Estella Analysis and Portrayals

In the book the character of Estella is described to be very coldhearted and mean, yet very beautiful. Used as a tool by Miss Havisham to get her own personal revenge on men, Miss Havisham raises her to be a heartbreaker that shows no emotion. Pip sees her as extremely beautiful but is weary at first due to her cold, manipulative nature. Creating the character of Estella would be very different depending on at which point in the book I decide to recreate my character from. For a young Estella, I would use minimal make up as this is fitting with the time, but I also feel that Estella's natural 'beauty' should shine through. Towards the end of the book when she is being mistreated by Drummle, I will look at bruising and creating realistic wounds. Hairstyles changed a lot through the era so I must be sure that when creating my character that the style is in keeping with the time.

Estella Quotes

“She stood looking at me, and, of course, I stood looking at her.

"Am I pretty?"

"Yes; I think you are very pretty."

"Am I insulting?"

"Not so much so as you were last time," said I.

"Not so much so?"

"No."

She fired when she asked the last question, and she slapped my face with such force as she had, when I answered it.

"Now," said she. "You little course monster, what do you think of me now?"

"I shall not tell you."

"Because you are going to tell upstairs. Is that it?"

"No," said I. "That is not it."

"Why don't you cry again, you little wretch?"

"Because I'll never cry for you again," said I.”

This Quote is showing how Estella is trying to prove she is heartless and cold. She knows that Pip has feelings for her but still decides to toy with his emotions. 

"I have not bestowed my tenderness anywhere. For I have never had such a thing"

Again, this quote is Estella proving she is cold hearted and is incapable of love or tenderness. 

A quote describing how Pip sees Estella is "I loved Estella with the love of a Man, I loved her simply because I found her irresistible".

This quote describes the power that Estella has over Pip, but he finds her irresistible so loves her despite her cold hearted disposition. 

Dickens, C. (no date) Great expectations. Champaign, IL: Project Gutenberg, [199-?]

Estella Portrayals 

Great Expectations has been portrayed through film multiple times, therefore there are multiple portrayals of Estella through the years. 

1934 - Jean Wyatt: This Hollywood adaption of Great Expectation bent the storyline, so Miss Havisham is not responsible for the downfall of Pip and Estella. Margaret Donavon was responsible for the Hair on the Film and personally I feel that it is no in keeping with the early Victorian setting on the film. I think that more strands should be loose around the face as they were at the time. 

1946 - Jean Simmonds and Valerie Hobson: Young Estella in the film is portrayed by Jean Simmonds, with Valerie Hobson taking over. The make up artists on the film George Blackler and Earnest Gasser keep in with the times quite well I feel. Estella's hair is centre parted, although again I would expect to see more curls hanging down at the front. 

1974 - Sarah Miles: Directed by Joseph Hardy, Although I think this film was historically accurate as the hair is centre parted and framed with curls, it received a mostly negative response. 

1989 - Kim Thomson: Playing Estella both when she is young and old, this mini series has more character development that other adaptations due the the fact more screen time means more of the original storyline could be covered. Wealthy Victorian women often liked to decorate their hair with jewellery which is demonstrated in this series. 

1999 - Justine Waddel: The costume in this adaptation was particularly impressive. Very in keeping with the times, Estella wears extravagant gowns and dresses. The two make up artists on the show Fran Needham and Jennifer Matthews have kept the make up really simple, letting the costumes do the talking. I think the hair and make up in this production are very historically accurate compared to some of the older productions. 

2011 - Vanessa Kirby: Vanessa Kirby portrays Estella in this Tv Mini series. This is my favourite adaptation of great expectations, Make up artists Adele Firth, Kirstin Chalmers and Darleen Forrester created very period relevant make up and hair while prosthetic effects were covered by Michael Byrne and Kristyan Mallet. The thing I like about this production is the clear attention that has been taken by the hair, make up and costume department to ensure that the hair and make up evolves through the series relative to what time period it would be set in. Towards the end of the series Vanessa Kirby's hair looks very late victorian with the curls far looser and with decorations added. 

2012 Holliday Granger:  This recent film, directed by Mike Newell had many make up artists on set including Zoe Brown, Hannah Edwards, Jenny Shircore and Marc Pilcher. Her hair and Make up has an Elizabethan look to her with her pale skin, red hair and flushed cheeks. This natural look is still appropriate and in keeping with the victorian era though. The hair on the film is more late than early Victorian, but I would still say it is in keeping with the time due to the centre parting, high bun and waves pinned to the sides. 

