Dressing Beyond the Male Gaze
This eccentric film is still in the spotlight of discussions in the countdown to the Oscar’s Gala. Let’s dive in once more into the meaning of the wardrobe (to me).
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Yorgos Lanthimos' latest piece, Poor Things, has given a lot to talk about, starting from its discourse and feminist criticism, to the fantastical worlds that we find ourselves immersed in since the first minute of the film. Besides the carefully curated accents and outstanding set design, which complement the transition from childhood to womanhood flawlessly in the storyline, one of the aspects that stands out most in the piece is the wardrobe, which has an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design.
The master behind these costume creations is Holly Waddington, who, in a conversation with Vogue, says that she took inspiration from Victorian patterns with exaggerated silhouettes and breathed new life into them through the use of modern fabrics like latex and plastic. The result is a wardrobe that accompanies protagonist Bella Baxter in a tale about expressing her sexuality and finding her place in a male-dominated society and surroundings; which we can see resembling more aspects of feminine intimacy as she continues to delve into her own sexual exploration.
“She's not saddled with the years of being part of the world and being brainwashed,” Waddington explains. “There's an impulsive quality to her, so I really liked the idea that the clothes would be effortless.”
When you walk into the movie theater to see what I think is one of the best films of the year, your mind is first trying to understand the strange world on screen. Then, you might notice how amazing the costumes are, turning the film into something truly special.
In its careful curation, Waddington reflects a companion of the story narrative, allowing the audience to see expressed in clothes the growth of the protagonist’s child brain into womanhood. Funnily enough, what I thought after seeing some of the outfits was, “I would wear that!” (if it was okay to).
This particular outfit, when Bella sets off for a solo adventure in “Lisbon”, had me thinking of how much more colorful and in your face fashion might be if it wasn’t so constricted and guided through the devilish hand of the male gaze. I thought to myself, “maybe the style of a modern Victorian child is really what I would be going for if I didn’t think about what was cool.”
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What Poor Things does very interestingly is show the unhinged desires and choices of femmes who have yet to be poisoned by society’s norms and who don’t make themselves small to abide by the desires of the different male figures around them. As Bella's character evolved, I began to understand Lanthimos's intentions more clearly through her changing wardrobe. Waddington's exceptional work in selecting clothing that mirrored what a child might sneak from their mother's closet truly stood out to me.
COURTESY OF SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES.
Not sure about how the rest feels, but this outfit is exactly what I dream of wearing to a club. When considering dressing in a “sexy” way, we typically adhere to societal norms that define beauty, largely shaped by male desires. What if instead we agreed that dressing sexually meant literally referencing genitalia and rocking this clitoris-like blouse or the Lisbon vagina fit?
COURTESY OF SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES.
It's been nearly three weeks since I watched Poor Things, and some elements of the film have stayed with me. I find myself reflecting on the extent to which we sacrifice aspects of our identity and autonomy in a patriarchal society. Additionally, I've been contemplating the portrayal and indoctrination of sex from the perspective of assigned female at birth individuals, often depicted as desired and pursued by masculinity, relegating AFAB individuals to mere objects of satisfaction.
I can think of very few films that focused so heavily on the sexual discovery of a female character and on her desire to obtain pleasure independently of what she was expected or the many male control attempts in her surroundings. The magnificent performance of Mark Ruffalo also crosses my mind often, who manages to represent this manlike desire of possession in such an absurd and masterful manner. For many of these thoughts and discussions that the film has sparked in my mind and in the cultural sphere, I can only thank Yorgos, for providing once again a real piece of art. Thought-provoking, beautiful, and that will still have me questioning.
