I think makeup is one of the 
most exciting forms of art. 
Discovering 
techniques 
that 
complement 
different 
facial 
structures, emphasizing your 
favorite features and enhancing 
personal style all draw me to 
the 
beauty 
world, 
whether 
in everyday makeup or more 
creative, bold looks. My interest 
in makeup is reflected in the way 
I use social media — on Pinterest 
boards or my Instagram explore 
page, there’s bound to be some 
makeup-related 
content. 
So, 
when I first discovered Vogue 
Beauty 
Secrets 
— 
a 
series 
of YouTube videos starring 
different celebrities detailing 
their beauty routines — I was 
instantly enthralled. At first, 
I used the videos simply to 
learn 
more 
techniques 
and 
how to enhance my style. They 
soon became special to me in 
different ways. 
Vogue Beauty Secrets quickly 
became my go-to comfort media, 
as I would unwind to “Stranger 
Things” star Natalia Dyer’s 
calming step-by-step through 
her sensitive skin routine, or 

cheer up to Rihanna’s energetic 
guide to going out makeup. 
I realized that there was an 
aspect of companionship and 
intimacy present in these videos 
that made them unique from any 
other beauty content I had seen 
at the time. This was because 
the celebrities in the videos not 
only showed how they do their 
makeup, they also gave details 
of 
their 
personal 
life 
that 
connected to their routines. For 
example, in Dyer’s video, she 
speaks about her relationship 
with makeup and skincare in 
her teen years, explains why 
she prefers natural looks over 
red carpet glam and reveals 
the emotional significance of 
things like perfume in her life. 
Small insights and stories about 
the lives of the celebrities make 
these videos feel personal, as if 
a friend was telling me about 
their day.
This feeling of authenticity 
was enhanced because of the 
variety of people and stories 
present in the collection of 
videos. In Emma Robert’s video 
“Mom’s-Night-Out-Glam”, she 
shows 
her 
makeup 
routine 
and how she treats her post-
pregnancy melasma, a common 
skin issue faced by people who 

have been pregnant. Another 
video 
features 
64-year-old 
Joan Severance, who gives tips 
for aging skin and talks about 
the vitiligo that she’s had since 
childhood. Having real stories 
and situations that many others 
can relate to in the context 
of these beauty videos makes 
them feel authentic and more 
personal. It also destigmatizes 
these skin types (such as varying 
textures and aging) by showing 
them as a normal aspect of their 
lives, rather than something to 
be ashamed of or hide. Seeing 
celebrities show off their acne 
and combat their oily hair is a 
comforting behind-the-scenes 
look, which makes me feel more 
connected to the content.
The best part of these videos 
for me is not fully encapsulated 
by their relatability or their 
older sibling mentor-y feel. It is 
also the way that they encourage 
the 
sharing 
of 
techniques, 
products and advice; it’s a 
space for pure helpfulness and 
positivity. Creating a forum for 
building up one another and 
celebrating 
companionship 
in a dominantly female space 
such as Vogue Beauty Secrets 
is 
important, 
especially 
in 
modern-day 
media 
where 

pitting women against each 
other and trying to get ahead 
of one another is promoted. It 
seems like no matter where we 
look in the media, (especially in 
beauty-related media) there’s 
women being compared, fans of 
women degrading other women 
or women tearing each other 
down. A space of helpfulness 
and 
sincerity 
online 
is 
a 
refreshing change of pace in a 
world of Selena versus Hailey 

and 
gatekeeping: 
a 
culture 
where I feel like the only option 
is to compete. 
As 
my 
love 
for 
Vogue 
Beauty Secrets blossomed, I 
discovered that the reasons I 
am so drawn to these videos 
run a bit deeper than my 
interest in beauty products 
and techniques. The videos are 
prime examples of how to use 
beauty and fashion content for 
good, and they always leave 

me with an abiding feeling 
of community and kindness. 
The videos have a variety of 
people and situations that aim 
to give bits of advice to others 
in similar situations. Fostering 
a sense of solidarity among 
the community of viewers, 
even if it is just through a 
smokey eye tutorial, is a small 
yet important step away from 
the competitive nature of the 
beauty world.

