| People who are not experts in all the fields of Arts, Science, Language etc. will believe everything they see on TV. Somebody should be aware of that - here, I would like to address costume designers who did their
job on history-reconstructing motion pictures' projects i.e. historical films (movies, series, documentaries etc.) |
| You wouldn't believe in how many cases you've been fooled, adopting a completely/partially false picture of some period in history and, sad but true, in most cases the instruments of fooling are the most expensive
Hollywood productions (at least they could have afforded experts and authenticity!). |
| As a matter of fact, it's not the problem of money that causes historical reconstructions to be unreliable. People themselves for some reason have false vision of some historical period and if big producers want to
sell their product (a film, series...) they will go "down their customer's hair". They will show what people want to see and not what was/is true. For instance, if you say "baroque", most people with an average knowledge of history (not even
costuming) will span that period all the way from 1600 to 1800 and imagine women with colossal wigs and crinolines in the manner of Marie Antoinette. Which is, of course, terribly wrong and causes allergic reactions at people of a bit over-average
knowledge of history or costuming. |
| I've got my Hollywood vaccine and I can watch most of "big" historical films without commenting or minding something even if the style was completely missed by about 200 years. I just act like all the other people:
it's amusing, it's shiny, it's expensive, ergo - it's good! But as soon as I have no better thing to gibber and gossip about I remember Braveheart / Scarlet Letter / Ana Karenyina and immediately the chosen film turns into "a complete trash that I
wouldn't watch only for the matter of my principles!" |
| There is no need to be too fussy if you want to keep friends, but after you've left the cinema with pockets full of completely soaked hankies it is interesting to think about what you've just seen. The biggest
amusement comes only then! |
| So, I would need to see all those historical films all over again, but there are a few that I still remember quite well. For being utterly inaccurate, of course. If you are one of such fussy people, you are welcome
to submit your comments on films you've seen. |
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Braveheart unwrapped