The Wardrobe of Cinema

Abstract

The Wardrobe of Cinema Costume is an essential element in cinema. It has been used widely as a storytelling device to distinguish characters, time, geographical location and cultural background of the story. This video essay examines the role of costume in films by using Qipao, particularly in the film In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-wai, 2000). In the film In the Mood for Love , the art director William Cheung has put a great effort into using costume as a storytelling device by designing over 20 different types of qipao for the protagonist Su Lizhen. Qipao, a type of traditional Chinese fitting dress, peaked its popularity in Hongkong during the 1960s. Therefore, Qipao as a costume that has a representative time period is helpful for spectators to distinguish the era and location that the story took place. The video essay has catalogued the 20 different types of Qipao into three major categories depending on the colour, pattern, frequency of appearing and the interaction with the mise-en-scene. Then, it interprets the role of Qipao by breaking down the central relationship into three phases based on the categories. The differentiation of colours and patterns of the protagonist’s Qipao has reflected the complex inner world of the protagonist Su Lizhen in each stage. Su Lizhen’s delicate costume is an efficient cinema language to enrich the personality of the character and complement the storyline.