Costumes

The image of the Chaillot madwoman and her companions in turn-of-the-century clothing has become somewhat iconic, I suppose, but entirely wrong in this particular film. The costuming made sense when the play was originally done- the madwomen were wearing the clothes of their youth. Move the story up thirty or forty years and they are no longer wearing their old clothes. THEIR old clothes would now be of the 1930's or so. The costumes they are now wearing in this film are just that- costumes. That's why it doesn't work. They should have retained the original period for the film if the costuming was that important.