Have You Seen Lincoln’s Tattoos?
Many actors have changed their appearance dramatically for a role (acting part). Some lose a lot of weight, while others buff up (make their muscles larger). Some wear prosthetics, such as false noses, teeth, and hair. But what if the role calls for (requires) a more fundamental (basic) change than an actor can effect (achieve)? That’s the problem casting directors (people who select actors for parts in TV shows and movies) have when casting for period movies (movies set in the past).
This Sunday, the Academy Awards will be given out to the best films of 2012. Among the films nominated (eligible to win) are Lincoln and Les Miserable. Both films are period movies and call for (require) period authenticity (realness; seeming true), even more authenticity than an audience may have expected just 10 or 20 years ago. With popular TV shows like Mad Men, where the actors and crew work very hard to recreate (create again) the setting, clothes, props (items used in filming), and feel of the 1960′s, audiences have become more savvy (wise and knowledgeable) about finding anachronisms (things that don’t belong in a particular time period).
In the film Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis looks and sounds like our image of President Lincoln. He wore make-up, hair pieces, and period clothing to achieve that look. He even used clothing and make-up to cover up (hide) tattoos (permanent ink writing or drawings under the skin) on his hands and arms. However, there was one thing he could not hide, even with make-up: his pierced ears (holes in his earlobes to wear earrings). Savvy viewers have pointed out that President Lincoln must have been ahead of his time in fashion and knew that pierced ears in men would become popular in the 20th century.
Les Miserable posed (provided) a major challenge to casting directors. The story, based on a Victor Hugo novel, takes place in 19th century France and many scenes involve street urchins (poor young children living on the streets) and waifs (homeless and helpless people, usually girls and young women). With better nutrition (more and better food for the body), dentistry (healthcare for teeth and the mouth), fitness regimens (exercise habits), and even plastic surgery (medical procedures to change the way you look), finding actors who looked starved (thin from hunger) and neglected (not cared for) was difficult. Anne Hathaway, one of the stars of the movie, plays a starving prostitute (person who sells sex for money) in the film. She lost 25 pounds (11 kgs) to play the role, but in one scene, she shakes out her long, shiny, healthy hair that may be more appropriate in a shampoo commercial.
Perhaps audiences have become too savvy, making it more and more difficult to suspend their disbelief (temporarily allow themselves to believe something that isn’t true) in watching movies. To be honest, I seldom notice these small anomalies (things that are unexpected or not quite right) when I watch TV or movies. If the story is good, I’m caught up in (completely involved in) the storytelling and don’t care much about small anomalies.
How about you? Have you noticed anachronisms in the TV shows and movies you’ve watched? Does it bother you?
~ Lucy
Photo Credit: Lincoln 2012 Teaser Poster.jpg from Wikipedia
February 19th, 2013 at 10:32 am
Wow!!!!
This is some post Lucy
I must say , you have outdone yourself again.
Perfect post !!
I love the sentence structures and wordings of the post.
Indeed , the post is totally academical. In fact , we need a one or two hour class run by Jeff or Lucy to analyze the well-done post done by our dear professor Lucy.
Lucy , thanks for the article-like post
I took away plenty !!!
Good question Lucy,
I must say sometimes it happens that I notice some prosthetics (thanks to Lucy for the beautiful word) that blemishes the authencity of the period in which the movie is set.
Well ,I think , One of the flaws in disguising actors and actorss which I found it very common is that make -ups and hair-dos done by movie make up artists and hair dressers. Sometimes ,it is totally obvious that they have used products and accessories that didn’t exist at the period of history.
But,I , like u, never nitpick as long as the story line is strong and the plot is attractive.
I personally think , we should cut them some slack. They work hard day in ,day out to give the audience what they expect. They literally pull out all stops to create an atmosphere in which the audience really feel that they have traveled back in time to the era in which the movie is happening.
