The film “Monsoon Wedding” can be evaluated as a good example of design specialists’ work. “Monsoon Wedding” features a balanced combination of Indian tincture along with western designer ideas. In the following paper, a few aspects of the film’s mise en scene will be discussed including design-costume, design-hair, and design-makeup. Generally, judging from the movie’s extract provided for the analysis, it can be said that the designer aspects of the film such as costumes, hair-dressing and makeup are accomplished in a manner creating an atmosphere of traditional Indian culture along with a measure of modern cultural concepts in the movie.
First of all, with regards to costumes, it is important to mention that the scene under consideration shows both Indian and western people. That is why their costumes will be evaluated separately. Speaking about the costumes of people from Indian culture, it should be stated that they fully reflect Indian cultural values and designer concepts along with some insignificant intervention of modern western styles. This is so because the scene shows representatives of different generations. Indian people, but for a teenager girl, are all dressed traditionally. The Indian costumes in the scene under consideration look rather bright and celebratory. They reflect the mood put to the scene by the director and the script writers. The atmosphere of Indian meal time is vividly seen through the use of such fitting costumes. Women are dressed in saris of bright colors beautifully embroidered in a way traditional for their culture. In addition, women have a lot of adornments and jewelries. Among them are necklaces, bracelets, earrings and hairpins. Men are dressed in long shirts and trousers which also common among Indian people.
Regarding the representatives of western culture, they are also dressed traditionally. Nothing is special in the way their costumes look. They wear clothing which is common for people in most of the western lands. It seems that costumers did not have to put a lot of efforts in order to find these costumes as they can be found in any shop.
Evaluating the choice of costumes, it is important to state that they help to render the usual atmosphere of such events. However, there is one remarkable detail which really appeared to be significant for me. It is the way an Indian teenager girl was dressed. The girl was wearing the clothes normally worn by the representatives of western cultures. This is probably a way for the creators of the film to reflect on the developments taking place in the world during the current period of time such as globalization and implantation of western cultural values in the other parts of the planet.
Next, evaluating the way hair-dressing is done in the movie, it appears that it is also worthy of respectful comments as it is natural and proper for the occasion depicted in this scene which is critical for the quality of film. It is well knowing that spectators value movies for their credibility and naturalness. Again, it is important to evaluate this mise en scene category reflecting on the fact that we see the representatives of two different cultures here including Indian and western one. Below, each of them will be discussed separately.
Firstly, Indian people’s hairstyles look traditionally for them. The audience sees common Indian hair styles both male and female ones. Women’s hair is fastened in a way acceptable in their culture. There is only one shift in this traditional concept as some women are wearing shorter hair which is not peculiar for Indian culture, but nowadays it becomes acceptable. Men’s hair is traditionally short and carefully organized into a neat hairdressing. Great hair products are used to keep the actors’ hair in place.
Secondly, the representatives of western culture also look traditionally. Nothing special can be said about their hair styles as they are very common and ordinary. Again, the only interesting detail is seen in the way teenager girl looks as she has a hair style common for western designer concepts. It seems that film’s design specialists want to emphasize the ideas of globalization in the world culture. The other explanation of such tendency is simply in their desire to reflect on modern day reality to render the events depicted in the film in a natural way.
Finally, makeup is accomplished in Indian traditional style with dark colors and intensity. Women’s eyes are highlighted by the abundance of eye-shade of black and dark-brown colors. Color combination has a tendency to dark colors in both eye-shade colors and lipstick colors. Eyelashes are intensely colored by the black mascara. As a result, women’s eyes look bright and vivid. Traditionally for Indian women, their lips are also accentuated by lipsticks of intense colors. As an important detail of their Indian style makeup some of the present women have a sign between their eye-brows as a traditional mark explaining their family and social position. One more detail of their face make up is having a ring in the nose which is also common for their culture. Regarding men, it can be said that both Indian and western people do not have vivid makeup on their faces as it is appropriate for men. However, they do have face-paint which is done professionally in such a way that it looks very naturally.
Concluding on all the information discussed above, it should be stated that the movie “Monsoon Wedding” is a good example of a fine work by the professionals of hairdressing, makeup and costumes. These specialists created a natural atmosphere reflecting on the cultural values of the people shown in this movie. In particular, the scene under consideration in this paper showed people of Indian and western culture, and all the peculiarities of their appearance in a way they are determined by their origin. Addressing Indian people, it is important to admit that their women had traditional clothing, hairdressing and makeup. The same thing can be said about their men. However, one Indian teenager girl was dressed and groomed in accordance to the concepts of western culture; thus, it was shown the way young population of the world is affected by the ideas of globalization. Concerning the representatives of western culture, nothing special can be said about their appearance as they looked in an ordinary way. Evaluating the choice of costumes, makeup and hairdressings, it is important to state that they are chosen skillfully and help to render the usual atmosphere of such events as those shown in the film’s extract under consideration. Overall, the work of designer specialists in this movie can be evaluated as professional and fully accomplishing the goals set for them.