Classiq - An online journal that celebrates cinema, culture, style and storytelling.

19 June 2015

Style in Film: Alain Delon in Le Samouraï

Style. This is a key argument in Le Samouraï (1967). We are first introduced to Jef Costello, the main character, in his austere, dark, bare room. Fully dressed, he is lying stiffly on the bed and starts puffing on a cigarette. After a while he gets up and, before going out, he puts on his trench coat and fedora hat, adjusting the brim in the mirror with delicate precision. Everything about him is cool and calculated. It’s like he is fitting himself for battle. And just like that, the movie has established its character’s path and inevitable conclusion without a line of dialogue. The entire shot maintains a simple and equally expressive composition throughout, confined to the grey-blue tones of Jef’s apartment, a backdrop that, on the sound of the chirping of the caged bird in the room, suggests the character’s solemnity and imprisonment in his own destiny.

Delon recedes in the safety of his trench coat. It’s his armour. Together with the tilted downward hat, the trench is also part of what has come to define the protagonist of films noir.

“There is no greater solitude than that of a samurai, unless it is that of the tiger in the jungle . . . perhaps . . .” reads at the beginning of the film, a quote fabricated by the director Jean-Pierre Melville. Nonetheless, it illustrates Jef’s disciplined isolation to perfection. Like a samourai, Jef abides by a code of conduct and leads a solitary existence. His dressing is like a ritual, systematically putting on his hat and coat before getting a job done. In a career-defining performance, in the role of a Parisian contract killer who has realised he is being double crossed by his employees and seeks revenge, Alain Delon conjures Melville’s perfect anti-hero whose particular moral code by which he lives finds a great visual equivalent in the director’s perfectionist approach to film-making.

He keeps everything else simple and refined. The trim grey suit, in such a modern silhouette that is still relevant today, the black slim tie and white button-down shirt, the plain white t-shirt, another classic suit – this time black, the inky wool coat: his clean-cut clothes are not only primordial to his lifestyle, but when taken out of the context

represent the gold standard for men’s style.

Throughout his career, Melville retained a passion for all things American and especially for classic Hollywood gangster and noir movies. As shown in Le Samouraï, he eagerly borrowed the iconography of the genre – the snap-brim hats, the belted trench coats, the cars and nightclubs, but made its conventions entirely his own, tailored on his highly stylised world. Even the colour scheme in the film, mainly retained to the blue-grey palette found in the opening scene in Jef’s apartment, and the play with light and shadow are a clear nod to the black and white of film noir.

Delon’s exceptional good looks and impeccable look meet Melville’s idea of the gangster as an image. Clothes make the man in Le Samouraï. Delon is dressed with the finest precision, but he seems completely unaware of his appearance. He’s completely detached, hardly betraying an emotion. It’s part of the job, of his profession. There is a scene towards the beginning of the film, where Delon, stopped at a traffic light, is watched admiringly by a pretty young woman. His body language is minimal and signals that he has noticed her gaze, but he only gives her a blank look and turns away, without even satisfying her with a smile. Nothing distracts him from his fateful path.

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photos: movie stills captured by me from this Blu-Ray edition | Compagnie Industrielle et Commerciale Cinématographique (CICC), Fida Cinematografica, Filmel | Cinematographer: Henri Decaë

Posted by classiq in Film costume | | 1 Comment

8 June 2015

The Armani World through Photography

I would say that Giorgio Armani is the man of the moment. One of the designers who changed the face of fashion (and who I can honestly name as one of the two designers, the other one being Ralph Lauren, I best resonate to when it comes to personal style inspiration) is celebrating his 40th anniversary in fashion this year. This is also the year he is releasing a long waited for book that has been postponed for September. In the meanwhile, the brand has been presenting a wonderful introspection into the world of Armani on their official website. I’ve been enjoying every bit of it, as I find it very revealing and important for understanding and appreciating the designer’s road to success and his creative genius.

Giorgio Armani doesn’t just design clothes. He tells stories. And photography has been used to great effect to narrate those stories. In 1988, before this became a common practice for fashion brands, Giorgio Armani launched an innovative magazine, Emporio Armani Magazine, part editorial endeavor, part catalogue, an engaging communication instrument between the brand and its customers. It soon became a true identifier of Emporio Armani and gave the brand a voice and a platform to showcase the breath and width of a unique vision.

