I recently watched Dune: Part Two in the cinemas, and aside from my opinions of the film, there was one particular feature that I found particularly striking and refreshing - almost none of the women were made up to look glamorous or like they were wearing make up. It makes sense, I’m sure they had some degree of make up on, yet the subtlety of it made it feel like their faces had simply been out in the desert. For once it didn’t seem like they were there to look beautiful. They were there to be powerful and to be characters, just like the men. There’s no denying that the actresses are already particularly “beautiful” by society’s standards, yet, to see them looking like their natural selves was moving.
I’m not saying that women shouldn’t wear makeup - there’s something wonderful about feeling beautiful and comfortable in one’s own skin. But I do wish that it were the other way around - that it were normal to see women without make up, not refreshing. There’s a certain standard women are held to, whereby they have a duty to look a certain way. Subsequently, this exerts a pressure on women to conform to certain appearances, or feel negative when they are unable to do so. Additionally, there is the fact that a lot of the beauty standards in the entrainment industry are unrealistic and unachievable without editing, professional make up artists, or professional lighting.
For so long, women have been told or made to feel like a part of their value stems from their appearance. By alleviating the make up they wear in films, they are closer to their natural appearances (like how most men are in films), and it allows women and audiences alike to focus more on their craft and less on meeting unrealistic beauty standards. Embracing natural looks in movies can empower women by challenging societal norms. It can also emphasise that women can be just as confident, powerful, successful, and “beautiful” without adhering to the traditional beauty standards makeup often dictates.
It should be noted that such a shift would also require altering the way films are watched and reviewed. Many use film reviews as guides for what films they should watch, or as a way to make sense of what they’ve just seen. I still remember one particularly hurtful review in the Guardian, whereby critic, Dennis Harvey, suggested that Carey Mulligan was an “odd choice” to play the role of “femme fatale”, Cassie, in Promising Young Woman - and that Margot Robbie would’ve been a better choice (1).
As Mulligan pointed out in response, “Why does every woman who’s ever on screen have to look like a supermodel? That has shifted into something where the expectation of beauty and perfection onscreen has gotten completely out of control. I just don’t think that’s really what storytelling or acting needs to be about. Things can be beautiful without being perfect.” (2)
Such discourse, highlights the seemingly everlasting issue in Hollywood - that women can’t be separated from their appearances. It is nice to see small changes, here and there, however, such as Gracie Abrams’ fantastic Triple J performance, where she was seemingly wearing very little makeup, and rather allowed the focus to be on her incredible vocals. Or Millie Bobby Brown on the Drew Barrymore Show with her pimple patches. It seems space is finally being made for female voices and not just their faces - something that hopefully only goes upwards from here.
Citations
1 Harvey, Dennis. “‘Promising Young Woman’: Film Review.” Variety, Variety, 28 Dec. 2020, variety.com/2020/film/reviews/promising-young-woman-review-1203480660/.
2 Beasley, Tom. “Carey Mulligan Slams Hollywood Beauty Pressure and Wants Women ‘to Look Normal’ on Screen.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, uk.movies.yahoo.com/carey-mulligan-hollywood-beauty-women-111215778.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMqQoyJa8-6HE-ova95jJn5Rx8KyZuqvzJcurJ6Y4clhImoEjk9Dz9ZEUZQpOMxd3gu9lKamSa82avcdE-wzTfxkUFys0en-jCC81CRs70GCBl7Uk1eugrfujI9aH2-RmEdIciDYPGclOy0gznN0W_LhkExSkP9yRUr8RLflvofi. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.
Comments