What is it about Snow White? Why do we keep making films, TV shows, and music videos about a heroine whose only claim to fame is her incredibly pale skin and proclivity for harmful fruit? I will certainly think about answers to this question as I watch Snow White and the Huntsman when I go see it.
The costumes for this, what feels like the umpteenth version of Snow White this year, were created by the brilliant Colleen Atwood (Alice in Wonderland, Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha). And they are dark, moody and atmospheric, just like the film (or at least the film's trailer).
I'm not a huge fan of faux-medieval chic, but a lot of it looks pretty cool.
Snow White's costume is very practical, if a little dull. I like how it illustrates the character's journey from an imprisoned princess to a strong and self-sufficient warrior. It starts out as your ordinary long dress, but as the story progresses, it gets torn and tattered and turns into a tunic that she improves with some leather boots, leggins and arm-guards. Really love those puffy sleeves.
The huntsman's costume is very basic. Everything looks like it was made by a guy who lives in a forest. Most of the elements were sewn by hand to give it that DIY look. It's leather on leather with more leather.
But it's the Evil Queen's costumes that are really worth a look. They are absolutely gorgeous and very creative.
Ravenna's feather cloak was the first costume that Colleen designed. There are over a thousand feathers hand-trimmed and sewn together.And it looks stunning. It reminds me of Prospera's magic cloak from the recent Tempest film. The dress underneath has this weird embroidery that almost looks like scars tissue.
Ravenna's wedding gown is incredible. It's beautiful and menacing at the same time. Some elements are delicate, like the soft fabric and the intricate embroidery along the bodice, but then there are the strips of leather attached to the skirt to create the contrasting pleats and the exoskeleton sleeves (which I absolutely adore!)
This is the Queen's "battle dress". It's essentially a chainmail with every metal plate attached by hand. It must have taken ages to construct. It does give the dress a very reptilian look, especially when she is walking with every single element moving. The collar is made of burnt and twisted leather. It does not look comfortable at all.
This dress is my absolute favorite. It reminds me of the legendary Lady Macbeth costume worn by Ellen Terry. If you're wondering, yes, those green 'spikes' are actually jewel beetle wings. The skirt and the sleeves look like they're made of cobwebs. there is a general sense of decaying greatness in this costume.
While the plot may be flimsy and the script cheesy, I will definitely go see this film, if only for the costumes.
What did you do this Wednesday? I went to see Tarsem Singh's Mirror Mirror. I pretty much knew what to expect after reading all the reviews, so I just sat back and enjoyed the pretty pictures. And pretty they were!
The costumes for this film were designed by Eiko Ishioka who worked with Singh before on The Cell and The Fall. Mirror Mirror was, sadly, her last project and she died soon after the film's completion.
SPOILERS START HERE!
The setting for Mirror Mirror is very much 'once upon a time, in a land far, far away', and so the film is not bound to any specific time period or location. But most of the costumes seem to be inspired by 18th century court dress. There are powdered wigs and voluminous skirts in abundance.
My personal favorite is this beautiful dress Snow White wears at the beginning. The colors are just gorgeous; but what makes this piece a real beauty is the little applique flowers and butterflies that look almost alive.
Snow white's badass-trained-by-dwarfs look was my second favorite. And it's actually something I would wear in real life. Maybe the corset over a bright blue peasant blouse is a bit too much, but those pants look very comfortable.
My friend and reluctant movie companion was of the opinion that the best part of this flick was the Prince's coat. Which was, admittedly, very impressive.
I loved how Snow White's palette changed throughout the film. She starts with a delicate pastel dress, and then we see her in white, followed by the blue and black look and finally this gorgeous white, blue and orange frock. My guess is that brighter, stronger colors signify character development. Though there is very little of that going on.
The masquerade ball gives us some pretty bland 'symbolic' costumes for the main cast: peacock, swan and rabbit.
But it's the supporting cast that really gets to shine. It seems that everyone at this party is wearing a fauna-themed costume. And they are quite creative. Walrus, shrimp, chicken, moose.
The evil queen is the one who steals the show with her gorgeous dresses. The skirts are huge, the shoulders are prominent and the collars are impressive. All her costumes are ostentatious and extravagant. And yet the character is very lovable. I have to say, more so than the dopey prince or the naive heroine.
I would recommend seeing this film in the cinema. It looks quite stunning on a big screen. But it's more fluff than substance and you shouldn't expect a provocative plot or depth of character. For a modernized fairy tale it's more of the same.
Here are some new pictures from the technicolor madness of Mirror, Mirror - a zany retelling of the Snow White story. And they are just as colorful as you would expect.
