'Elizabeth' by Shekhar Kapur 1998
This film shows the early part of Elizabeth's life when she became Queen. I think it shows 3 main stages; a young woman without any cares to becoming the Virgin Queen where she dedicates her life to her country, hiding her feelings behind a mask. The makeup used throughout the film cleverly ages Cate Blanchett and enhances the emotions in the role that she is playing.
Jenny Shircore was the hair and makeup artist for this film and she was awarded a Bafta for best hair and makeup.
Jenny Shircore was the hair and makeup artist for this film and she was awarded a Bafta for best hair and makeup.
I think that make-up and hair were used to help portray a
transition from teenager to world weary woman. At the beginning of the film Elizabeth was portrayed as being young and carefree, dancing outside with her friends including Robert Dudley. Her hair reflects this by being simply styled, worn loose with only the two front pieces pulled back from her face. The hair styles became progressively more "grown up" and complex with different elements using jewels, feathers and plaits as the film went on.
Before Elizabeth became queen, Cate Blanchett was made to look very natural by Jenny Shircore using neutral colours. In real life Elizabeth would have been unlikely to have worn makeup at her age and away from court. Jenny Shircore has stated that "film makeup has to be spot on because the camera goes very close."
Before Elizabeth became queen, Cate Blanchett was made to look very natural by Jenny Shircore using neutral colours. In real life Elizabeth would have been unlikely to have worn makeup at her age and away from court. Jenny Shircore has stated that "film makeup has to be spot on because the camera goes very close."
At her coronation, Cate Blanchett appears with her hair down
which is how Elizabeth was painted in the portrait, so this is quite historically accurate, as it was customary for
English Queens to attend their coronation with loose hair.
After her coronation her style started to change slightly as she started to wear her hair up more and also with a lot more jewels and pearls in her hair but still looking quite natural just with more intricate designs. I think this would have happened in real life because she would have had court ladies to do her hair for her each day and she would have had pressure to keep up with fashion.
Towards the middle of the film it shows her hair in tight curls and pinned to her head and also her hair line seemed to be much further back and her eye brows appeared very pale. In the 16th century, beauty was considered to be wide set eyes under narrow arched brows and a high hair line. A high hair line had been a sign of aristocracy for centuries and women would pluck their hair line back by an inch or more to create the ideal look. Hence the term "high brow" meaning superior learning or culture. Ladies also completely plucked their eyebrows off, however I think that this would not have looked good in the film so they just made her eyebrows pale.
At the beginning of the film it shows a woman having her hair brutally cut off and shaved as a punishment before she was burnt at the stake. The film ends with Cate Blanchett having her hair cut off by her lady in waiting. I think that the producers were trying to show the audience that Elizabeth was punishing herself for having feelings which she felt was a weakness. She then wears a wig which is a much brighter red with tight curls around her face which was fashionable at the time. I think she enhanced her hair colour to make a statement that she was related to the very powerful King Henry VIII who also had red hair. In the film however I feel that the wig was made to be deep red to contrast with her white face.
She also wore thick white face paint which in those days was made from white lead and vinegar which caused skin damage. In the film it is only Elizabeth that wears this heavy makeup, whereas I feel that if this was the fashionable look of the time, I'm sure more of the court ladies would have looked like this. The makeup she is seen wearing at the end is very symbolic because in those days being pale meant you were very wealthy and upper class because it meant you didn't have to work outside in the sun. Women's skin in Elizabethan times was often scarred from small pox. I think this was one of the reasons that Elizabeth started to wear such thick makeup. However, in the film it was portrayed as Elizabeth putting on a mask to hide her feelings for Robert Dudley and to portray the look of a virgin like the statue in the church.
Towards the middle of the film it shows her hair in tight curls and pinned to her head and also her hair line seemed to be much further back and her eye brows appeared very pale. In the 16th century, beauty was considered to be wide set eyes under narrow arched brows and a high hair line. A high hair line had been a sign of aristocracy for centuries and women would pluck their hair line back by an inch or more to create the ideal look. Hence the term "high brow" meaning superior learning or culture. Ladies also completely plucked their eyebrows off, however I think that this would not have looked good in the film so they just made her eyebrows pale.
At the beginning of the film it shows a woman having her hair brutally cut off and shaved as a punishment before she was burnt at the stake. The film ends with Cate Blanchett having her hair cut off by her lady in waiting. I think that the producers were trying to show the audience that Elizabeth was punishing herself for having feelings which she felt was a weakness. She then wears a wig which is a much brighter red with tight curls around her face which was fashionable at the time. I think she enhanced her hair colour to make a statement that she was related to the very powerful King Henry VIII who also had red hair. In the film however I feel that the wig was made to be deep red to contrast with her white face.
She also wore thick white face paint which in those days was made from white lead and vinegar which caused skin damage. In the film it is only Elizabeth that wears this heavy makeup, whereas I feel that if this was the fashionable look of the time, I'm sure more of the court ladies would have looked like this. The makeup she is seen wearing at the end is very symbolic because in those days being pale meant you were very wealthy and upper class because it meant you didn't have to work outside in the sun. Women's skin in Elizabethan times was often scarred from small pox. I think this was one of the reasons that Elizabeth started to wear such thick makeup. However, in the film it was portrayed as Elizabeth putting on a mask to hide her feelings for Robert Dudley and to portray the look of a virgin like the statue in the church.
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