"The Favourite" was ridiculed as the British version of "Story of Yanxi Palace", a lily movie dressed in a palace fight. It is said to be a British black humor film, but it is actually not humorous at all. The retro British court costumes gave me a stronger impact.
It tells the story of England in the early eighteenth century. Queen Anne was the last queen of the British Stuart dynasty. The Duchess of Marsala and Queen Anne were childhood sweethearts and had always maintained a secret lover relationship. With the arrival of Abigail, a distant relative, a battle for favor begins.
The costume design of "The Favourite" came from the famous film and television costume designer Sandy Powell, and was nominated for the best costume design of the 91st Academy Awards (the costume of "Mary Poppins 2" nominated in the same session was also by her), and won Received honors such as Best Costume Design at the 2018 British Independent Film Awards.
The background of the film's story takes place in the early 18th century. In early modern Britain, women's more typical dresses are exaggerated and tight V-shaped corsets and exaggerated umbrella skirts, which are extremely distorted to highlight women's curvaceous beauty. Corps Baleine (corset) + Pannier (skirt), is the symbol of British women's clothing in the 18th century.
But clothing can often represent a person's class, especially in feudal society, there are strict classifications for clothing. Cloths such as silk, velvet, and mink were only used by nobles, and the general public mainly wore clothes made of heavy tweed and hard leather. In the 18th century, cotton and linen became the raw material for popular clothing. The clothes Abigail wore in "The Favourite" was linen.
At that time, men's clothing was also extremely luxurious. It can be seen from the film that men at that time generally wore exaggerated and heavy wigs and painted heavy makeup.
The costumes seen in "The Favourite" can be easily reminiscent of the British drama "Famous Shu". The times and perspectives of the two are similar. They are both British in the background of the 18th century, and they are all from the perspective of women. , In fact, the gender of "female" is not important here, but as a person, the pursuit of power, in the era, can change the fate that cannot be changed.
Another inspiration brought to me by "The Favourite" and "Famous Shu" is that the beautiful women in the last century showed the beauty of women in a variety of ways. Even "low-end" people like prostitutes are not willing to sell their souls for money. Freedom, when "female independence" is advocated today, has a little enlightenment on what female independence is.
Let's see how the costumes in the film reflect the hearts of the three characters and hint at their destiny. Designer Sandy Powell has been designing film and television costumes since 1986. She has been in the industry for more than 30 years and has won numerous awards, including three golden statuettes. My favorite biographical film "She's Lonely Than Fireworks" is about cellist Jie Jie. The story of Quéline Dupre, whose costumes are also designed by her.
For the film and television costume design, Sandy Powell said: "80% of the costumes come from psychological research, and the remaining 20% is the art of design." In this costume design, the protagonist's costume is black and white, and there is no court costume. Bright and colorful, more accurate to capture the psychology of the characters.
Compared with the costume style of the Stuart Dynasty, the costumes in the film have lost the two elements of the Raff collar and the drumhead whalebone hoop, and the overall costume is more concise.
Abigail, played by Emma Stone, was originally an aristocrat, but her family was in trouble. Her father lost her to a German at the poker table. At the beginning of the film, she came to the palace to find her cousin, Ma. Mrs. Shar, seeking a job, her clothes are relatively simple and plain, with linen fabrics and not too much decoration. But she chose to wear a hat. It can be seen that she has always regarded herself as a nobleman, and still retains the style of a young lady.
Unlike the Duchess, Abigail has a noble background. At this time, her identity is a maid. In this court, the first thing she has to face is the problem of survival. There are several major changes in Abigail in the play. , to set off the change in her status.
There is a difference in the motives of competing for favor, or the values of Abigail and Marsala. Marsala has this country in her heart, but for Abigail, she doesn't care how the country is. To complete the leap of class, she is unwilling to be a maid, she only cares about herself.
In the film, the character of Duchess Marsala, played by Rachel Weisz, is mainly displayed through her behavior. Her character is strong and independent, and her clothes will be more heroic, such as her clothes will be more close-fitting, Free to move, she has a trouser suit that showcases her free-spirited masculine side, while lace and lace give it a feminine touch.
In the film, Marsala also has several sets of costumes similar to riding suits, with tight clothes on the upper body and petticoats on the lower body, which also reflects the free and wild side of Marsala's character.
Including several scenes in which Marsala and the Queen are in the same frame, Marsala's clothes are more dignified, while the Queen's clothes are more childish, which can also reflect that in this relationship, Marsala is in a strong position, and the Queen is going through a period of time. Inner loneliness and emptiness after a series of traumas.
The role of Queen Anne is a tragic character. She raised 17 rabbits to commemorate her 17 children who died early. In her later years, Queen Anne suffered from gout and illness. Under the huge power, she was even more lonely and helpless. . Therefore, Queen Anne in the film is very childish and has always been eager for the care of Mrs. Marsala. Olivia's brilliant interpretation of Princess Anne earned her an Oscar for Best Actress.
Queen Anne's uneasiness and fragility are also fully displayed in the costumes. The huge overskirt at the beginning was cut by Powell with a scouring bed cover. In a state of unease, Queen Anne is always inappropriate and childish.
At the end of the film, the three people have different fates. The Duchess of Marsala is forced to leave England, but she still has to save face for herself, saying to her husband: "My dear, I am suddenly so tired of England."
Queen Anne put her hand on Abigail's head, and both were contemplating their respective fates.
There are still many interesting things in the play, such as the duck competition in the palace at the beginning, and there are also many bad tastes. The nobles in gorgeous clothes jumped up and down, which was very lively and empty.
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