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Issue 8
Coco Chanel VS Coco Before Chanel
Coco Chanel was a fashion designer who was an orphan and became a multi million dollar international trendsetter in the fashion world. Her story of struggle and triumph is a compelling one which has been made into a movie by two different production companies. One of the movies was made in 2008 and is called “Coco Chanel” the other was created in 2009 as “Coco Before Chanel.” Spoiler alert: “Coco Before Chanel” is the better movie.
“Coco Before Chanel” moves with graceful pacing as it explains realistically Coco’s rise to fortune and her difficult journey in becoming a legend. As an orphan and a seamstress Gabrielle’s life begins to change when a rich old man takes a liking to her and gives her the nickname Coco. She weasels her way into staying at his house for a few days. During the time she lives there, he uses her humble beginnings as a way to embarrass her at several upper class social events. He treats her as an object for entertainment but slowly she gains his respect as she proves to be no ordinary woman. The simple script flows much like real life, where everything does not fall easily into place but eventually finds a sustainable sense of balance. Coco’s success comes when she begins to dress less feminine and more like a man out of an attempt for respect. She resents the audacious, bright colored, gaudy fashion of the era and defies the persistent trends with the plain free flowing form of her clothing. She begins to take the women of her time out of tight corsets and flashy gowns, into comfortable relaxing dresses. When the simplicity of her designs finds the elegance of black and white, her dresses become show stopping. The movie is less about a love story and more about her capability and integrity as a rational goal oriented woman. It is a love letter written to praise the amazing unstoppable personality which is Coco Chanel.
The strength to “Coco Before Chanel” really shows itself when you compare it to “Coco Chanel.” “Coco Chanel” is a flashy attention seeking piece which uses handsome faces and steamy love stories to catch the eye of the viewer. The screen writer takes a lot of freedom with the script and makes the story feel as though it was taken from a soap opera. There is seemingly no struggle for Coco who doesn’t face the embarrassment and difficulties of class movement. The movie is filled with cheery, shallow television actors who quickly accept her into their social circle with almost no argument or opposition. All of the women she meets instantly want to become her best friend and never feel any jealously when she begins receiving more attention from the men they are interested in. Throughout the story all men act as perfect gentlemen and are constantly her means of salvation. It is examples such as these which weaken the story and the character of Coco. “Coco Before Chanel” was a testimony to the unrelenting dedication and boldness she had in earning her goals. When you strip away the troubles and complications from her story, you weaken her character. The movie “Coco Chanel” exchanges a zealous intelligent independent woman, for a ditzy bumbling damsel in distress. It sacrifices a story about triumph, for a mediocre love story. One can feel as if the movie is trying too hard for you to like it and the desperate attempt for appreciation becomes repulsive. In fact, if the movie “Coco Chanel” is the noisy attention seeking dresses Coco disdained, then “Coco BEFORE Chanel” would be the simple, elegant and honest fashion she created.
Michael January
