The Devil Wears Prada: An Unattractive Beauty

David Frankel’s screen adaptation of Lauren sweater”, she is mocked by her glamorous the demise of her inner beauty, resigns from Weisberger’s novel The Devil Wears Prada colleagues. Although Andy lacks style, her the job “a million girls would kill for” and gives was released conspicuously close to the determination more than compensates. away her designer wardrobe. She learns that arrival of Ugly Betty on US television screens While her unsuccessful predecessors could with glory, comes great sacrifi ce and is more in 2006. While both ‘Prada and ‘Betty are confi dently parade their Chanel and Dolce, than willing to sacrifi ce her exterior image for based on a remarkably similar premise, it is Andy, in her plain garb, simply refuses to fail her original integrity. Miranda indicates with a the fi lm version of the anti-hero in the cut- and meets every demand of her devilish soft smile, after seeing Andy in her old attire, throat world which lends itself to superior, even completing the impossible task that she too recognises the value of inner classroom applications. The fi lm, promoted as of locating the unpublished manuscript of the beauty. a ‘boss-from-hell’ movie, explores the tensions next Harry Potter book for Miranda’s twins. Teaching Applications: exploring The between inner and exterior beauty, interwoven Despite her work ethic and ability, Andy’s Devil Wears Prada with the struggle to maintain a person’s true inner beauty is seemingly incomplete without On the surface, The Devil Wears Prada is a self in a world where “fashion is not a utility, it a touch of Gucci. slick production satirically portraying the irony is an expression of identity”. Andy soon realises that if she is to make the of ugly operations and management in the The Synopsis most of this opportunity, regardless of her beauty industry. The fi lm explores tensions and misinterpretations between inner and The Devil Wears Prada traces the story of dedication and talent, she will need to sell her physical beauty. The fi lm can therefore be Miranda Priestly (), fi erce editor soul to the devil. The drab assistant gives in to used as a tool to analyse and refl ect on these of Runway Magazine and her newly appointed temptation and with the help of Runway’s art issues and others. For example: junior assistant, college graduate Andy director, Nigel, begins the process of recreating Sachs (). Miranda rules the herself – in the image of Miranda. She learns !"The tension between inner and physical Runway fashion empire with an iron (albeit to walk the walk, talk the talk and ensures beauty. – Through the main characters, meticulously manicured) fi st, while Andy is yet her haute couture selections redeem her fi rst Miranda and Andy, the fi lm explores another assistant in a line of many who have impressions. Andy, now in her Jimmy Choo the tensions between inner and failed to impress their fi erce employer. shoes begins to live a double life – manicured physical beauty. The plot traces Andy’s fashion diva by day; jean-wearing burger and transformation from an emphasis on Miranda (allegedly moulded on , fries eater by night. inner beauty to the heightened value of editor of Vogue), is the Prada-wearing diva, artifi cial physical beauty and back again. fi ring assistants at the drop of a fi nely crafted As Miranda becomes more demanding, Meanwhile, Miranda Priestly, void of an Italian hat and crushing $300 000 deals Andy’s personal life begins to hang by a inner beauty represents dominance, with the purse of her glossy scarlet lips. As loosely-woven cashmere thread. Her college success and superiority, primarily through the stilettos carve their way up and down friends abandon the new, glamorous Andy. her knowledge of physical beauty. The the Runway corridors, Miranda appears to She loses her integrity after selling her soul characters provide different insights have the fashion world at her immaculately and becomes one of the Runway girls, despite into the constructed tension between polished fi ngertips, yet struggles to fi nd and declaring that she is the “same Andy, just in physical and inner beauty. On one hand, maintain a junior assistant willing to obey her better clothes”. Outer beauty conquers her we have Miranda, choosing the physical every command. After a disastrous run of identity when her inner beauty is sold. The hiring fashionably beautiful assistants, Miranda climax of Andy’s transformation occurs when takes her chance with Andy, the “smart fat she sacrifi ces one of her colleagues in order girl”. to advance her own career. Ultimately, she crosses over to the dark (yet fashionably Andy soon realises that if she Andy, dreaming of becoming a successful beautiful) side. New York journalist, takes on the junior is to make the most of this assistant role “a million girls would kill for”, The more Andy becomes a disciple to the opportunity, regardless of her hoping that after a year she would be able Prada wearing devil, the more she becomes dedication and talent, she will to “get any job she wanted”. As the new her. Miranda soon reveals to Andy that she assistant arrives at Runway, dressed in feels they share similar personalities. Andy, need to sell her soul to the “her Grandmother’s skirt” and “lumpy blue realising the accuracy of this statement and devil