I love these costumes! They make me want to run to the sewing machine and start making something equally gorgeous. I think my absolute favorite is Snow White's yellow and pink embroidered dress with huge puffy sleeves. I adore embroidery and would love to make something similar.
Mirror, Mirror is the other Snow White film coming out in 2012. Apparently, Snow White and the Huntsman was not enough for Hollywood and they decided to have another film with a very similar plot.
Snow White (Lily Collins) and the Seven Dwarfs
Synopsis: A dark twist on the classic fairy tale, in which Snow White and the seven dwarfs look to reclaim their destroyed kingdom. - from IMDB
This film I am definitely going to see. Apart form the beauty of technicolor madness, it's got a great cast, hilariously outlandish costumes and the campiest performances I have seen in a while.
Julia Roberts is brilliant as the evil queen. She is doing it with so much ham and cheese that she turns a rather banal evil witch into comedic gold.
Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen with a passion for fashion
Lily Collins makes a cute and believable Snow White. She certainly looks the part, though it's hard to tell from the trailer if she is a particularly interesting character.
Skin as white as snow, hair as black as night
The dashing Prince Charming is played by Armie Hammer, which is weird, because to me he is one of the classic 'meh' actors - conventionally good looking and with as much charisma and stage presence as a cotton sock.
Armie Hammer aka Prince Andrew Alcott as the model of mediocrity
Played by Martin Klebba, Jordan Prentice, Danny Woodburn, Ronald Lee Clark, Sebastian Saraceno, Joe Gnoffo and Mark Povinelli, the dwarfs seem a fun and diverse lot.
Snow White befriending seven tough fellas
Tarsem Singh, who has directed Mirror, Mirror, is well known for his stunning visual style. And this film doesn't disappoint. In addition to beautiful cinematography, it's got great costumes. Everything from Snow White's dorky 'swan' costume to pretty much everything worn by the 'evil' queen is absolutely magnificent.
The media is already turning this into The Great Battle of the Whites, anticipating a showdown between these film in spring/summer 2012. While I may skip Snow White and the Huntsman on account of me not caring much for a protagonist who looks either sickly or bored, I will definitely go and see Mirror, Mirror in the cinema. It may be style over substance, but at least it's got plenty of style.
I heard about this film a few months back. Right around the time I heard about another Snow White film coming out at the same time. What is it about Snow White that fascinates us so much that we need to rehash the story over and over and over again? Sometimes even two or three times in one year.
To be fair, no pun intended, I'm intrigued. The trailer looks very cool and it could be a wonderful film that is bad, but also utterly enjoyable. On the other hand, it could end up like Red Ridding Hood - a confused sexy-time fairy tale that really makes no sense and is going nowhere with its convoluted plot.
Charlize Theron looks absolutely bad-ass as the evil queen and I love her costume. She just oozes sexiness and evilness.
Chris Hemsworth is reprising his role as Thor. Just look at him, slightly arrogant and gruff attitude, an axe (not hammers, but close), a stubble and old-timey clothes.
Sam Claflin plays Prince Charmant. I feel like this guy is in it just to make the Huntsman look good. He was in Pirates of the Carabean: On Stranger Tides, which makes him the poor man's Orlando Bloom.
And now for White herself. I don't hate Kristen Stewart. She's not a brilliant actress, but she's not terrible either. She seems to be very good at doing angst. But when I look at her, I just don't see Snow White.
And why does she have the White Tree of Gondor on her shield?
I am somewhat intrigued by this film and I will probably see it when it comes out, but what bothers me is an apparent lack of imagination of the Hollywood movie factory. Snow White has been done to death and, for all its boasting of a new 'twist,' this is not as revolutionary as they want us to think.
I love retellings of fairy tales. As old as these stories are, they are part of our (at least in the western world) common experience. In fact, I love Gail Carson Levine's retelling of the Snow White story called Fairest. It is interesting precisely because it deviates from the 'original' in so many ways - the evil queen is not all that evil and she is not old, Snow White is not a beauty and the Prince is fun and down-to-earth.
I don't mind seeing more fairy tale-inspired films in the future, but I want them to be more than hot and steamy Twilight ripoffs (looking at you, Red Riding Hood) or rehashing of old themes with a bit of 'empowerment' on the side. What if the evil queen has a good reason to kill Snow White? What if she is trying to save her people from strife and war that the girl will inadvertently cause? What if Snow White is not at all the chosen one? What if she becomes the queen's nemesis by accident? And what of the dwarves? What are their stories? Where did they come from? What are they doing in that forest? So many tales left untold....
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
