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