Dimsy (no date) Dimsy’s Top Period Dramas: Charles Dickens: Great Expectations. Available at: http://dimsysperioddramas.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/charles-dickens-great-expectations.html (Accessed: 5 May 2015)

Film, E. B. (2014) Movie Quote of the Week – Great Expectations (Mike Newell, 2012) | ‘Everything I learned, I learned from the movies’ - Audrey Hepburn on WordPress.com. Available at: https://enchantedbyfilm.wordpress.com/2014/02/07/movie-quote-of-the-week-great-expectations-mike-newell-2012/ (Accessed: 5 May 2015)

Great Expectations (1934) (no date) Available at: http://moviespictures.org/movie/Great_Expectations_1934 (Accessed: 5 May 2015)

Great Expectations (1934) (no date) Directed by IMDb

Great Expectations 1974 Original TV Promo Photo Dickens Sarah Miles Michael York (no date) Available at: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Great-Expectations-1974-Original-TV-Promo-Photo-Dickens-Sarah-Miles-Michael-York-/350552999576 (Accessed: 5 May 2015)

Great Expectations (2003) Directed by IMDb

Great Expectations (2012) Directed by IMDb

Great Expectations (1974) Directed by Joseph Hardy IMDb

Great Expectations (1999) Directed by Julian Jarrold IMDb

Great Expectations (1946) Directed by David Lean IMDb

Great Expectations (2012) Directed by Mike Newell IMDb

Pics For > Great Expectations 2011 (no date) Available at: http://pixshark.com/great-expectations-2011.htm (Accessed: 5 May 2015)

Pictures & Photos from Great Expectations (1946) (no date) Directed by IMDb

Галерея - Period films | Костюмные фильмы (no date) Available at: http://periodfilms.ru/photo/132 (Accessed: 5 May 2015)

Image: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/2q0DK07RjWV0WWPw1QQPCmM/estella

The Gothic in Great Expectations *

Great Expectations has many links to the Gothic, from the setting and storyline to the characters. 

Setting: 

https://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/great-expectations-2011-gillian-andersons-eerie-interpretation-of-miss-havisham/

Satis House is the main Gothic setting of the book. Described in the book as 'old brick, and dismal, and had a great many iron bars to it. Some of the windows had been walled up; of those that remained, all the lower were rustily barred. There was a courtyard in front, and that was barred... I peeped in... and saw that at the side of the house there was a large brewery. No brewing was going on in it, and none seemed to have gone on for a long time'. The house is described to be dirty, damp and in a terrible condition.  This creates a creepy, eerie setting for the book. The building itself that has been used in the most recent film has elements of Gothic Architecture to it,  such as arches and gargoyles. 

Clashing time periods:

Another element of the Gothic that Great Expectations includes is clashing time periods. This is included in Great Expectations in the way that other time periods are being continuously referenced, such as the late Georgian period where Miss Havisham was jilted at the alter. 

Power and Constraint: 
Another Gothic Theme within Great Expectations is power and constraint. This is shown in the book between the relationships between Miss Havisham, Estella and Pip. Miss Havisham has raised Estella to be cold and to break the hearts of men, which leads to Estella resenting Miss Havisham. Another example of this is the power that Estella holds over Pip for the majority of the book but then at the end it is revealed that she was intact born to a lower class than even Pip.

Miss Havisham: 
Due to her Witch like description and ghostly appearance, Miss Havisham definitely brings elements of the Gothic to Great Expectations. It is also her borderline insane, cruel personality that almost takes the place of a Gothic Villain within the book. The juxtaposing features in her appearance also contribute, such as the fact the wears such expensive and extravagant jewels but her form is decaying, unwashed and probably ridden with disease.

Miss Havisham Second Assessment + Continuity Evaluation*

These are my first and Miss Havisham looks side by side. Although the lighting in the pictures is different, I am pleased with how similar the two make ups are. I practiced several times to ensure I used the same amount of colour around the eyes and that the sores on the lips were in the same place. I wish I could see the the looks in similar lighting as I feel I would be able to better assess the strength of the colours. 

First Miss Havisham Assessment *

These are the images from my first Miss Havisham assessment. On the whole I was really pleased with how the assessment went, I felt as though I was able to complete the look easily within the time provided, and that it wasn't too hard to re create what I had practiced. I think the hardest part of my design to re create will be the lips as it is difficult to be precise in creating the tears. For this reason, I created a dry look all over the mouth but one larger, more prominent tear that should be easier to recreate in my second assessment. 

To make it easier to recreate next time, I began the hair by creating a neat, late victorian hairstyle. Instead of pulling out lots of strands from the bun (as I knew this would be difficult to re create exactly) I created my messy effect by backcombing the front pieces of hair. I then used dry shampoo, focusing on the roots of the hair as that is where Miss Havisham would be naturally greying. 

I will continue to practice this look, to ensure I can recreate it for my second assessment.

