If Hair Could Talk
Whether it’s Tracy in Hairspray, Merida in Brave, or Amelie in Amelie, we all know of an iconic hairstyle that we immediately associate with a certain movie. The hairstyles in these films almost have their own personality and characteristics, which adds to the character they belong to. Would Merida still come across as carefree if she had straight, blonde hair? How would Tracy’s stardom be showcased in Hairspray without everyone copying her 60s flip? Let’s chat about how the hair of these main characters adds to their characterization and see if it in turn gives you inspiration for your own hair’s personality.
Some of Merida’s defining traits are her fierce independence, bravery (no pun intended) and loyalty, all with a rebelling nature. She is rarely still, always running around the castle, riding her horse through the forest, or shooting her bow and arrow. Her hair is similar, always moving with her and emphasizing her freeness. If you were wondering how Pixar managed to capture all of this in the drawing of her hair, they actually created a new software system to animate it. They wanted something that would “react more realistically to the character’s movement and surroundings”, with the curls not being uniform or stagnant (Miller). The director talks about how she wanted the character to be realistic and relatable as well as wild. “I wanted a wildness about her, so that’s where the hair came in, to underscore that free spirit” (Evolution of a Feisty Pixar Princess). The hair came from her personality and was edited until it was able to match the fierceness of her character.
While Amelie’s hair is staggeringly different from Merida’s, it still has a similar influential quality in our culture. I rarely think of bobs or short bangs without first picturing Amelie’s. It’s interesting that Amelie’s hair is so iconic, but her own character does not have the typical trendsetting qualities. She is considered quirky and unconventional, with her hair supposed to signify that oddness with the extremely short bangs and flipped out bob. She’s different from the other people in the film, with a dreamy and almost child-like view of the world. The hair is supposed to help emphasize that she stands out, and add to her whimsical personality.
If Merida’s hair represents her free spirit and Amelie’s represents her quirkiness, Tracy’s hair represents her celebrity journey. Tracy starts the movie with her iconic 60s flip and full straight across bangs. In contrast, the other girls on the Corny Collins show have various elaborate updos and half updos. When Tracy finally makes it onto the show, we start to see her hair flip being worn by the other girls. Even her mom’s hair starts to look nearly identical to Tracy’s. Her hair becomes a symbol of her fame and represents a new era of individuality, which is ironic because throughout the film we just see everyone conform to the new it girl, rather than lean into their own uniqueness. By the end of the film, we even see her own rival, Amber, start to adapt the hairstyle, moving away from her own updo. At this point, however, Tracy has undergone a makeover and debuts a sleek, straight hairstyle with side bangs. This emphasizes that while her hair was a symbol of her celebrity, the true star is herself and no matter what she looks like, that won’t change.
I love that the hair in these films is able to reflect so much of the characters’ personalities. It makes me think of my own hair and what personality I want to come across with it. Wild princess? Quirky Parisian? Trendsetting dancer? There are no wrong answers for what you want your hair to portray.