The early 2010s were a time in 
media like no other. You had to be 
there to understand the absolute 
chokehold young adult fantasy and 
dystopia had on society and, with 
“The Hunger Games” renaissance 
back in full effect, we seem to 
miss that era now more than 
ever. Whether you’ve been a fan 
since its release or are searching 
for something to reignite that 
YA-loving spark, “Shadow and 
Bone” is the perfect show to take 
you back to that iconic time of 
magic and adventure.
“Shadow and Bone” is inspired 
by two book series: the “Shadow 
and Bone” trilogy and the “Six of 
Crows” duology, both by author 
Leigh Bardugo. The series are set 
in the Grishaverse, an Eastern 
European-inspired 
fictional 
world where people are divided 
regionally in different countries 
and, most notably, by their status 
as Grisha or non-Grisha. Grisha 

are those with elemental magical 
powers, and central to the plot of 
“Shadow and Bone” is the division. 
Season one introduced us to this 
world and followed our heroine, 
Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li, “All 
About Eve”), as she discovered 
her unique power of summoning 
light, an ability needed to destroy 
the Fold, a chasm of darkness 
dividing her country, Ravka, into 
two. While season one introduced 
us to this magical universe and its 
characters, season two picks up 
from the aftermath of a dramatic 
betrayal and a tough-fought battle 
as Alina prepares to take down 
the Darkling, aka General Kirigan 
(Ben Barnes, “The Chronicles of 
Narnia”), for good and restore 
peace in her country. The Crows, 
having just abandoned their quest 
to bring Alina back to Ketterdam, 
are sent on a new mission by 
Ravkan Prince Nikolai Lantsov 
(Patrick Gibson, “The OA”) to 
retrieve a special weapon to help 
Alina destroy the Fold.
With a season two plot that took 
viewers all across the Grishaverse 

with heists, battles and hunts, 
there was hardly a moment that 
felt too slow. “Shadow and Bone” 
struck a perfect balance between 
its fast-paced action and slow-
paced character interactions that 
made the show both entertaining 
and rewarding to watch. 
“Shadow and Bone” closely 
follows 
the 
storyline 
of 
the 
books, making Alina one of, if not 
the, most important character. 
However, compared to season one, 
Alina’s character development fell 
slightly short — something that 
was somewhat expected given 
the broader focus of season two. 
In season one, Alina became more 
confident in her abilities as she 
learned how to control her powers 
and became more self-reliant, 
especially after Kirigan’s betrayal. 
At first, she constantly sought 
validation from him and the other 
Grisha, but gradually came to 
understand her abilities and how 
to best use her powers to protect 
her country. This season, however, 
she is intent on one thing only: 
destroying Kirigan and the Fold 
to save Ravka. There is much more 
emphasis on the physical journey 
she must take to unite her country 
rather than on her development 
as a person. It would have been 
nice to see more reflection on 
how she dealt with her emotions 
towards Kirigan’s betrayal rather 
than just showing her anger. 
After all, she and Kirigan shared 
a close emotional connection, so 
it would have been nice to see 
some of her sadness rather than 
just rage. She also had impossibly 
high expectations set on her to be 
the one person to save Ravka, and 
seeing how that weighed on her 
(something we saw in abundance 

