Did anyone else notice how unauthentic Eveline's costumes looked?
#1 -- The scene where Robert first sees Eveline = the bodice of the dress had very thin, synthetic looking material (authentic materials are MUCH heavier) and it appears to be the middle of the day (off-shoulder gowns, if I am not mistaken, were not worn until evening/night by anyone of marrying age).
#2 -- Several times throughout the movie, Eveline wears see-through material on part of her dress (as part of the sleeve, on the collar). I'm not sure about this, but I have never seen a Civil War dress like this.
#3 -- When she was folding the laundry = her blouse was very modern, a little too angular when it should have been more fitted and rounded, also: her blouse is unbuttoned too far.
#4 -- Around the time she leaves to go to Pennsylvania = She has a black bodice on in the church and when she is actually walking out of the house. Black is typically reserved for older women and women in mourning and, in either of these cases, black is typically worn as an ensemble -- not just the bodice.
Eveline's mannerisms #1 -- When Eveline sits down in the carriage when she is leaving to go to Pennsylvania, she sits ON her hoops. Any woman accustomed to wearing hoops knows that she should gather her skirts -- including: fixing her hoops -- so that when she sits her skirt will not "pop" up, which is what appeared to happen in Eveline's case.
Eveline's general appearance #1 -- A genteel lady as herself would not be so tan and would not have dyed her hair.
#2 -- The hair would not have been down in a braid with a colored hairband at the end. Women of that time typically had their hair twisted up at the nape of their neck and, also, were very conscious that the piece (snood or similar)that is holding up their hair is of the same color as their hair.
I agree about her being too tan, in fact, from the moment I saw her I thought she was too tan and that they should have powdered her face or something. Also did you happen to notice that she said "Oh my gosh! You're so skinny!" when Robert came back from Elmira. "Oh my gosh!" is certainly NOT a Civil War era phrase. Couldn't she have said "Oh my goodness!" or "Oh my!" or even just a plain and simple "Oh!"
You are certainly correct that the word "gosh" is not a Civil War era phrase; it is in fact a Revolutionary War era phrase. The Online Etymology Dictionary dates the word to 1757.
gosh 1757, altered pronunciation of God. Probably from by gosse (mid-16c.).
....so I think perhaps it would have been in use during the mid 19th century.
Even though a word was in existence, this does not mean that a lady would have spoken it -- it probably would have been considered rough language. There are many words that have been around for a while and, yet, were considered -- and still are considered -- rude.
My wife and I are Civil War period living historians. We have appeared in numerous films such as "God and Generals", documentries for The History Channel; we have participated in many historical events and reenactments, and do multiple impressions, both civilian and military. We both agree that the clothing in this film is the worse we've seen in this type of film as any made after 1960, and that includes both the clothing for women and the men, including military dress. And frankly, I don't understand how that could happen in this day and time. There are literally thousands upon thousands of photographs of and books on the period; I also know for a fact that South Carolina is a hot bed of reenacting activity with organizations equal in authenticity to any you'll find in the entire South; and, it is a fact that no one but no one knows the ins and outs of period dress like reenactors. I have no doubt they would have shared their expertese without charge if they'd been asked. We do it all the time.
As for the sets, Elmira was one of the worse prison camps in the war. What they showed was something that looked like a poorly laid out reenactment camp (Anacronisms and incredibly some of the tents found at "Elmira" were later found in Virginia! Elmira was actually a horror story of filth, disease and near starvation where prisoners were forced to to dig like moles into the side of the hills to survive the weather conditions because the Federal authorities would not provide shelter. As for the actual battle and escape sites, I have reenacted all over the east from upstate New York to Florida and since when does New York, Pennsylvania and Central Virginia look like coastal South Carolina which obviously was where it was all filmed. Guys, this film was lazily done on the cheap by non-professionals and looks it. I assert that South Carolina, the Adams and the South deserved a better effort.
Southron
P.S. I won't even speak of the weak and disjointed script or the poor acting. I suggest next time the Adams might consider hiring a good professional script writer, an experienced director and, ah, real actors who know what they are about. And if you don't believe that a good period film cannot be made on a limited budget, I suggest you watch "Pharoah's Army", a truely excellent independant film produced on a shoe-string budget.
All of the soldiers in the film were reenactors (and therefore their uniforms were their own), and the advisors on the costumes were reenactors. There was little money for the costume department, so not every piece was perfect. The reenactors made this film possible and we are greatly indebted to them for coming out to aid in the production.
Most importantly, the film was done on a very tiny budget over a long period of time, with each and every person involved in the making of it putting everything they had into it. The entire budget of the film was less than the costume budget alone on 'Cold Mountain.'
No matter on these counts. The film tells a tale of which we're very proud. Those who put forth their energy, time, and effort on this are to be thanked by all. It was no easy task, to say the least.
With regard to Elmira: The point of this film was not to document that prison. If we had reconstructed Elmira as it really existed, there would be no film, as it would have cost 10 times the budget of the entire film itself.
I'm sorry, but the bottom line is if you cannot afford to do something of quality I suggest you not do it at all. Your lack of experience shows and your research is shoddy. I'm not saying this to be malicious. I'm a Southerner and a writer and know of what I speak. Putting a lot of effort into something like this is not enough; you must take pains with every detail, you must never but never compromise your subject matter and most important you must know your personal limitations. As for Elmira, it would have not been necessary to reconstruct the prisom camp to show (not document) what it was like. You only have had to present the subject matter within the limitations of a camera's lens; a plowed up hillside with a line of dirt caves dug by the prisoners would have done the job. A lack of imagination, not money was the failure here.
Southron
P.S. Never mind, "Cold Mountain"; it is an expensive piece of dung. I again suggest you watch "Pharoah's Army" if you wish to see how a low budget film should and can be done. Better luck next time. Live and learn, and don't be so sensitive to constructive criticism no matter how much it burns.
Man, with so many negative post about the movie's authenticity is it worth me watching? I would consider myself somewhat of a history buff, and inaccurate movies make me sick. Not just clothing but phrases, military strategy, and events.
Cfoiles, I have to agree with you. This film dissapointed me more than just because it was incorrect, but because so many incorrect details could easily have been corrected if better effort into obtaining reliable resources had been taken. I am also a Southern reenactor, and I frequently meet people -- back in the real world -- who are also reenactors and are more than willing to share any valuable information on reenacting.
sorry i have to disagree with this. if they had a passion to tell a story and make something (crappy or otherwise) who are you to tell them not to? prop and fashion police aside, a good story can overcome most anything, and if it hurts you this bad to tell them not to bother with what was obviously a passion to them, then return the film and move on. considering your impressive historical background, you should know better than to think that gives you a right to be so critical.in the end,informed or not yours is just an opinion, no more or less valid then anyone elses.