As part of our research into contemporary interpretations of Elizabethan beauty and fashion we watched the 1998 film ‘Elizabeth’ featuring actress Kate Blanchett. The film follows the life of Elizabeth from a young woman upwards throughout the early years of her reign and stands out in particular for its portrayal of the Queens transformation through the styling of the hair and makeup.
The film opens during the reign of Elizabeths older sister Mary I and the burning of three protestants, this scene stood out to me as it was not only a dramatic opening but also embodied the fear the grasped society during the 16th century. One of the victims in particular was that of a young girl with long strawberry blonde hair, this hair was seen being cut from her head before she was burnt as it is of a valuable colour and therefore harvested for wig making. This imagery of burning at the stake is what earned Mary her title as the ‘Bloody Queen’ for the punishment of protestantism, but the punishment also carries links back to that of witchcraft and the Elizabethan superstitions surrounding a woman’s purpose.
Colour choice is of great importance within the Elizabethan era and through the styling within this film the division of the classes is greatly emphasised. Peasants are depicted in plain brown, beige or white items of clothing which are often ill fitting and of corse material. This is a contrast to those of wealth such as the Queens advisors who are represented in black, a symbol of power and control. Mary I herself is also dressed purely in black, perhaps intended to reinstate her position as Queen of England in the face of uprising Protestantism. In addition to this her eyebrows are plucked away so that her forehead appears higher than it naturally sits, by doing so it was Elizabethan belief that the taller the forehead the wiser the person therefore Mary’s removal of her brows reinstates her wisdom as a Queen. Mary’s choice of a black attire is a direct contrast to that of a young Elizabeth who is depicted at first in a rich green dress. The use of Green carries heavy religious symbolism within the Elizabethan period with many religious figures being depicted in the same shade, however the colour was also only readily available to the very wealthy and therefore once again Elizabeth’s status as a future Queen is reinstated.
The most important figure when analysing the transformation through makeup and hair within ‘Elizabeth’ is that of Elizabeth I herself as not only is she the lead character but also within history her image became her trademark, establishing her as a royal pin up. The young Elizabeth is depicted with long loose hair that is strawberry blonde in colour, the red tones were symbolic of the Renaissance standards of beauty during this time and therefore immediately by her status and image Elizabeth was considered a divine beauty. Furthermore by having her hair worn loose she connotes a youthful sense of innocent virginity, despite Mary’s allegations of her “whore mother”, that would enhance her status as the Virgin Queen. The makeup also used to create the young Elizabeth is fresh yet continues to follow the standards of Renaissance beauty, the skin is a flawless yet pale complexion with bleached out eyebrows and a soft rouge placed on both the cheeks and lips. Her face is innocent and it is this makeup design that is continued on throughout the whole film until the dramatic transformation within the final scene.
Another iconic scene within the depiction of Elizabeth’s transformation as Queen is that of the coronation which visually recreates one of Elizabeth’s most famous portraits. Within the scene her hair is again worn long and loose and the makeup again neutrally youthful to enhance her virginal characteristics. However the costume is far more elaborate enforcing her position as a Queen of England through the white Ermine fur (symbolic of royalty) and the highly decadent yellow/gold gown which colour connotes a divine link to God and biblical majesty. This is evidently one of the last scenes that features Elizabeth’s youthful long hair before her transformation scene in which it is all cut off and replaced with Peri wigs, following these scenes her hair remains up in ornate plaits with braided ribbons of gold and green.
The purpose of the film however is not concluded until the final transformation scene when the infamous Elizabeth I depicted throughout history and portraiture is revealed. Within the scene she wears a blue gown in a shade similar to that of the Virgin Mary, this can be assumed as to reassign herself with God and reinstate her name as the ‘Virgin Queen’. While she is undergoing this transformation she states her ambition to touch the divine and “become a virgin” and we see this sense of purification through the removal of her hair (much like the nuns of the period would have done) and the appellation of the thick lead based white makeup. The final look completely transforms Blanchett as an actress by creating an almost un-human version of the previous Elizabeth, essentially through this transformation she has become untouchable and closer to her marriage with God. The pure white skin further drives home the symbolism of the infamous Virgin Queen.
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