River's Wardrobe: Firefly to Serenity.... by AnotherSky

FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

River's Wardrobe: Firefly to Serenity....

POSTED BY: ANOTHERSKY
UPDATED: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 11:57
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Monday, March 16, 2009 9:31 PM

Disclaimer: I am obsessed by costume decisions. The following is therefore obsessive.

I could go on for a long time about how Mal's or Zoe's or Wash's particular accoutrement or way of wearing it adds so much to their character. But I won't, because this one is about showing River's (a rather opaque character arc by all accounts) change throughout the series and Serenity.

Most of the characters in the Movie seem to either a.) change constantly, barely repeating costume choices or b.)keep to the same with tiny alterations. In Serenity, River's changes, then holds, then changes again and never goes back.

River's clothing seems to be speaking for her.
Briefly, here's what I think it says.

Series:
Let's start at the beginning (in the correct airing order): we first see River in her birthday suit---interesting metaphor, seeing such a complicated girl hiding secrets with nothing to hide her.

Then she moves on to what seem like either clothes Simon's bought/brought, or possibly Kaylee castoffs--they're bright, jewel-toned, alternating between cheery and urchin-y. Kinda whimsical, hippie-ish. Their level of sophistication also seems somewhat connected to her lucidity per episode. Notably, compared to teh Movie, they are generally not body-hugging but loose, floaty and occasionally homely. They are also fairly "casual" by our time's definition.

Then, nearly a year in 'verse-time goes by, and we hit The Movie.

Movie:
We have a transition, once again: flashback to the skintight lab leotard, complete with metal plates (aside: which made me think of both Serenity and the reavers, as well as a joke on armor on about three levels). It's grey, morally fuzzy. We're back to her framework, her blueprint form--whereas in the series, River's role was a disturbed teenager with a fugitive past, her new one is as the alliance's runaway weapon and the ship's seer-in-residence.

In Serenity, straight out of the chute we have the girl wearing (to my mind) some very Inara-ish clothes with a River twist. Certainly the color (plum and brown) is very dark and much more sophisticated, as well as being form-fitting, a first. River, as my surprised friend put it, "has become sexy". Or at least they're introducing the idea, and it seems much more that they're emphasizing the other (simultaneous?) idea that's she's become more of an adult. The non-functional sleeves and lace overlay echo both her former clothing and hint at her still-fragile state. But she still has those bare feet, apparently having given up the combat boots again.

But wait--they're back! And they don't go away. After the heist, River wears them with a long blue overcoat covering a blue dress that is not seen too clearly until the cantina lollapalooza. That makes two colors she hasn't really ever worn before, and they're DARK, form-fitting to boot, and showing way more skin than ever. Before the contrast between boots and clothes was funny, incongruous. Now it's become more integrated into her look--her look towards the boots, much sleeker and dangerous. Although mentally more messed than ever, she moves differently in them. As more violence ensues, the crew gets it that "little River" is not exactly the same girl who only months ago rubbed soup in her hair.

River steps fully into this during the cantina scene, literally letting her cover drop to the floor, leaving it behind. Talk about symbols.
Along with skin, secrets and violence, River's action here is such a break (okay, pun) that it cannot be ignored.

This blue dress (blue=purity, loyalty, clarity/truth in nearly all cultures)becomes River's default until the very end of the movie.
Still with a delicate, floating edge (all the hemlines creep upward as well in this progression) and see-through overlay, it's nontheless toned down from the brown/plum.

It's showing the trend of all her clothing which gradually becomes more form fitting, utilitarian and shorter.
It finally culminates in the Reaver scene. After the discovery on Miranda, River is stripped down again full circle to the weapon she is at that moment--entertaining that it is a similar grey. And we know about the implications of grey.

Other: flashbacks and epilogue:

flashbacks: river wears multiethnic dress of cream and light colors--clean-lined with an intricate pattern. Describes her pre-Academy self, the one we'll never fully get.

epilogue: Dress is lighter, short, print, still gauzy though,but definitely reminiscent of firefly--kind of a cross between series-River and movie-River. After all that the course has been mediated. And sandals?

There's hope that she's gone back more to being a mei-mei and less the weapon. She has kept the other positive changes.

Whew. But I think that makes a case for a visual arc.

"I think we lost our fuzzy dice back there."
"Going for a ride."

Another Sky

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Monday, March 16, 2009 11:03 PM

SHINYGOODGUY

Sky

What always struck me was how in the pilot you have River being "born" naked from the cryo box and Mal as father bringing her into the world, or in this case, 'verse.

I can actually picture her transition from child to weapon to woman in the way that you describe. Her clothes, first as hand-me-downs ill-fitting, loose (Inara's cape), then innocent and child-like
(Kaylee's wardrobe?) and then something more form-fitting (Inara's clothes again?).

It was also the journey of her mind maturing along with her body, as she struggles against the programming by the Alliance. Until we come to the BDM where, on Miranda, she finally throws up and tells Simon she's fine. It is gloriously at this point that she sees what she must do to save her brother and the crew she's come to know as family.

The BDM makes me realize just how much I appreciate the last ep, OiS. It is in that ep that we see the beginnings of her maturation and management of her self control. I loved the way Joss slowly revealed River's gifts, peeling away layer after layer using Summer's natural talents, props and clothes to flesh out the tones and hues that make River who she is. BTW Joss used Summer's feet here as Eve strolling through the garden, although without tempting Adam. Her walk through Serenity in OiS is nothing short of genius. Notice though that when she wears the combat boots she's either in, or going to, combat.

I always liked the way she was dressed. It enhanced her graceful lines and ethereal nature. The transition from naked broken 'baby' to purpose-driven clear-minded woman-child was made all the more resistant to deformation by the use of clothes. Frumpy and unsure to solid and protective. Joss took a wisp of a girl and made her a star with genius writing and total trust in her ability to portray our beautiful River.

Yep, I could see it alright. Good call Sky.

SGG

Tawabawho?

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Tuesday, March 17, 2009 11:57 AM

ANOTHERSKY

Thanks,Goodguy. It's been in my head, only recently materialized. (no pun meant, again).

OiS is my favorite episode partly for that reason--the whole show we've been crazy on the characterization meter--there's so many facets and levels of interaction, and with River's walk we get a sense of the ship as the original glue between them and container for them all, how they've now permeated it.

There's a really philosophical component to that episode, and it's not Early's wackily original zen koans that do it--they just alert us to the fact that in OiS, the "essence" of things is what's discussed. It's a very quiet episode--not too much of the pretty pretty lights to distract, and the type of humor make it very cohesive.

NICE point about the combat boots being for combat. Ha. It's been a while since I've seen Serenity, so I wasn't sure. So if that continues, Jayne would have a warning meter then, wouldn't he?

River is also one of the only "crazy people" I've ever seen with such depth. And Mal is the only "captain with a horrible past" that's been able to pull that off so openly, without resorting to that cop-out shroud of taciturn mystery that seems a prerequisite. I'm not complaining about characters that are actually like this, it's just the ones that we draw a curtain there when there's no sensible reason for it. And he's allowed to make stupid mistakes. I like that. Besides the other entertaining contradictions that make up the crew.

Summer: using an actor's talents is in my mind essential--whatever they've got that could be appropriately brought to the role should be utilized--Joss is on the money there.

"I think we lost our fuzzy dice back there."
"Going for a ride."

Another Sky

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