MovieChat Forums > The Addams Family (1991) Discussion > Illuminating Morticias Eyes.

Illuminating Morticias Eyes.


This may have already been asked and answered, but I couldn't seem to locate the thread anywhere. my question is, why do they illuminate Morticias eyes everytime she's on screen? I think it's a great effect. it sets the mood of the scene and it's very mysterious. does anyone know why they do it? 🤔

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Arts gratia artis

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They did that in the sequel.

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it's an old hollywood trick

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Velcro is correct, it's an old Hollywood trick from way back then. You'll notice they use it more frequently and more obviously for Femme Fatales.

A lot of these characters like Gomez harkens back to 1920s Hollywood.

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Not to reiterate, but this is something they used to do in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Here is a frame from The Hunchback of Notre Dame: http://www.thehunchblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/29-pho-esme.png.

A movie that used this gimmick in a clever way was The Devil at 4 O'Clock. There's a female character who--instead of illuminating--they kept doing the opposite (casting her eyes in shadow). As it turned out, it was because the character was blind: https://www.themoviescene.co.uk/reviews/_img/1964-2.jpg

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It’s cause she’s a fem-fatale.

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