Take ,The recent movie “Lincoln” that has been the topic of many debate recently. In my opinion ,The movie is perfect in every level. The actors have done a great job. The leading actor pulled it off ,man. And it is not an easy roll ,as Lincoln is one of the most prominent face in the history of mankind. Almost Every body knows him , and has read a line or two about him. Even in Eslpod Our dear professor Jeff allocates one complete English caff addressing this exceptional man and his accomplishments. It is not easy to get into the character of a man that single handedly made a part of history his own. But , Daniel Day-Lewis pulled the stunt. He managed to do it. He painted a true picture of this historic man: Lincoln.
in miserable , the main actor ” Hugh Jackman” went the extra mile to make sure he could play the character in absolute authenticity.according to one article that i read just recently. he goes To gym three times for three or 6 months. plus, he goes on a carb-free diet for equal amount of time just to get into a shape close to the main character of the book. Let me tell u , it is not easy to shrink down within a short period of time. it needs determination and will power.
Yet, he did it. He managed to pull it off beautifully. The movie is a master piece. I don’t mind if the actors using some earrings or some hair products that weren’t commonplace at the time.
Both movies have done a great job.
Pierce or not pierce, in my book, Daniel Day-Lewis and Hugh Jackman have put all their hearts to their performance. They have been one of their best performances so far.
Well done gentlemen for your great performance !!!
Pete
February 19th, 2013 at 4:16 pm
Dear Lucy ,
It is so true about actors’ teeth especially in epic movies like Troy and so on.
Their teeth are always look white , in perfect order no missing teeth , no cavity ,or chipped teeth.
It is hard to believe that back then, people had such advanced health care system:)))
Well, in all fairness, they wanna save their image among their fan and audiences. As a result, they are not gung-ho to go authentic so far that it damages the if actual image
February 19th, 2013 at 10:37 pm
Dear Lucy,
when I was preparing to come to my office, I hoped that you would post a new topic on the blog. But I had know idea how helpful your post would be. I have to admit that I learned a lot from this post.
The prime reason for watching a movie to me is to learn new things about my language skills. neither do I look for small anomalies in the movie. if the acter(ss)s speak slowly, and there isn’t too much action and violence that movie sounds good to me.
February 20th, 2013 at 2:50 am
IMAGINATION TO POWER.- Period movies themselves come from an script and a plot set in a given historical context and location. Only when you put your imagination at work by reading the script or the novel book and you’re caught up then you have full guarantee for period authenticity. You are putting faces to characters and assigning attitudes according with time-space binomial. You’re putting the props and even the smell imperative around the surrounding environs. As far inaccuracies in recreating the right atmosphere and virtual retro reality I’m far from suspending my disbelief in watching movies. Movie producers should be aware of these anachronisms and grotesque mistakes. If a man at Lincoln’s times were found pierced in his ears he would have been taken by a wild man or something worse. If one can imagine how should look the hair of a famished prostitute of the time it is sure that it wouldn’t be like the ones appearing on shampoo’ TV infomercials. I remember a movie, a typical Saturday’s pop corn movie about the Romans invading the Iberian peninsula, Hispania by that time, and now Spain, when in the middle of a cruel battle you could clearly see the jet traces of a plane in the sky while the soldiers were fighting hard with swords and spears, sometimes a soldier could even wear a formidable Swiss wristwatch and assign a deep stab against his fighting counterpart.
February 20th, 2013 at 3:18 am
What a wonderful post, very interesting, it really caught my attention, and sure I learned few new expressions.
I´m new here, and I hope to see great post like this one.
Great job Lucy, you guys are doing the perfect job. God bless you.
February 20th, 2013 at 7:18 am
Hi everyone guys how are you all doing?
As Pete, recently I have heard a lot about the movie Lincoln on the radio.
Just earlier today I was listening to an interview to Mr. Daniel Day-Lewis on how he worked with his voice because Mr. Lincoln’s voice was never recorded.
I am not looking movies recently.
I was thinking at those old western movies..Do you remeber?
Where they used kind of a filter to make it looks like it was night, but it was clear the scene was shoot under the sun.
I do not know the name of that old technique.
I was a kid, and I remember saying out lout c’mon that’s not night. It was really clear.
You could see the shadows, the starless skye and so on…do you guys recall that?
Now that I think about is, YES!, there is one thing that bothers me.
That is when you see a period movies and there is the actress with some face job done.
Kind of when they have this big lips or artificial looks. I do find that really annoying.
As many of my generation I grew up looking tons of TV shows.
Today, I spend more time on the internet and listening to the radio.
I am expecially fond of the radio. One of the radio I am listening at the moment is NPR.
THANK YOU Lucy! for making my little gear brain spinning.
