'Elizabeth'

Shekhar Kapur's 'Elizabeth' shows the Elizabethan era, and the status of the characters through the makeup and hair.

At the beginning of the film Elizabeth wears no makeup, although some elements typical of Elizabethan makeup, such as the high hair line and plucked eyebrows are still shown. The Elizabeth we see in the beginning can be seen in a direct contrast with Queen Elizabeth at the end. The lack of makeup could  symbolise her 'innocence' and the freedom that she has in her life as she has not yet ascended the throne. This is in direct contrast with the end of the film where she enters the court fully made up with the painted white face, rouged lips and cheeks, and kohl on the eyes - makeup typical of upper-class women in Elizabethan society. The symbolism of this being shown at the very end of the film when she announces that 'she is married to England' shows that she has decided to put her country before herself and thus begin the Elizabethan era. Furthermore the use of more makeup at the end of the film could show her disguising her true self and becoming what everyone else wants her to be by 'getting married'.

Throughout the film, the hair is of great significance as well as symbolic. At the beginning, Elizabeth has long free-flowing hair which makes her look wild and less aristocratic. However, as the film progresses changes in her hair are noticeable. As soon as she is crowned Queen, subtle changes are brought in such as; curling and putting the hair up in intricate style with headpieces. These changes show the transition that she is making from Princess to Queen and the rise in her status level. In the Elizabethan era, once a woman married she began to wear her hair up, this change in the way Elizabeth wore her hair was beginning to be shown in the film. By the end of the film as Elizabeth declared herself 'married to England' she had completed the transition to a married woman and her hair reflected this.

Furthermore,  the act of cutting off her long hair and declaring herself 'a virgin' could be seen to be a juxtaposition as usually long hair would symbolise virginity before marriage. The symbolism of cutting off the hair could show her reborn as the new Queen Elizabeth, the 'virgin Queen' or cutting off her identity entirely so she can become what her country needs in a ruler. Although there is no evidence that she did cut off her hair, there is speculation that Elizabeth's hair fell out as a result of contracting smallpox in 1562 thus making her wear wigs to cover this up.

The lack of makeup used throughout the majority of the film could also be making her appeal to a contemporary audience by breaking through the typical look that is associated with Elizabeth I. Even the poster for the film shows the makeup-free Elizabeth, so that even before watching the film the audience has a different view from the Elizabeth we all think we know.

Induction Week

The induction week at Solent University was a lot of fun, getting to know the people on the course as well as gaining an insight as to what the industry will be like once we get started. I have summarised my thoughts and experience of induction week below.

Black and White Photo Challenge: Tuesday, 11-1

My first photo, of the student run shop Re:So
I never knew  this place was in the Marlands but was nice to find.

I found this on a staircase I never knew was there.
The writing made me wonder who had written it
and what significance it meant to that person.

This was my favourite task we were given, I found it really interesting and also quite challenging, I know Southampton pretty well being from the area and going to the city numerous times however this task made me look at the city I thought I knew in a different light to how I would usually. This task definitely took me away from my comfort zone and the parts of the city that I am 'used' to going to and find some hidden gems of the city that I would not have noticed on a normal day. 

Looking around the city, it was easy to take photos of the obvious landmarks and buildings, but I think this challenge made me think more about the things that don't stand out as much and although they may not be seen at a first glance they can still have a hidden beauty in the details. I think this challenge has definitely forced me to think about how I can push myself outside my comfort zone, which will be helpful in my work for the next three years so that I can be confident in challenging myself and trying new ideas. If I were to do this challenge again, it would be nice to branch even further afield and see what other hidden gems the city has to offer. 

The lights aren't something we
usually notice straight away,
these stood out as something special
and not what you usually see.

Summer Project Discussion: Monday, 3-4

All of our mood-boards together, showing the diversity

The Summer Project 'If I Could I Would' I found really interesting as it made me think about exactly what I want to happen at the end of University and how that could be possible. However I did find it challenging to think of exactly what I want to do, especially being a novice in the field and not knowing my full potential and strengths just yet. Being able to get into groups with my classmates and see how we all want to progress in our careers just showed how diverse we all are. Furthermore by introducing each person's goals to the whole class started us on knowing everyone and not just those in our smaller groups. I think this exercise was really helpful in highlighting the strengths of each individual person and allowed us to know that if we do need some extra help in a certain area we can always go and learn from each other.

Illamasqua lecture and workshop: Wednesday 1-4:30

It was really interesting to hear from Spob and Helen about the origins of the brand and how it has changed over time with the trends that are coming in each year, as well as their stories from the industry.  From the lecture, it definitely opened my eyes as to what each area of the industry will be like in terms of availability of jobs. It also showed me what it is like in the life of a makeup artist, and how you have to use your imagination and think on your feet if you are in a situation where you don't have a certain product. They further emphasised this during the workshop where Spob and Helen recreated runway looks using the Illamasqua bright lip colours on the eyes. The whole experience helped me understand the life in the industry a lot more and how it is always changing, which is something we will have to learn as we progress in our careers. I feel like this whole experience has made me realise exactly what it takes to break into this industry, and what I need to work on whilst I'm at university in order to be able to be imaginative, think on my feet and still work to a brief given.