One last element of film that I have really enjoyed watching for, is make-up and costume. The way these elements of theater and film interact with the characters and thus deepen the character as a whole has been simply fascinating. Easily, my favorite example of make-up and costume adding to a character is the hair of Clementine from Eternal Sunshine on a Spotless Mind.
Clementine's hair is wild. Plain and simple. It is constantly changing color, texture, style, and volume. One might think that this is just an eye grabbing ploy to grab the audiences attention. However, this sporadic and at times dramatic changing in hairstyle speak to Clementine as a person. Clementine is often erratic and wild in her emotions and personality. She can go from deeply saddened to furious in a matter of moments. In one memory she is in love and joyful, the next she is enraged and miserable. She is constantly changing her mind, her emotions, her opinions, and her hair adds to that characteristic of flux. The hair becomes a visual representation of a personal characteristic. It allows the audience to visualize her inner turmoil and confusion. The hair is both something the can control and thus it gives her a sense of stability in a life that seems to be always getting out of her hands, and it is a symbol of that life that is out of her hands and always in fluctuation. Overall, I just loved watching her hair change from scene to scene. Really cool stuff.
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