www.indiewire.com: In director Jay Roach and writer Tony McNamara‘s new take on Warren Adler’s novel “The War of the Roses” — previously filmed in 1989 and now retitled simply “The Roses” — married couple Ivy (Olivia Colman) and Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch) move from blissful infatuation with one another to seething resentment, a journey costume designer PC Williams had to express through the actors’ clothes.
I found this article really interesting because it gave me a deeper understanding of how much thought goes into costume design beyond just choosing clothes that look nice. I liked how PC Williams approached the characters of Ivy and Theo by considering their creative identities and then translating that into their wardrobe choices, with Ivy’s expressive, print-heavy looks and Theo’s quiet, structured style. I also thought it was fascinating to see how the costumes evolved alongside the characters’ personal journeys, with Ivy becoming more businesslike while still keeping her flair, and Theo moving into a more practical, domestic style. Another aspect that stood out to me was the collaboration between costume and scenic design. It reminded me of how important it is that patterns, colors, and textures work with the sets rather than compete against them, which really enhances the overall aesthetic of the film. It’s such a thoughtful, artistic process.
ReplyDeleteThe level of detail that goes through a costume designer’s head is amazing. The choices all have to have a meaning and feed into the story in some way. The details of line, form, color, and aesthetic in the space can either add to or distract from the story and are important choices. I try not to think that there is a difference between costume designing for the stage and for film, but there are significant elements that make it vastly different. Being able to have multiple fully realized locations and the intimacy that comes with a camera being able to capture tiny details that would otherwise be missed add a layer of complexity to film that sometimes can be lost in theater. The realistic set of filming on location makes it so you have to work with each department to make sure that everything is cohesive and adds rather than detracting.
ReplyDeleteI loved this article as it really showed me the importance of costume design and the impact it has on a performance. I thought that putting Ivy in more colorful, design heavy clothes, as she was a chef, whereas Theo was in more muted colors and had more of a business style wardrobe, as he was an architect. That was specifically interesting to me as, in my opinion, can both be considered artists and the designers went about costuming based on the characters expression of creativity. I have never been much of a costume designer so it was interesting for me to read just how much thought and detail goes into it, such as the costumes evolving throughout the characters personal journeys in the movie. Something interesting I had read was the collaboration between costumes and scenic as they had sort of matched Andy Samberg's shirt to a wallpaper and in a later scene a necktie to a back of a chair.
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