Course evening 4: The various functions of costumes
Basje Boer, 7 April

What does clothing say about a character? What do their hairdo, make-up or accessories say? Costumes give filmmakers the opportunity to convey information about the characters outside the plot or dialogue, for example about their character, ideology or background. But costumes can also be part of the plot. They can underline the themes of the film, have a symbolic value or convey a particular mood. In this lecture, Basje Boer gives examples of the various functions of costumes in films. She zooms in on iconic items of clothing and legendary costume designers, talks about the crazes unleashed by some films and reflects on the role played by make-overs in films.