February 20th, 2013 at 1:31 pm
Hi Lucy,
Thanks very much for your post, you know that this subject could be very good to talk to.
To me one of the most famous actors who changed absolutely his appearance to make
a role was Robert De Niro to go giving life to the carácter of famous bóxer in a film
of Martin Scorsese, it was “Raging Bull” 1980 (Here title “toro salvaje” as always we
done here with the tittles).
De Niro trained along moths to be a Young bóxer and after he added nearly 30 pounds (14 kg.)
to interprete an aged Jake the Motta.
But what was really incredible for him it was that he put this weight along the months when
the moving was making by Scorssese.
De Niro was nominated and won the Oscar as the best actor that year.
Also this movie in in the best 100 best movies mentioned by The
American Film Institute.
I like Robert De Niro as one of the best actors alive, now.
Thanks a lot dear Lucy.
emiliano
February 20th, 2013 at 2:38 pm
Hi Dan,
Yes I remember very well the movies you mentioned and here in Spain it was called, “La noche americana” in Engish or
French it was Day for night, also known as nuit américaine (“American night”), and it was the cinematogrphic techinique
used to simulate a night scene when the shoot was made at sun day light.
It was a techique using tungsten-balanced rather than daylight-balanced film stock or with special blue filters and it
also under-exposing the shot (usually in post-production) to create the illusion of darkness or moonlight.
I could see a lot of these movies, but to be sincere I never did like this techique at all.
My best dear Dan.
emiliano
February 20th, 2013 at 4:55 pm
Dear Lucy,
Never have I found a post of yours uninspiring!!! Usually, I kind of reading before seeing a movie, especially the period ones. Not to find false with, but I sometimes find anachronisms which I don’t take them serious. For some movies I see then come to read, I can sight minor anomalies which I take pleasure in finding them. I love seeing movies, watching series and some shows. It is a nice time with my family.
Making a good film is a hard work. I experienced this when I helped my son gather pieces of information for his thesis “Architecture In Motion Picture Industry.” I learned a lot more both filming and an architect’s works. In my point of view, when any film directors or casting directors are criticized, they will try more to do their best and compete to create acceptable standard we expect to see.
Best regards
sutisha
February 21st, 2013 at 5:26 am
Hi Lucy,
I don’t know if President Lincoln had pierced ears but I can assure you that in the 18th and 19th centuries ear rings were common, at least here in Europe.
Sixty years ago I knew men 80 years old with their gold ring well fixed in one of their ear. (I am seventy now)
Ciao, Giovanni
February 21st, 2013 at 6:36 am
Thank you Emiliano.
February 21st, 2013 at 7:00 am
Dear Dan,
You have an eye for detail.
I am a lover of western movies. In fact, I own a big stack of western movies that I watched like million times, but I never noticed the use of a filter that gives the illusion of the night.
February 21st, 2013 at 7:57 am
Lots of them Peter, but you are very young, I think that was used many years ago.
But not only in westerns movies, there were others too.
It was cheaper and the lents were not so good as now that only with a Little light
it is enough.
Bye Peter.
emiliano
February 21st, 2013 at 8:00 am
Hello to all ESLPOD citizens.
Dear Lucy,
Thank you for this appetizing article. It makes me want to try my skill on writing something about films.
As I am not an observant person, I don’t notice so much small details in films. I struggle to understand the English and there is no way I try to find out whether Lincoln had his ear pierced.
I am amazed that Dan noticed so much even when he was only a little boy. And Emiliano is an expert in films also.
Kudos to Lucy and all of you who have written above.
There are a lot of new words and new terms from everyone. I seemed to be from another world and I have so much to learn.
Who started the ideas of making films?
Why are people, like Peter and everyone, willing to spend a fortune on watching films?
I will never make any star rich because I had not paid to watch a film for ages.
Keep watching, keep laughing, and keep suspending your disbelief.
Best Regards
Betty
February 21st, 2013 at 8:34 am
Hi Parvis,
I’m a bit curious. Can I ask you a question? Are you Iranian? if so, i will be pleased to have your email address.
Ziba
February 21st, 2013 at 10:18 am
Hey guys
To anyone interested, just today there is a related article on NPR.
Look for: ” For Film Set Decorators, Tiny Details Count.”
Bye thanks!
February 22nd, 2013 at 6:52 am
dear Dan,
Thanh you very much
sutisha