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Friday, 30 September 2016

The Notebook Production Design Review




Director Nick Cassavetes’ 2004 film adaption of the 1996 Nicholas Sparks novel The Notebook is a story well known by many a film watcher, and many a human being.  Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling portray a young couple in the 1940s, successful in keeping their relationship surviving despite many a hardship and trial. 

The Notebook

Allie’s seemingly normal upbringing of wealth and prosperity is put into perspective when compared to Noah’s upbringing, and this is quite effectively shown through the costuming and set design. Although the film exists in more of a ‘rose-tinted glasses’ type world, the costumes ground the film in a sort of reality even though they are not what most people would have been wearing at the time due to the war effort.

Allie’s costumes are particularly red, with brighter colours and patterns compared to the generally darker and plainer colours Noah wears, emphasising the disparity in wealth that separate the couple, just one obstacle that they need to face in their relationship. Just by looking at photos of the couple together it is easy to see the difference between them, proving that the efforts of costume designer Karyn Wagner have paid off. All of this helps the viewer to understand the characters and some of their backgrounds without perhaps realising it.

Georgia x



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