Roger
Deakins' cinematography in Blade Runner 2049 is, to use a frequently
overused adjective, stunning.
Complimenting it is Hans Zimmer and
Benjamin Wallfisch's score - a skull scraping sonic landscape which pays homage to
Vangelis while effectively elevating the relatively straightforward
plot with its anxiety inducing drones. Dennis Gassner's production
design adds a gritty realism, extending well beyond the frame to
immerse you in a world that has expanded and moved on since the
original film. Clearly, much time and effort has gone into the look,
sound and feel of this movie. Which is why it is perplexing that the
costume design for both Harrison Ford's Deckard and Ryan Gosling's
Officer K are so utterly, frustratingly bland.
Think
back to the costumes of Blade Runner. From J. F. Sebastian, to Roy, to
Tyrell, each and every character had a distinct look; their clothes,
iconic. Yet in 2049, men's fashion looks suspiciously contemporary.
Their hairstyles, too, are likely the same hairstyles Ford and
Gosling walked into the studio with on the day of shooting. This lack
of imagination is most noticeable in the two available action
figures.
Other
than his token Blade Runner-ish jacket, Officer K is wearing jeans
(with the cuffs rolled up) and a top that he may well have purchased
at Gap, circa 2007.
In contrast, the Blade Runners in the original
(Deckard, Gaff and Holden), are all dressed in shirts and ties. Now,
I understand fashion can change in 30 years, but I also know fashion
is cyclical. And jobs that required a tie 30 years ago tend to still
require a tie today. Or at the very least, a collared shirt.
Deckard
is dressed even more casually in t-shirt and jeans; almost as if
Harrison Ford stipulated in his contract that he would only accept
the role if he could wear his own clothes. Considering the popularity
of cosplay and pop culture conventions, it feels like the producers
of this film have missed a trick. No one will be attending the next
comic-con dressed as Deckard from Blade Runner 2049. And even if
someone did, you would never actually notice.
Consider,
when K tracks him down, Deckard has been living alone in the desert
for many years. Personal hygiene might be a thing of the past, so I'd
imagine him looking more like a post apocalyptic hobo than your dad
on his day off work. He would unlikely be concerned with facial
grooming, nor would he have access to a hairdresser. A more
appropriate look might have been a shaved head and unkempt beard.
Around his neck, perhaps a scarf or goggles would be useful in a
dusty, desert environment. In the film it's snowing in LA, so we can
assume Las Vegas would also be cold - for this reason, a t-shirt
might be a little underdressed, even indoors. Layers would be more
suitable, clothes that have lost all colour and have been mended
numerous times. We already know that Deckard has a penchant for
overcoats, so, fan service aside, I would've liked to see him in one
similar to the original (rather than Gosling).
Wardrobe
may seem superficial, but it is as important as the cinematography,
the music, and the production design. There should be logical reasons
for a character's costume. And when you have two celebrities as your
main characters, it should be of utmost importance to distance them
from their real world personas; to allow the audience to invest
emotionally in the characters. Blade Runner 2049, unfortunately, has
failed in this regard.
On a positive note, they have succeeded in giving us an inexpensive, go-to costume for every lazy man forced to wear fancy dress.
 |
| © Jason Morgan, Hollywood Movie Costume & Props |
On a positive note, they have succeeded in giving us an inexpensive, go-to costume for every lazy man forced to wear fancy dress.