in season one) also would have 
made her a more fully developed 
character. I must note, however, 
that while I didn’t care for the plot 
twist at the end of the season (at 
least in deviation from the book), 
I am very intrigued to see what 
is done with Alina’s character, 
should there be another season, 
and how Kirigan has left an impact 
on her.
But season two gives us so many 
new characters — Tolya (Lewis 
Tan, “Mortal Kombat”), Tamar 
(Anna Leong Brophy, “Traces”), 
Wylan (Jack Wolfe, debut), and 
Nikolai — and so many new plots 
(literally 
everything 
that 
the 
Crows were involved with) that 
it seems to have been a necessary 
decision. While it would have 
been nice for Alina to get a little 
more character development, it 
would have come at the cost of 
other relationships and character 
arcs that needed as much time as 
they could to get established. For 
the most part, every character 
was given the necessary time 
and attention — maybe with the 
exception of Matthias (Calahan 
Skogman, debut) and his five 
seconds of screen time — while 
also participating in a detailed, 
high-stakes plot, making season 
two an incredible continuation of 
the series.
With many plots and characters 
to cover, “Shadow and Bone” took a 
strategic approach that mimicked 
the structure of the “Six of Crows” 
books with constant transitions 
between plotlines. A hallmark of 
the “Six of Crows” duology is each 
chapter alternates perspective to a 
different character so readers can 
follow along with the various parts 
of the fast-moving, multi-threaded 

plot while gaining insight into each 
character’s mind. This structure 
makes it so that every book chapter 
ends on a cliffhanger and makes 
reading the books that much 
more enjoyable. Each character 
is almost always in a high-risk 
situation, so the sudden shift into 
an entirely new environment and 
different character leaves readers 
wondering what happens next and 
enticed enough to keep reading to 
find out. The show uses a similar 
structure, frequently alternating 
between the Crows, Alina and 
Kirigan. Just when you become 
invested in the current plotline, it 
switches and you pick up where 
you left off in an earlier plotline. 
Ending individual scenes in this 
high-stakes fashion makes it hard 
to press pause and contributes 
greatly to the watchability and 
binge-ability of the show.
What really makes “Shadow 
and Bone” special for so many is 
how good it is as an adaptation. 
Especially with as large of a 
following as “Shadow and Bone” 
and “Six of Crows” have, making 
an adaptation that still appeals to 
readers is extremely difficult. Not 
only must the characters satisfy 
the qualifications of a well-done 
show, but they must also adhere 
to the characterization that has 
been developed in the books and 
ingrained in the readers. And 
this is often where adaptations 
fall short: Showrunners fail to 
create characters that mirror 
those in the books, leaving readers 
disappointed. Anyone who is a 
fan of “Six of Crows” will tell you 
that what sets the book so far 
apart from others in the genre 
and what makes it a favorite for 
so many people is the book’s use 

of the found family trope. The 
love 
between 
the 
characters 
practically seeps out of the pages 
and, with characters who are as 
perfectly developed and beloved 
as the Crows, “Shadow and Bone” 
certainly had its work cut out 
when adapting these characters to 
the screen.
Part of the show’s success as an 
adaptation likely stems from the 
fact that Bardugo is an executive 
producer on the show, involved 
with upholding the integrity of 
the books and her characters. It 
feels like the cast of “Shadow and 
Bone,” especially the Crows, were 
literally plucked out of the book 
and brought to the screen — you 
cannot convince me Danielle 
Galligan (“Lakelands”) is not Nina 
Zenik. The chemistry between the 
cast is phenomenal, and they make 
the found family trope present in 
the books feel real. Though the plot 
is almost entirely different from 
the books (but for the readers out 
there, why was half of “Crooked 
Kingdom”’s plot in this season?), 
because of how well the casting, 
scripting and writing was done, 
the characters feel consistent and 
hold true to the books, leaving fans 
of the books happy.
“Shadow and Bone” sets the 
standard for a good adaptation: 
It is enjoyable for both those who 
are new to the Grishaverse and 
for those who have come to think 
of it as a second home. It tells a 
captivating story with complex 
characters you can’t help but love, 
making it a show that is absolutely 
worth the watch (and the excessive 
rewatches, if you’re like me). 
“Shadow and Bone” is something 
special and one of the best series 
television today has to offer.

