Friday, March 26, 2010

Film Fashion Friday: 2 Lesser Known WWII Period Films

To finish out my self imposed theme-ing of March, I decided to select two lesser known period films that take place around WWII. Neither one is an excellent example of fashion, hairstyles, or even superb filmmaking. However, I think each film offers up something worth while making it valid to at least look at. Plus if you have a weak spot for romance, no matter how corny or over dramatic it is, you'll probably enjoy these films.

The Rising Place (2001)
I discovered this film shortly after it came out and I was hooked ever since. I probably have rented this film tens of times, that it was only logical that I should purchase it today while I was shopping around my local video store's sales of used DVDs. I might be slightly biased because the main character's name is Emily, but I just adore this film. The hair and costume isn't always spot on, but I think one could take a lot of inspiration from the cute little calico overalls Emily wears at the beginning of the film. My computer decided it didn't want to work to let me pull some images off the DVD, but these overalls are so cute and I love how they paired them with the blouse with trim at the sleeves. Anyways, the film tells the story of a niece who discovers her aunt's old letters from the 1940's. The rest of the story is then told through a series of flashbacks, where we really get to learn a lot about Emily. I just love how cute and somewhat atypical the storyline is: young girl becomes pregnant with a soldier's baby and must live her life despite the consequences and opinions of on lookers. It's available through Netflix, but I am sure many video rental places have it as well.

Hearts of War (2007)
I just discovered this film today, while I was strolling the isles, looking for one more movie to complete my five for five dollar deal. Many of the reviews online don't favor this film very well, and I can see why. It is a bit like a LifeTime movie and the plot is pretty weak, jumping through time without a lot of explanations. But, if you can look past that and the lack of brilliant actors I think you'll really enjoy this movie...especially if you are into any WWII or 40s related. The story is about a German soldier who falls for a Jewish girl and their struggle to be together and stay alive. I found the storyline pretty engaging; I was on the edge of my seat to see if the two would actually end up together. I also really enjoyed the vintage burlesque scene towards the end of the film -- those costumes were well executed. This movie can be viewed online through Netflix. Even if it is not the best example of a period film, I really enjoyed the touching story of one man's love for a women, even if that's slightly corny as well!

I would love some ideas for future Film Fashion Friday's posts!!

Emily


3 comments:

Miss Emmi said...

I have not seen either, but that is TOTALLY the girl from Vampire Diaries, and I am not ashamed that I can tell >.<

A said...

interesting, never heard of these films

Isobel said...

I would love you to do a post on the style of South Pacific. I watched the movie the other day and was struck by the colours and costumes, but am struggling to find a way to bring that into my daily style.