For his editorials and ad campaigns, Giorgio Armani chose to work with up-and-coming photographers, who managed to capture his new, modern style, what was in fact Italian fashion at its most innovative hour, the 80’s, and for which the designer is largely responsible. Aldo Fallai, Peter Lindbergh, Norman Watson, Jaques Olivar and Enrique Badulescu were the ones who helped define Armani’s universe which revolved around a new, different, unconventional style: proposing the feminine-masculine game, the power look for women, the softened, deconstructed lines for men, a style that has evolved and strengthened in time, playing with proportions and softness, shapes and volumes.

Some of my very favorite Armani photography belongs to Aldo Fallai, who, together with the designer, created some of the most powerful advertising campaigns of the last decades. His photographs, which were mostly shot in the Armani restrained colours, white, grey and sand, seem to have succeeded to capture best the Armani spirit. The kind of fashion photography that goes beyond the clothes to portray the feelings, moods, places and times of a whole society and generation.

photos: Aldo Fallai and Peter Lindbergh (photo #6), most of them via Uomo Classico

Posted by classiq in Fashion, Fashion Photography | | Comments Off

22 May 2015

Talking Film Costume: Grace Kelly in “Dial M for Murder”

A Hitchcock film always provides all the style, in costumes and sets, colour symbolism and great camera play that one can crave for. Dial M for Murder (1954) was Grace Kelly’s first Hitchcock film. She gives one of her best performances in this film, and, in fact, all the actors, not big stars at the time, are superb in it. The story is very simple: Tony Wendice (Ray Milland), a tennis player with no money of his own, wants to murder his wife, Margot (Grace Kelly), who has a love interest in a novelist, Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings), for the money, and blackmails someone with a criminal record (Anthony Dawson) to do it. But the plan doesn’t exactly go as expected. The movie, a straightforward adaptation of a stage play, takes place in a confined area, mainly a living room, but it’s so well crafted, that you don’t feel the need to leave the space for a change of scenery. Which was in fact Hitchcock’s intention. “ I did my best to avoid going outside. […] I even had the floor made of real tiles so as to get the sound of the footsteps. In other words, what I did was to emphasize the theatrical aspects,” Hitchcock told François Truffaut in their interviews.

Alfred Hitchcock uses all the tricks he had mastered over the years to get the public’s undivided attention, starting with the striking use of colour (this was only his third colour movie). In an interview with Claude Chabrol, from 1954, Hitchcock noted the film’s use of colour for dramatic rather than pictorial ends. And he does use colour in an interesting way in terms of costumes: you see Grace in a skirt and cardigan in the palest shade of pink, almost white, in the first scene, having breakfast with her husband, but she’s wearing bright red a few seconds later, in the company of her lover, Mark (Robert Cummings), and the contrast of those two moments, with the two men in her life, is very strong, even for an untrained eye. With the opening shot, in just a few seconds, Hitchcock succeeds to throw his audience into the core of the story.

Grace Kelly’s costumes were designed by Moss Mabry (Hitchcock had not yet begun his collaboration with Edith Head), who did a marvelous job at attaining that particular aesthetic that Edith Head would later develop in the director’s films. The elegance of the 1950s can not be surpassed, and it lay not only in the style of the clothes, but in a polished look altogether, manners and grace included. And Grace was the perfect example for that. In Dial M for Murder, she lights up the screen in head-to-toe red, from lipstick to the lace dress (in the most pure ’50s style) and the satin pumps. Hitchcock’s message is very clear indeed.

The finishing touch: the mink wrap.

A burgundy mid-calf, belted dress, matching lipstick and bag.

Another one of Hitchcock’s tricks in Dial M for Murder was the very subversive casting: a very charming villain, Ray Milland, in one of his best performances, so that he makes you want to identify with him, and a much less likeable good guy, Robert Cummings. And there’s John Williams, who plays the detective, one of the most likeable police investigators I’ve seen in movies: he’s delectable in his role and provides the comic relief that is always present in Hitchcock’s works.