Dialogue Australasia 1 over the emotional. On the other, Andy illusion at the end of the fi lm as she The Devil Wears Prada attempts to balance her identity through successfully secures her dream job as a her constructed physical beauty at the New York journalist, despite returning to presents a satirical view of a expense of her personal integrity. When her original wardrobe and apparent lack of fashion industry obsessed with exploring this tension, students may style. This illusion lends itself to classroom beautiful people and beautiful consider questions such as: How is inner explorations of the misconceptions and physical beauty managed by the surrounding beauty and success within clothes. At the same time, the characters? Can or should there be a and beyond the fi lm.  lm industry which produced balance? Who is beautiful? Why and how Teaching Applications: beyond the fi lm this satirical portrait shares are they beautiful? Although The Devil Wears Prada can that very same obsession !"A satirical view of beauty, produced by be used as a key resource to investigate an industry obsessed with beauty. – The representations, values and misconceptions of Devil Wears Prada presents a satirical beauty, it can also act as stimulus material to groups are valued or marginalised view of a fashion industry obsessed with investigate values and concepts beyond the based on appearance. This may lead beautiful people and beautiful clothes. At fi lm. Options for exploration include: to a discussion on school uniforms as the same time, the fi lm industry which ! A representation of physical ‘identity silencers’. Do uniforms prevent an produced this satirical portrait shares and inner beauty – The fi lm is an expression of one’s identity? Encourage that very same obsession. Or are both obvious launch pad for investigating students to explore the function of industries simply catering to consumer representations of both physical and inner uniforms in light of identity, beauty, and demand, and we the consumers are beauty in society. The fi lm clearly defi nes image. How would Runway be different if obsessed with images of beauty? The fi lm one interpretation of physical beauty a corporate uniform were in place? adheres to popular cultural assumptions through the eye of Runway magazine. It of beauty as being defi ned by physical The Devil Wears Prada provides students also uses the strengths of Andy to defi ne appearance. After all, isn’t that the basis with many opportunities to refl ect on their inner beauty and the value of integrity, for the multitude of multimillion dollar own identities and values concerning beauty, friendship and various aspects of a industries in the fi elds of high fashion fashion, identity, integrity, sacrifi ce and desirable personality. Students could use and fi lm? The characters, setting and temptation. This fi lm can be an ideal vehicle these examples to critique and explore production values are sharp and clean to examine the unattractive side of ‘beauty’. further defi nitions and understandings - refl ecting the inherent value of beauty ‘Tempted? by the absence of non-beauty. This is of physical beauty. Options also exist further reinforced by costume design for students to create ‘a beautiful mind’ and make-up as Anne Hathaway’s – defi ning what makes a person beautiful Aaron Hardke supposed absence of beauty is presented on the inside. While the fi lm may provide Lutheran Education as a novelty. Students could explore a starting point for this investigation, Queensland representations of beauty in the fi lm, exploring additional characters, theories considering their satirical nature in contrast and frameworks would assist students’ to perceptions of beauty in other social ability to refl ect on their own perceptions contexts. and defi nitions of physical and inner beauty. !" The illusion of physical beauty equating to happiness and success. – Throughout !" Exterior appearance defi nes identity the fi lm there are various examples of – Andy’s boyfriend claims “fashion is physical beauty equating to success and not a utility, it is an identity”. Just as happiness. We see the parallel between physical appearance helps defi ne the beauty and success in Miranda, and other identity of the characters in the fi lm, so ‘Runway girls’, while Andy attempts to too does appearance help defi ne many become beautiful in order to guarantee teenage subcultures. Students could be her success. As Miranda refl ects on encouraged to refl ect and consider how her failed marriage, we see her in plain they defi ne a person’s identity by their clothes and without make-up, reinforcing physical appearance. As a response to the connection between beauty and Andy’s transformation in the fi lm, students happiness. It is Andy that destroys the may also refl ect on how they manipulate their own physical appearance as an expression of their identity. They could Outer beauty conquers her consider ways in which they defi ne themselves and others based solely identity when her inner beauty on physical appearance. Furthermore, is sold. students could consider how and why

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