The movie followed the script strictly in terms of actions relating to costumes but otherwise, the costume design is not clearly defined for each character. A defining moment that imprinted a sense of costume design was at the beginning when Clov was unveiling Hamm. “He goes to HAMM, removes sheet covering him, folds it over his arm. In a dressing-gown, a stiff toque on his head, a large blood-stained handkerchief over his face, a whistle hanging from his neck, a rug over his knees, thick socks on his feet, HAMM seems to be asleep” (767). Watching the movie after reading the script, I was mentally picturing a check-list and separately checking off each of these actions, noticing the costumes involved. After removing the sheet, the blood-stained handkerchief arose a curiosity. In a small span of time, a sense of HAMM’s costume is shown. However costumes of Nell and Nagg was not presented. The limited fact was that they were in stationed inside of bins. It is up to the viewer to realize that to connect with their dusty, worn wardrobe which was presented in the movie.
Endgame
May 1, 2016 Written by m.to1 | 4 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized
4 responses so far ↓
d.kim5 // May 2nd 2016 at 12:47 am
I don’t know why and how did I get the idea that the handkerchief Hamm has would be clean, but I definitely know it wasn’t described as a clean one even in the script based on the quotation you chose. I imagined that they would wear worn clothes but the handkerchief wouldn’t. Anyway, I did the same thing with you; checking off a check-lit that I made mentally. It was fun to check off what was just like I imagined and not.
r.bohbot // May 2nd 2016 at 10:16 am
The whole direction of the play “Endgame” fits the way I visualized “Endgame” when reading the script perfectly. Focusing on the first 20 minutes of the play, I found that the overall gloomy and clustered apartment was a perfect representation of the script. Clov’s clothing and overall look is on point with his character. His button down is wrinkled and dirty, and his hair is messy as if he hadn’t left his apartment in days. The viewer can tell that the air in the apartment is thick, for the windows are never opened. Hamm’s costume is also very fitting. The handkerchief on his face is bloody, dirty, and sits as though it’s been used for days, if not weeks. The way Clov walks around his apartment doing the same things over and over again shows Clov to be strange, repetitive, and very predictable.
– Ruben
In the first fifteen minutes of the play I thought the silent background behind the actors speaking shows empty Hamm must feel. He as the actor did well to portray how confused and empty Hamm was in the play it was not as easy to fully imagine Hamm as this confused person that is very vulnerable. In the play the actor’s glasses show is confusion like he is blind. Him barely moving throughout the play and remaining in that chair the whole time shows how Hamm insists on Clov killing him and the dark setting was very prevalent as it was described in the play.
– Jessica
When reading “Endgame” by Beckett and watching part of the YouTube film I saw that the production design was very similar to what the setting was. The setting of this story is very plain and in the beginning takes part in this one room. This room is very depressing as the play tells, giving very little light and only having two small windows. Hamm also adds to this beginning setting being dull by being a rather boring character wearing an old sheet, handkerchief, and doing nothing but sleeping in his old armchair. In the YouTube video, the beginning fifteen minutes perfectly demonstrates this scene. The walls are one boring color blue with brown on the bottom, both characters are wearing very old and worn out clothing, and they seem to be engaging in boring conversation. There is no furniture in the room whatsoever, only the chair that Hamm is sitting on. The only thing that may be different between the two is that the lighting in the video appears to be brighter than I imagined in the play. Overall, I think that the video is a very accurate demonstration of what the author intended the play to look like.
– Frank
In the first 15 minutes of “The End Game”, the director’s decisions, such as adding stairs to the room, made it easier to see how repetitive Hamm’s demands were. For example when Hamm says, “I’m tired, I’d better be off in bed” (Beckett 768), he whistles for Clov and the audience hears plates drop as Clov slowly climbs the steps to hear Hamm’s request. The director’s choice of putting the noise of the falling plates helped convey how Clov immediately responds to Hamm’s call. While reading the play, it was hard to understand how demanding Hamm is and how responsive Clov is. However the way the play was directed made it a lot easier to see the repetitiveness of Hamm’s commands. The first 15 minutes of the play the director emphasizes Clov’s struggle while walking around responding to Hamm’s demands, something that was not easy to comprehend while reading the play.
– Sharada
lh154081 // May 2nd 2016 at 10:24 am
I disagree and thought that the costume design aligned accurately to how I envisioned the characters to be dressed up reading the text. I expected Nell and Nagg to be dressed shabbily and in dirty attire since they were on trash cans. Likewise, in the video clip, they are dressed in dirty nightgowns just as I had expected. I also agree with you; I made a mental checklist in order to see the extent in which the costumes in the video clip aligned to my mental expectations drawn from reading the book.
m.camara // May 2nd 2016 at 12:02 pm
I agree that in terms of customs for the servants that the play and the script matched up in terms of what I imagined in my mind. From how Clov addresses Ham you know that he is not a butler dressed in clean uptight clothing doting on his masters every command and need. I liked how you kept mental checklist in order to compare and contrast what you thought the customs were going to look like versus how they really looked on set. Overall I agree with your statement as the customs are left to the imagination but the dingy clothing is often implied throughout the text.
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