Design by Evelyne Lee

6 — Wednesday, April 5, 2023
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

When 
I 
walked 
into 
the 
auditorium 
of 
the 
School 
of 
Kinesiology for the Ann Arbor 
Film 
Festival’s 
showing 
of 
“Darkness, 
Darkness 
Burning 
Bright,” I expected to watch a 
movie. Little did I know that I was 
in for a 70-minute experimental 
compilation of the natural world, 
distorted beyond recognition, plot 
lines be damned. The exhibition of 
wild cinematographic techniques 
was set to an eerie, clanking score 
akin to a creepily unorthodox 
rendition of “The Conjuring.” 
“Darkness” prioritized exploratory 
film design over any sense of a 
moral or message. It was the most 
boring masterpiece I have ever 
seen. 
Every shot is its own work of 
art, worthy of analysis. A glowing 
white 
cow 
walks 
pensively 
toward the camera; the grass an 
alien neon green and the sky a 
ghostly silver. A bird rests on a 
tree branch outlined in a soft pink 
hue, the colors inverted like a film 
negative. It didn’t feel as much 

like a feature as it did bizarre, 
animated photography. When I 
expected to see red, I saw green. 
When I expected to see dark, I saw 
light. Had every shot been soaked 
in bleach, ripped apart with a 
chainsaw and left out in the snow 
for a few days? 
Well, sort of. In an interview with 
Notebook magazine, “Darkness” 
director 
and 
writer 
Gaëlle 
Rouard (“Lafoxe”) explained her 
process. The film was shot on 
16mm, creating a static-y, old-
fashioned look. The shots were 
then treated to a chemical soup, 
rendering them misshapen and 
hallucinatory. Rouard calls it the 
trinity: “the quality of the light, 
the nature of the film stock, and 
the way of processing the film. The 
combination of these three things 
will make the image. I consider 
myself a plastician, a painter.” 
She’s not shooting a movie — she’s 
sculpting a work of art.
There’s an inborn irony to 
“Darkness.” While Rouard chose 
to film the natural world, she 
artificially warped every image 
until it was unrecognizable. It felt 
like an abuse of nature. Who are 
these horses? Where did she find 

them? Who signed their consent 
form to have their photos exploited 
like this? Do they know they’re 
being used as fodder for an avant-
garde hellscape set in both 1924 
and 2078? It was uncomfortable 
to watch these animals puppeted 
around the screen like demented 
figurines. But I don’t know if 
there was any intended message 
in “Darkness,” let alone one as 
complex as the media’s abuse of 
animals. The film seemed far more 
occupied with trying out new 
cinematographic 
and 
directing 
techniques, leaving little room 
for a deeper message beyond just 
looking funky. 
There are obvious benefits of 
dialogue, characters and plot. 
There is also a wealth of treasure 
to be found in creative boldness: If 
every movie dogmatically adhered 
to the traditional structure and 
elements of film, we would get 
stuck in an eternal rut where 
zero progress was made. We need 
experimental films — even weird 
or mediocre ones — to push the 
entire industry forward and give 
audiences something new to look 
at. Not every movie has to cater 
to every audience, and there is 

no denying that Rouard created 
something unique. What the film 
lacked in convention, it made up for 
in mood. “Darkness” has so much 
mood I felt like I was choking on it. 
Bored and a little dizzy, I left the 
theater 20 minutes early. I know 

that it took an incredible amount of 
skill to get the glowing pink horse 
on the screen to look just right. 
It took creativity, patience and 
vision. Rouard harnessed years of 
experimentation and experience 
to explore a new type of visual art. 

But, as I sucked in the fresh air 
and the mid-afternoon sunshine, 
I was grateful to get away from 
the theater full of confused people 
wondering why a glowing pink 
horse was sitting motionless on the 
screen in the first place.

Ann Arbor Film Festival 2023: 
‘Darkness, Darkness’ burning so bright I had to leave

CECILIA DORE
Daily Arts Writer

Vogue Beauty Secrets and companionship in the beauty community

ABIGAIL GOODMAN
Daily Arts Writer

‘Shadow and Bone’ is a YA adaptation done right

JENNA JAEHNIG
Daily Arts Writer

This image was taken from the official trailer for “Shadow and Bone,“ distributed by Netflix.

Courtesy of the Ann Arbor Film Festival