The decor is just as stylish, meticulously done and interesting to observe as the costumes in Hitchcock’s films.

Margot’s outfits go from bright to somber as her innocence starts to be questioned. As opposed to the colour palette of her previous clothes, which brought out her blue eyes, the faded grey of the pleated dress is intelligently used to make her eyes look grey, too, in tune with the grey days coming. “We did an interesting colour experiment with Grace Kelly’s clothing. I dressed her in very gay and bright colours at the beginning of the picture, and as the plot thickened, her clothes became gradually more somber,” Hitchcock revealed to Truffaut. Hitch always knew how to guide his audience through the story, and the dialogue was only one of the means he used.

Editorial sources: Alfred Hitchcock: The Complete Films, by Paul Duncan / Hitchcock Truffaut, by François Truffaut / The special features on the “Dial M for Murder” DVD released by Warner Brothers

Photos: screen stills from the film, Classiq Journal. Credit: Warner Brothers

Posted by classiq in Film costume | | Comments Off

18 May 2015

Style in Film: Gene Tierney in Leave Her to Heaven

The notorious boat scene on the lake in Leave Her to Heaven (1946), directed by John Stahl, one of the most perturbing sequences in the history of Hollywood, is one impossible to forget once you’ve watched the movie. It’s Gene Tierney, of course, who makes it one to remember. She is a great femme fatale, truly exceptional, at her very best in the role of psychotic Ellen Berent, delivering a layered, riveting performance. Gene’s angelic beauty and her unblinking cruelty are a daunting combination.

A publicity still that could make for the perfect ad campaign, even nowadays.

Despite the dark plot, there is much beauty in Leave Her to Heaven. There are not many noir films shot in colour that leave this impression. Cinematographer Leon Shamroy’s masterful use of colour, brightly lit and edged with somber hues and shadows, has the same impact as the black and white that defines Hollywood film noir. The photography mirrors tempestuous Ellen, whose extreme beauty conceals her jealousy. In this same regard, the green of her eyes, which also matches part of her wardrobe, plays its own part. Everything in the film is about Gene Tierney. Her face is like a perfect composure, reinforced by all the beautiful settings, hiding deep emotions, as Martin Scorsese, whose Film Foundation has restored the film, well emphasizes.

Ellen’s costumes (ranging from sumptuous fur coats, sheath dresses and wide shouldered blouses, to wide-buttomed trousers and checked shirts), designed by Kay Nelson, embody the idea of 1940’s fashion. But the image that stands out for me, a very simple (as if channeling the same ease and simplicity with which Gene brings her image and face to what could have been considered an unlikely character for her to play), but most evocative for the style of the decade, is the boat look: those fabulous sunglasses, the perfect make-up finished off with red lipstick, of course, great hair style and padded shoulders. That’s 40’s glamour all right. As Vogue was stating back in the day, Hollywood was “certainly the most perfect visual medium of fashion propaganda that ever existed”.

photos: movie stills | Twentieth Century Fox

Posted by classiq in Film costume | 2 Comments

8 May 2015

Paris in Spring, with Georgianna Lane

Spring and autumn are by far my favourite times of year for travelling as I think it’s easier to get a grip of the authentic life in the places you visit. And one of the cities said to be at the most beautiful in spring is Paris. And who better to guide us through Paris in Spring than photographer Georgianna Lane, who has visited the City of Lights countless times, capturing it in bloom in all its beauty, bursting with life and its unique charm? I am a great admirer of Georgianna’s work. As I have previously stated, she imprints a little bit of magic in her photography and she has the ability to make you feel it too. You can almost smell those cherry blossoms… I am very pleased that she has kindly accepted to take us on the dreamiest tour of Paris.

Is it true that Paris is the most beautiful in spring?
I would say that’s probably true. Most any city is beautiful in spring, but in Paris seeing the parks and gardens come to life against the beautiful architecture is really a special experience. Probably the most impressive sight is the magnificent and huge cherry tree in the Jardin des Plantes that blooms in early April.

