Tuesday, 1 October 2013

How does costume and make-up create meaning and understanding in Young Frankenstein?

Young Frankenstein is a 1974 dark comedy movie starring Gene Wilder and Marty Feldman. It was directed by Mel Brooks.
The costume within the film plays an important part as it conducts what we perceive about Frederick Frankenstein.
The film starts off with Victor Frankenstein’s grandson, Frederick, teaching a biology class in what seems to be a medical school or some sort of university. He is seen wearing a 3-piece suit in dark colours with a bright white lab coat which could indicate the darkness within him that he’s trying to conceal. The suit and lab coat could also imply how he is well educated and how he is an educated man. He’s also well groomed which implies that he is rather wealthy and is quite well off.

It is quite a contrast when later on (during the re-animation of the creature scene) he has a light amount of eye liner on which makes his eyes look crazy and uncivilised. His hair becomes scruffy indicating his decent into madness and insanity. He again has his lab coat to show that he’s good at his field of expertise in biology but (again) he has the black underneath to show the darkness of his activities. (He is re-animating dead body parts!)

The costume, overall, subtly indicates to the audience the mental state of Wilder’s character. When he is calm and sane – he is well groomed. When he’s going slightly mad – he’s messy with his appearance. His clothes also reflect his educated background. 

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