By: Sydney Mulvenon
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – In 1957 a film once stated,“A woman can be intellectual as well as beautiful.” In that same time period a woman named Audrey Hepburn said, “The beauty of a woman must be seen from her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.”
In 1957 a film called Funny face embodied the message of beauty from within and an actress named Audrey Hepburn was to be it’s role model. Movies inspire us in a variety of ways and for me this film inspired me that true beauty is on the inside.
The glitz and glamour of the magazine life is displayed right in the opening scene in New York at Quality Magazine. Left and right people singing “Think Pink. Think Pink. Think pink.” The editor in chief Maggie wants to up the magazine’s game and create something new and imaginative. The company’s photographer played by Fred Astaire takes the challenge of finding a new muse that will show a new and realistic side of the magazine. Astaire proclaims to Maggie, “Every girl on every page of Quality Magazine has grace, elegance and pizazz. Now What’s wrong with bringing out a girl who has character, spirit, and intelligence.”
After sixty-four years it is a message that is still trying to be enforced in society today.Growing up I admired this film primarily for the character of Mr. Avery. The way Astaire’s character Mr.Avery dedicates his time to showing that the best kind of beauty is when someone is themselves. Now who doesn’t want this in real life? The idea that when we feel we aren’t good or appealing enough we just want someone to say You are good enough and you are beautiful enough. Astaire says it best when he sings the lyrics, “For you’re a cutie with more than beauty. You’ve got a lot of personality for me. You fill the air with smiles for miles and miles and miles. For you’re no Mona Lisa, for worlds I’d not replace. You’re sunny, funny face.”
Once Quality Magazine has their new model the film’s scenery changes from the busy streets of New York to the city of love, Paris. Hepburn and her character Jo are so much alike. Jo’s dream is to go to Paris and she takes the chance to go when she is offered the modeling gig. Hepburn on the other hand famously said, “Paris is always a good idea.” I’m no expert in acting but I’d like to think the best actors are the ones who can connect with their character and find a part of who they are in them. Hepburn plays Jo to a tee because of her elegance, intelligence, and spirit. In Paris she looks incredible and she shows her charm as well as a sense of comfort and sophistication. The entire collection of designer outfits Hepburn is photographed in.
Now don’t think I would leave out the romance part. Hepburn and Astaire are two actors who played characters that will always be timeless romantics. A romance develops between Jo and Mr.Avery and with Astaire’s captivating dance skills and Hepburn’s mesmerizing gaze, cinematic perfection is accomplished. Hepburn in a white wedding gown in front of a small parisian church and Astaire realizing he’s in love with the girl who always thought she had a funny face. A song and dance soon begin and a sweet moment is shared between the two and a passionate kiss to celebrate their new love.
This is a film I highly recommend for it’s one that will take you into a new world of creativity and imagination. It showcases masters of dance and iconic monuments that will spark your interest. A film like Funny Face was shown in theatres when most of our grandparents were young. I think for millennials like myself this is a movie that relates to so many things today and a reminder of the artform of one of the earliest musicals in cinema history.