Given your passion for flower photography, I have the feeling you know your way around the Parisian gardens. What shouldn’t one miss?
Each garden in Paris has its own character and I enjoy them for different reasons. The most peaceful and relaxing is Jardin du Luxembourg. It’s vast size creates such a calming atmosphere. I love The Tulieries for the beautiful views of The Louvre and Musée d’Orsay and for the colorful flower beds that are regularly refreshed with bright annuals. But my two favorite gardens, because they have wonderful rose collections, are Jardin du Palais Royal and Musée Rodin. In mid to late May, they are at their peak and glorious.

Describe your idea of a perfect spring day in Paris:
Well, first, of course, the sun should be shining! April weather in Paris is very changeable but May is more predictably pleasant and can even be hot. So with perfect weather in place, the rest of the day would include coffee and a croissant, an early morning walk through a park followed by a light lunch in a favorite cafe, then perhaps shopping at an open air market and an evening picnic and walk along the river. Unless the weather is quite miserable, I spend most of my days in Paris outdoors, saving museum and gallery visits for winter. Each day I walk many miles without even noticing because there are so many fascinating and beautiful things to see.

What is your one favourite thing to do in Paris every time you visit?
I take a walk along the river on Île Saint-Louis, followed by a hot chèvre salad at Cafe St. Regis. If it’s warm, an ice cream at Berthillion is a must. But each trip I also visit the Palais Royal. I love the architecture, garden and peacefulness there.

When in Paris, you never get tired of photographing:
Doors and flower shops. Can’t pass them by!

What is a photogapher’s dream in Paris?
That depends on the subjects that interest you most. Truly architecture is a never-ending fascination but anywhere you look there are wonderful, classic scenes: cafes, markets, gardens, grand boulevards, magnificent buildings and the best people watching.

When in Paris, early mornings are best for:
Walking, when the streets are quiet and you feel as if you have Paris to yourself. It’s a thrilling feeling – that Paris is putting on this fabulous show just for you.

How do you get around Paris?
As I mentioned, I walk quite a lot, many miles each day. But I am also a huge fan of the Mètro. I buy bulk discount tickets and use it all the time. To be honest, I’m not that fond of Parisian taxi drivers and a cab ride across Paris can take a long time and be expensive. However, I know that by hopping on the Mètro, I can be all the way across the city in about 20 minutes. I really love it. A bonus is to come up the steps and see what beautiful style of Mètro sign is at that particular station. Of course, the Mètro can get very crowded in summer, but I generally avoid traveling in Europe in July and August anyway.

Where do you go when you want to feel like a Parisian and not a tourist?
Lately I have been staying in the 7th arrondissement and I have grown to really enjoy it. It is a more residential neighborhood, definitely off the tourist track, except right around the Eiffel Tower, and very quiet at night. I enjoy going to the market, boulangerie and other shops and mingling with elegant, well-dressed Parisians going about their daily routines. I’ve gotten to know the flower shops, cafes and street markets.

And what is one touristy place you never get tired of every time you are in town?
Dame and Île de la Cité and of course, the Eiffel Tower. You just have to! The energy is invigorating around the Eiffel Tower and it’s fun to see all the tourists visiting for the first time, taking photos and generally being pretty excited about being there and making special memories.

What’s the most important thing Paris has taught you?
To be more observant, to take the time to explore and learn about my surroundings. Paris has also inspired me creatively in many ways. The sheer magnitude of the incredible detail and care that was taken to create it is so impressive.

One thing you always bring home from Paris:
Not very original, but chocolate and macarons!

What differentiates the Parisiennes from the American women?
Besides an innate sense of style and fashion, Parisienne women take great care and pride in their appearance, always. I can easily tell a Paris native from a tourist. In Paris, one would never dream of popping out to the shops in sweatpants or sloppy clothes. In the States, most people wouldn’t think twice about doing that. I pay much more attention to my appearance in Paris and that makes me feel good, more refined and like I am at my best. I find it puts a spring in my step and gives me more confidence.

What makes you return to Paris?
Paris is stimulating in unique ways to an artist. It has for centuries been a catalyst of creativity for anyone involved in the arts. It is constantly interesting and reveals more and more as you become intimately familiar with it. And of course, there are hundreds of doors I haven’t yet photographed!

photos: courtesy of Georgianna Lane

Posted by classiq in Interviews, Journeys, Photography | | 3 Comments