know and love.

In a way, it loosely follows the kidnapping plot of the first manga book, but with the twist of an evil drug called Necrosis (honest to God, does nobody these days have the sense to stay away from pills with the Latin word for 'death' in it!) that mummifies your body almost instantly.

The actress for Ciel was actually really good, and all the characters were almost spot on in portrayal, although Sebastian wasn't nearly as charming as he is in the manga and anime. It surprised me, but the costumes in this film didn't look like really cheap cosplay costumes! An effort was made to make Ciel look dapper and smart, with his/her cane and top hat. I'm really glad that they didn't stick those strange, eyeless glasses on Mey Rin this time also, as that would have made things even more fake.

There was even some romance between Ciel and Mey Rin, and Ciel and Sebastian, which came as a huge surprise. In my opinion though, I think the writers made Ciel female in this film to enable romance between him and Sebastian, which is very unfair, both for Yana Toboso - who made him and obviously supports same-sex things - and the fans of Black Butler. Not to mention, it really says a lot about the acceptance of gay men in this film!

To be frank, it's not the best film I've ever seen, yet I did admire some aspects of it, such as the styling of the characters, and the dark atmosphere which is perfect for Black Butler. I'm really on the fence for this film.

Marie Poupée - A Second Glance

So, last night I watched Marie Poupée with English subtitles. This time around I noticed it was much more sinister than at first glance; it seems that Marie is being kept prisoner in a way by her husband, and she can't make even the simplest of choices for herself - such as what she wants to wear each day, or where she goes and what she does. Her husband leaves her for long times and doesn't seem to love her like a human, instead, he is very possessive and treats her like one of his dolls, or perhaps not even as lovingly as one of his dolls. "She is trapped in a doll house!" is my first reaction upon understanding the dialogue. 
This leads to her death, ultimately. In this respect, I think Marie has a lot of similarities with Curley's Wife from John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men. They are both embodiments of femininity (black "sausage curled" ringlets, as they would say in Of Mice and Men; heavy makeup, latest fashion crazes, always looking for a man to be with, and girlish pink, pink, pink - or a sultry red, in Curley's Wife's case) and both end up dying because they're seen as inferior by men. Plus, they were both used by their husbands - Marie was used as a very pretty new ornament for her husband's chateau, and Curely's Wife was simply there to boost Curely's status on the ranch, as something to be smug about. 
These are my interpretations, so feel free to ignore them.

At the end of school I told Wendy all about Marie Poupée and she seemed quite interested. We both had a discussion and decided that it wasn't true love between Marie and her husband, as he just wanted to possess her like a doll. Though, she did say that wanting to own somebody could be seen as a form of love - I must say I only half agree with that, as if you love someone, you want them to be free and happy rather than trapped and intimidated.
It's an interesting question as to whether he loved Marie... I would speculate that he thought he did love her, as he mentions it was love at first sight (which I don't really believe in, to be honest), but in the end he just wanted her for his collection.
On the other hand, Marie was mad about him, so I do feel very sympathetic towards her. He was a huge disappointment when she was expecting her prince to come.

Also, I found some songs by France Gall (from the 60s), and 'Poupée de cire, poupée de son' and 'Les Sucettes' reminds me of Marie Poupée. The sweet, baby-pop songs and candy-pink related words in the lyrics are reminiscent of Marie, and the innocent mind of the singer in 'Les Sucettes' (which has a deeper meaning than just lollipops, I'm afraid to say) does too in particular. The way the singer was coerced into singing a song about sex without knowing its meaning, is like the innocent, childlike mindset of Marie when she enters into an unsavory world of men wanting to do damage to young girls.

Marie Poupée

Since Mais ne nous délivrez pas du mal, I've been searching for another 70s movie with Jeanne Goupil in, as she's played a huge role in my fashion tastes at the moment. So I found Marie Poupée, another film by the same director. There is a dream-like, surreal atmosphere to this film, as expected of Joel Seria. Unfortunately there was no English subtitles to be found, so I had to watch it half-understanding what was going on. Mainly I focused on the clothes that have very Lolita aesthetics to them, as Marie loves dolls and emulates them in style.



From what I can gather, Marie is an orphan that lives with her grandparents. It seems she behaves a lot younger than her actual age (seventeen), possibly because of her hard past, so she adores dolls in the manner of a little girl.
One day she meets this older man in an antique store. He loves dolls, she loves dolls; it's a match made in heaven, therefore they get married. However, married life isn't at all what Marie anticipated, as he rarely gives her attention and neglects her for days at a time. He treats her like a doll and hardly even loves her as a real person, and so the marriage grows stale.
Very unhappy, Marie seeks attention from other adults (such as this older woman and a male gardener), but their affection isn't what she wanted either, as it seemed they took advantage of her sexually - especially the gardener, who raped her. As she escapes from him, she hits her head hard and becomes unconscious, alone and cold for the whole night. After that, I had no idea, as it was all a bit vague to someone just learning French like me.

Again, Jeanne Goupil has outdone herself in the role of Marie. Her sweet, traditionally feminine and mild personality comes as a shock here, as in her other films she is a devil in frilly dresses! She’s so youthful and fresh-faced in all her performances, with lovely tanned skin and dark hair - not to mention a stunning smile! Her voice is so sweet and sugared here as well. Indeed, she makes a perfect Lolita in this film!

Although Lolita fashion prides itself on being modest and innocent -  as well as far away from the novel Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov in sensibilities - this movie is full to the brim of Lolita-styled clothes and ideas about dolls, so I think it would be great to experience some Lolita filmography. Perhaps some French-speaking Lolitas would like to see this film, even just for the clothes.

Of course, my review isn't in as much detail as I would have liked, simply because I couldn't follow the dialogue. For a more in-depth review into the darkness of this film, as well as some more pictures, follow these links.