Playing with fire

Celebrating Beltane with Dani and Harga.

May 1st in a lot of traditions is the Sabbot of Beltane. The “unofficial” start to summer with it’s fire and fertility blessings. Most Beltane traditions can be seen in Ari Asters 2019 film Midsommar. While under the cloak of the Midsummer solstice of more hours of daylight then night, the floral motifs, food, and fire cleansing are in most cultures linked with Beltane. I thought it fitting for the occasion to start with this film and really look at what makes their costumes so unique and memorable. While Dani (Florence Pugh) might not be exactly what we think of when we hear the term “Final Girl”, I think after what she endures throughout Midsommar, she can be classified as one. Classically the idea of the “Final Girl” was coined in the late 70’s early 80’s slashers that carried itself into many horror movies up till today. This idea of the virginal female, who watches all of her other friends get picked off one by one, to then ultimately face the villain head on and triumph over them. She plays by the rules, her clothing is safe, often soft (think Allison Parks in 1986’s cheeky slasher Chopping Mall). We think of pinks, layers of button downs under sweaters or sweater vests hiding any hint at the female figure, and usually an unflattering pair of khakis, you can fight me on this but no one looks good in these pants. This is mirrored against their party girl best friend who is often picked off first. Showing to much skin and wearing things like leather or lace in darker color pallets.

Dani on the other hand is way out of this mold. While there are females to contrast her off of, Connie and later the women in the Harga, she takes this journey completely solo. The monsters, or better fitting the demons, lay inside her. After experiencing horrific trauma within the first 10 minutes of the film we see a woman who trying to fight for her life. Christian (Jack Reynor) is not a better ally to Dani either. We already see cracks in their relationship from the get go, he wants to breakup with her and is clearly unsatisfied. Now I’m not a psychologist, but the lack of satisfaction he is grappling with in his own life has clearly projected onto Dani. As someone who has left and recovered from a relationship very similar to theirs what makes this film so steadily uncomfortable, besides all of the cult and murder we are about to endure, is that the conversations and behaviors between them are completely real. I have been there, and I squirmed in my seat watching this story unfold before me. Also upon my first ever viewing of Midsommar, I got to see the directors cut, so I was in for the long haul.

Costume Designer Andrea Flesch did a beautiful job conveying the juxtaposition between the weight of what we were witnessing on screen with the lightness of the garments on the people these things were happening too. Dani’s wardrobe consisted of darker earth tones, but in fabrics such as cotton and jersey knits. Prior to her initiation from the Harga men and women. Slightly over sized tshirts, sweatpants and work out shorts, beat up sneakers, basically essentials in everyone’s wardrobe when they don’t feel like trying or just prefer ‘function over fashion’. After everything we see Dani endure it’s no wonder her clothing has no sense of structure to it. She doesn’t need it if everything else in her life is falling apart at the seams. So the subtle difference of her and Christian emerging from the car, her in sweat shorts and him wearing denim jeans speaks volumes. She turns to him for structure, for support, and although he only slightly brings that to her the contrast in relaxing in jeans versus sweats, shows that dynamic in their relationship. Costuming for today is one of the hardest things you can do as a designer, because it can look like it is just merely shopping and can present itself on stage and screen as if it was just an after thought. But think about how you shop. What attracts you to the clothing you wear? What colors pull you in over others, are you a yoga pants everyday or do you opt for those jeans, letting those you encounter on the street know that you took a little extra time to put yourself together. These guys are grad students, traveling for research and for some hoping for more on their trip abroad. I also love Flesch’s choice to put the three American men in denim and no one else, just like the tapestries it’s almost foreshadowing their synchronicity and fate. Plus what is more American then a pair of denim jeans. After being developed and brought into fashion here it has become a staple of our wardrobe. Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) can also be seen in denim when they arrive, however he then changes his shirt to the traditional style of the clothing worn by the other members of his family, blending together his life in America and keeping the traditions of where he comes from. But as the ceremonies begin we see him only in linen.

So now let’s talk about the people of Pelle’s village. Deadline journalist Matt Grobar wrote a very informative and the most unique article, in my opinion, where he interviews Flesch about her designs. As opposed to others I’ve come across where they say pretty much the same things, he actually breaks down and get’s into details about her vision and the collaborative vision of the overall film. I actually learned a lot of which I did not pick up on from the multiple times I’ve seen it prior, which now makes me excited to go back in with this knowledge. Drawing on Scandinavian folk history Andrea uses floral motifs and ancient ruins to distinguish the individual roles of each person in the village. She draws her inspiration from not only from Swedish folk but parts of Hungary and Eastern Europe blending the lore together to create the story of the Harga village and history. Costumes are so subtle and tell such a specific story that they often go unnoticed. You in no way need to hold a high degree in Scandinavian history to see how beautifully she plays with texture. Sourcing 100 year old linen to construct specific garments was a wise choice (Grobar). Linen, breathable, lightweight, and almost translucent, adds a layer of vulnerability. This village is not ashamed of their traditions, no matter how foreign they might seem to us. It allows us as the viewer to trust them, we see them as soft and delicate people. How can someone be menacing when they are wearing a hand embroidered summer tunic covered in flowers? I don’t want to speak heavily to the most famous pieces in the film. There have been many articles and interviews about these magnificent garments, especially the famous “Floral Slug” dress we see Dani in at the stories end. What I do want to draw attention to is her use of color pallet. We see a stark contrast between the American visitors and the people of the village right off the bat. Greys, navy’s, dark colors and denim, set against the bright white linen, and more muted embroidery designs. From another article written by Fawin Soo Hoo for Fashionista (July 3, 2019) Andrea further elaborates on how color is added in progression with the events of the story. Upon first arrival to the village, we see a sea of white linen. When set against the bright sunlight it is almost blinding. There’s a vision of purity and cleanliness. When she starts to add color the small details, cuffs, bodice fronts, and necklines are what pop against the white. “The primary hues of red, blue and yellow all speak back to traditional Swedish folk clothing.” (Flesch; Fashionista). These are used to display the ruins I mentioned earlier or just floral motifs. I am a sucker for floral embroidery, soft floral patterns are something I really gravitate towards. Flowers in themselves are very feminine, symbolizing in art the beauty of female sexuality. Resilient, they come from the earth and thrive whether home grown or in the wild. In the traditions of Beltane and Midsummer, flowers show the rebirth of the earth and the prosperity of the warmer months. The progression of the ceremonies builds of the story into beats, we see a build up of color each time. Till finally we reach out stories end when Dani and the other villagers are dripping with colors and flowers. Dani is becoming whole again, she is apart of the larger bouquet, something she has been searching for this entire film. To belong to a family and be supported. She is the only one out of all out visitors to be gifted the traditional wears and fully embraces the clothing. One of my favorite moments is when the women in the kitchen place the apron around her waist for the first time, I imagine that she yearns for such an act from her own mother.

Midsommar has easily become one of my favorite films. As an artist it is obviously visually stunning, but if you really pay attention to what is lingering in the background, art on walls, various trinkets on shelves, Ari is tell you exactly what is going to happen. This is the most intricate story telling at its finest, using every devise to really paint you the most thorough picture. We are coming into this age of in depth horror, intelligent, and stimulating. With all the other real life horror we see in our world we have become more self aware as a species, and that really reflects into these types of films. The breakdown of the human mind and condition. We are witnessing the internal struggles with mental illness that we are now recognizing within ourselves and our culture as a whole. By highlighting these, we are speaking to each other that we are not alone. Together as humans trying to cope with life the only way we know how. Costuming is an integral part of all of this, conveying on the outside what we are feeling within.