Miss Havisham Step by step *

MAKE UP

NEEDED:

Foundation

Loose Powder

Supra Colour Palette

Small angled brush

Fine Point Brush

Eyelash Glue

Tweezers

Foundation Brush 

1. Apply a base that is paler and greyer than the models skin tone. I mixed some grey supra colour in with a pale foundation.

2. Mix a grey toned shade darker than the models skin tone

3. Get the model to scrunch her face into different positions. 

4. Using a fine tipped brush and the darker shade, finely draw wrinkles into the natural creases of the face. 

5. Blend out to achieve a more natural look

6. Take the red from the supra colour palette, and using a fingertip blend onto the lid and socket, and under the eye. 

7. add a purple shade into the inner corner and under the eye to create a tired effect

8. Take the fine brush to add wrinkles around the eye area.

9. Use your liner brush, to take red supra colour against the lash line on the top and bottom

9. Add redness around the nose and chin, making sure to add extra red to the sides of the nose. 

10. using your finger tip brush the red supra colour over the lips, blurring out the edges to create a sore look. 

11. Apply lash glue over the lips and wait to dry.

12. Use tweezers to pull bits of the glue out to create the look of dry skin.

13. Add red into the pulled out bits of glue to make the area look really sore

14. powder the face.

15. mix a white supra colour with a tiny bit of yellow, and using a spoolie, apply to the lashes and brows.

HAIR

Needed: 

Tail Comb

Paddle Brush

Dry Shampoo

Sectioning Clips

Hair Grips

                                                 1. Brush through the hair until it is tangle free

2. Centre Part the hair using a tail comb

3. Part the hair just in front of the ears, and pin back out of the way

4. Brush the rest of the hair into a high or mid ponytail
5. Attach a lace ribbon into the hair band leaving equal leanghs on each side

6..  plait the hair including the ribbon before twisting and pinning in place. 

7. Using a small curling iron, curl the remaining front section.

8. Backcomb the front section and pull pieces loose

9. Spray dry shampoo, directing it at the root

Miss Havisham Practice *

This is my final Miss Havisham look that I practiced at home. Overall I was pleased with how this turned out, though I decided to add a few more wrinkles for my actual assessment. I also decided that as I would be using dry shampoo to create a greyed root look in the hair, I should add some white colour to the brows too when I recreate this in my assessment. I was particularly happy with how the lips turned out, I used duo lash glue to give the effect of sore, flaking skin. Unfortunately I forgot to take photographs of the hair once I had used backcombing to create a very lived in look and pulled out stray hairs, but the basic style went to plan so I don't plan on making any changes to the style before my assessment. 

How Gothic Horror has adapted through the years *

The genre of Gothic Horror began in 1764 with Horace Warpol and his novel The Castle of Otranto. These earliest Gothic novels featured characters that would have been scary for the time such evil religious figures and sex crazed monks. This was because in this time, religion was central to everything so the fear factor was derived from the idea of the church being corrupt or figures that would normally be looked at for guidance turning evil. Creepy locations such as graveyards and haunted houses were also heavily relied upon to create a scary feel. The turning point for the Gothic genre was Dickens, who adapted the genre to fit in with fears more relevant to the time. He used motifs found in the original gothic novels and adapted them to keep them relevant.The Victorian era was incredibly revolutionary and successful industrially, but the lower classes were hard worked, the streets were filthy and as a result of this the death rate was at an all time high. Scientifically, the Victorian era was a time of great discovery, so these two things combined led to a lot of curiosity and fear regarding the human body. Authors such as Mary Shelley (Frankenstein) and Robert Louis Stevenson (Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) realised this and used the Gothic genre to play on these fears by basing their novels around the adaptation or disfunction of the human body, people with a sub human consciousness or a hidden phycological disorder. Another key theme in Victorian Gothic literature was desire, particularly the desire of women. This was a time where women were not supposed to be sexual beings, and Authors used this to create a alternate world where women were allowed to feel desire (often desire towards the villain) in the book. People love to read about the unknown, so this made the Gothic genre very popular among women. In modern times, the genre is still very popular with women, often partially due to the inclusion of a very attractive villain in the show. Nowadays, the minds of readers/viewers have been broadened so much that some shows such as The Vampire Diaries, The Originals and particularly True Blood have started introducing viewers to a world where the Gothic and uncanny's world runs in parallel to their own, and to the idea that the dark and gothic could be living closer than they could ever have imagined. True Blood in particular introduced us to a world where Vampires had fully 'come out of the coffin' all over the world, and gives viewers an insight to how it could be living with danger permanently on your doorstep and out in the open.
Show s like these are putting new ideas into viewers heads just in the same way that Mary Shelley in Frankenstein which hinted at a future full of medical discovery and body modification. With the reaches of science and discovery broadening, in modern times people are wondering what else could be out there, with modern day Gothic Horror Television shows helping to put these questions into viewers minds by showing them a world where the normal and the Gothic live hand in hand.