One of the most noted performances in the film comes from Meryl Streep as head honcho, Miranda Priestly. Streep not surprisingly, received a nomination for an Academy Award for this role along with several other awards. According to Richard Dyer there are three types of role for an actor; the Perfect, the selective and the problematic fit.[3] In this case, the role was selective for Meryl as the character and her own personality are polar opposites. In spite of this the role becomes perfect for Streep as her talent as an actress allows for her to fit any role she takes. In public appearances and award shows she seems to be a very nice and genuinely sweet person whereas her character in The Devil Wears Prada is icy cold and often candidly mean. Our first encounter with Priestly is rather dramatic as suspense is built from before we see her. The employees of Runway are informed of her impending arrival and are seen frantically cleaning and rushing to tidy their areas. The visual fear on everyone’s faces builds anticipation and when we finally see the character in all her glory the audience is not disappointed. Streep pulls of a complete transformation from her normal seemingly bubbly self to the horrible and stern Queen Bee. There is no surprise that this role gained the actress her record breaking 14th Oscar nomination.
The employees seem to over react and the scene seems to be overdramatised at first but as we learn more about the character, their responses seem to be totally appropriate. Many of the female employees are seen making an attempt to improve their physical appearance as one woman changes from flat and comfortable shoes to high heels. This image is brief but not easily forgotten as it sets the tone for what is considered to be beautiful and feminine within this film. The close up is of a strained and uncomfortable foot which shows the pain that women go through in order to achieve this perception of beauty and the standards of beauty within this particular company. The idea that women suffer for fashion and beauty is not wrong but many believe that this is something we must do. Whilst in the films case, I believe that the image of beauty within that industry was incredibly accurate. It’s a world where weight and owning the latest pair of Chanel boots is key to gaining success.
Another especially memorable scene in the film is the montage of Andy’s makeover transformation. The makeover is a reoccurring tool used in Romantic Comedies and teen films. ‘Hollywood has long been enamoured [with] transformation stories’.[4] The Devil Wears Prada is no exception and turns the dowdy writer into a fashionable New Yorker. Most films use this dramatic device as a way of showing the evolution of the female character. Even once Andrea has turned her back on Runway to pursue journalism she is still dressed fashionably but this time with a little more of her own personality intertwined with it. The montage shows Andy on her way to work in several different and varying outfits. Hathaway is no stranger to the makeover in films as one of her foremost roles was as Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries.[5] I found it interesting that this segment was very similar to the opening montage in the film that showed models and other ‘fashionistas’ out on the streets of New York in a similar fashion. This highlights further the vast changes in the protagonist’s appearance and how she now ‘fits in’ with the types of girls she used to make fun of. This further perpetuates the idea that a woman should change her appearance in order to fit in and be successful. An interesting aspect of this scene was the choice of music, Vogue by Madonna.[6] The magazine, Runway featured in Weisberger’s book and the character of Miranda Priestly are based on American Vogue and its notorious editor Anna Wintour. The music is a subtle nod to the inspiration behind the novel and subsequently the film. Additionally, the song itself is iconic in the fashion industry for its interlude that features the names of many famous and infamous designers. Partly because of this song and her courageous choices in costumes, Madonna has become an icon in ground breaking fashion and glamourising designers. Often considered to be strong and powerful, Madonna took charge of her career in the same way the Andrea is trying to do in the film.
The representation of femininity and female beauty are, I feel, challenged by this film as they are brought to light. In an incredibly shallow and appearance based industry the main character has no choice but to sacrifice parts of what make her unique in order to blend with her new surroundings. The film incorporates aspects of perceived beauty such as body weight and explores them in a light hearted manner that could easily be misconceived by the young impressionable minds that the film is marketed at. There is no doubt that this film appeals to young female audiences but unfortunately it will take year for them to fully understand that this film is not just a light and puffy look at the fashion industry but is instead a social commentary on the idea of beauty and what we must do to achieve it.
[1]
The Devil Wears Prada, dir. by David
Frankel (20th Century Fox, 2006)
[2]
Lauren Weisberger, The Devil Wears Prada
(Broadway Books, London, 2003)
[3]
Jeremy G. Butler, The Star System and
Hollywood (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2000) p. 11
[4]
Brenda R. Weber, Makeover TV: Selfhood,
Citizenship, and Celebrity (Duke University Press, North Carolina, 2009) p.
19
[5]
The Princess Diaries, dir. by Garry
Marshall (Walt Disney Pictures, 2001)
[6]
Vogue, performed by Madonna, written
by Madonna and Shep Pettibone (Sire Records and Warner Bros Records, released
March 20th 1990)
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