Elizabeth - Shekhar Kapur

Elizabeth - Shekhar Kapur 

Analysis of historical hair styles.

The cinematic production Elizabeth, made in 1998 by Shekhar Kapur is a representation of Queen Elizabeth and her life and reign in England. During lectures the group was asked to watch this film and record down the change in hair style throughout as well as how this impacted on the styles of others around her at the time. This film has helped me with the beginnings of my research into Elizabethan hair styling and makeup in context to the era and the techniques that were used during the historical period of the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

The opening scene of the film Elizabeth starts with a very graphic image of three protestants having their heads shaved, bleeding and sore, with the characters whimpering and screaming in fear before being burnt at the stake for crimes against the church. As an opening scene this is very effective as it creates a dramatic and gory scene that draws the audience in and produces a contextual link.

When we first see Elizabeth, she is young and in a field riding horses in a loose fitting dress, her hair is flowing down her back in long effortless unravelled plaits. The top of hair is pulled off of her face in a middle parting with two small twist buns on either side. This hairstyle shows her face while also enhancing her high cheek bones, her face has little - if any - makeup.  I think this hairstyle is meant to reflect Elizabeth's youth and freedom, with lack of responsibility and not trying hard to impress anyone. It is a very innocent look.

(images sourced from Google Images)

  

The next time there becomes a change in her hair is after her marriage proposal. Elizabeths hair is worn up in a twisted format with no embellishment and no makeup. The skin has a dewy finish and looks clean and natural. After this her hair continues to stay up with more plaits and twists than before. Although her hair is up it still looks loose and effortless. I think this is reflecting Elizabeths transition from free and wild to becoming the Queen of England, a ruler who has a lot of responsibility.

As the film continues Elizabeth's hair becomes much curlier and frizzier, becoming tight to the head and eventually transformed into a fully permed look. In the transition stages there was long hair at the bottom of her hair and the permed hair at the top, coated in embellishments such as pearls and jewels.  Later, lace nets are added over hair which are decorated elaborately with many different pearls to show her importance and wealth. There were also extra embellishments added such as feathers and gold in many colours which is almost a mini avant guard statement for Elizabeth.

Overall i feel as if this gradual change in hairstyle has been portrayed throughout the film to show the development in her life as well as in her loss freedom and innocence. The ending style and look is an advertisement of Elizabeth's wealth and class in society as she can afford to wear heavily embellished head pieces. I feel as if the ending style becomes a signature style for Elizabeth, showing her ability to start trends in society with her status.

I think that this film will really help my project move along. the embellishments have inspired me to research more into the other classes in elizabethan times and the ways in which the hair and makeup styles differ.