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Post by clarinetjamie on May 24, 2015 6:23:32 GMT
This may have been discussed somewhere, but I'm watching the movie since I just got the blu ray disc and I couldn't help but notice that it seemed to me there are times during the movie where the Captain looks older or younger depending on the scene and who he's with. Am I the only one that thinks this or is it noticeable to others as well and what are your thoughts on this?
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Post by lemacd on May 24, 2015 6:29:58 GMT
I think that has been noted before, yes. Some have suggested that he looks positively revived when he gets back from Paris. In which case... well played.  |
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Post by cass on May 24, 2015 6:31:25 GMT
I think that has been noted before, yes. Some have suggested that he looks positively revived when he gets back from Paris. In which case... well played. Totally purposeful. It gives me such joy. |
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Post by clarinetjamie on May 24, 2015 7:18:18 GMT
Lol, yes I totally agree about that, but it also occurred to me that he seemed to look older when addressing Heir Zeller as well compared to other times. It just seems that it goes back and forth a little from older to youthful.
It also appears that for the purpose of the film that he looks a lot younger than 50ish. I think that might have been a little artistic liberty perhaps?
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Post by cass on May 24, 2015 7:38:19 GMT
I don't see it as unusual, to be honest. My dad is 45 and works as the county engineer. It's a political position, and as such, there are some days when he comes home from work and just looks absolutely haggard. He is aging very well (especially considering his job) and can probably be mistaken for ten years younger than he is on a good day, but on a bad day, when he's upset and stressed... oh, boy. I see a huge difference from what his normal is just in appearance alone. Even down to the gray in his hair that's starting to come in. Most days, I don't even see it because there isn't much there.
Now, say he's just spent the entire day with his girlfriend. He's practically a ray of sunshine and I'll look at him and see the exact man I remember from when I was little and my brothers were babies. Environment and people... they influence a lot!
As for Georg's age, I really don't think they bothered trying to align with that very seriously. Chris just looked and was too young. When I write I tend to frame his age with the mindset of Chris having been 34ish at the time, and stretch it only to accommodate for the fact that Georg has a 16 year old daughter and military service before that. I don't go any further than that. So for me, at most, there's a 15-17 year age gap between him and Maria (unless I decide to write her a bit older, which I do occasionally).
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Post by utility_singer on May 24, 2015 11:38:22 GMT
Some of it may also be because the scenes were shot out of sequence, and the small bit of aging they did on him would be difficult to keep consistent, particularly with lighting differences (outside in "natural" light vs. interior sound stage, etc).
Cass has a good point too, regarding fatigue, stress, company, etc. That's why I think his appearance after the honeymoon is completely intentional.
Regardless of Chris' being 'too young' (and/or Charmian being'too old') it works for me and I'm so very glad they agreed with Wise to cast him.
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Post by lemacd on May 24, 2015 12:00:52 GMT
Am I the only only one who doesn't shrink the age gap?
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Post by utility_singer on May 24, 2015 16:46:38 GMT
No, I don't either. Actually, I don't in my mind, but I don't know that I've addressed it in a story beyond a passing comment.
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Post by indigoblue on May 24, 2015 17:33:58 GMT
I've always thought he looks similarly 'old and stressed' in the first scene when we see him in the hall, and when he berates Herr Zeller.
Before the Herr Z shots (in the bit with the Long Gaze at Maria)he looks much 'less stressed' (and dishy), and I am wondering whether the stress bits have been shot together, with the same make up (rather too heavily applied, IMO) so he looks pale and also his face and nose appear thinner than in other scenes, giving him a rather severe look.
Or maybe it is Mr Plummer expertly altering his facial expressions, as we discussed before!
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2015 23:22:10 GMT
Am I the only only one who doesn't shrink the age gap? I know I shrink it. Even though I do know the 'real' age gap, I only see Julie and Chris in my head when I picture Maria and Georg and so I find it hard to rationalise the 22/46 ages with them. I think in my brain I picture Maria as 24 and Georg as 42 (so 18 year age gap and Georg being around 26 when Liesl was born). But I don't think I've ever stated this specifically in any of my stories. While I know getting details like this right is important for some people, I guess I don't care that much! (Forgive me, please!!) |
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Post by lemacd on May 24, 2015 23:58:06 GMT
Am I the only only one who doesn't shrink the age gap? I know I shrink it. Even though I do know the 'real' age gap, I only see Julie and Chris in my head when I picture Maria and Georg and so I find it hard to rationalise the 22/46 ages with them. I think in my brain I picture Maria as 24 and Georg as 42 (so 18 year age gap and Georg being around 26 when Liesl was born). But I don't think I've ever stated this specifically in any of my stories. While I know getting details like this right is important for some people, I guess I don't care that much! (Forgive me, please!!) It doesn't matter to me. Although the issue was addressed in one of my stories and a reviewer thought I was having Georg exaggerating the age difference when I wasn't. Oh wait, that reviewer was you @charleybec... xxoo |
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Post by cass on May 25, 2015 0:43:05 GMT
I shrink the age gap for the same reasons as @charleybec. And I honestly like it that way because it gives me a little more distance from the real couple and helps me to view M&G as autonomous to the people they were based on.
Also... I just don't get an early twenties and late forties vibe off of them. Mid/late-twenties and late thirties/early forties is where it strikes true for me. I think Maria can be easily mistaken in terms of behaviour for being younger, but I just... I don't know.
Once Julie hit age 26 she turned into a weird enigma of agelessness that is probably the big reason I play with their ages a bit. Up to about 45 she just... stays the same. She doesn't look any younger than 26 ever to me after that point but she never looks the age she actually is in the years following, either. Then you can basically stage the next segment of her agelessness at 45-60. It's bizarre, and I never know quite what to do with it. So when writing for any of her characters (except for Eliza... being the same age as Eliza, that one's pretty static for me), I allow a certain level of fluidity in terms of age.
Chris, don't even get me started on that one. That's a black hole that I won't emerge from.
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Post by lemacd on May 25, 2015 3:04:24 GMT
I think my head has trouble with a mid to late 20s postulant. That is so child like (in the beginning).
But whatever. I don't anyone is wrong however they write it.
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2015 5:24:38 GMT
It doesn't matter to me. Although the issue was addressed in one of my stories and a reviewer thought I was having Georg exaggerating the age difference when I wasn't. Oh wait, that reviewer was you @charleybec... xxoo Did I do that? I don't remember!!!! I hope you set me straight.... |
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Post by clarinetjamie on May 25, 2015 8:41:19 GMT
I must confess that I too shrink the age gap because I mentally know that Julie and Christopher are only 6 yrs apart so I tend to shrink it to 10-14 yrs.
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Post by indigoblue on May 29, 2015 22:59:05 GMT
Going back to Clarinetjamie's original question about whether Georg ages/looks different at different points in the film, I thought it would be interesting to compare photos of him directly. So here are a selection, arranged in chronological order (I have others if you wish, but these are the best):
  
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Post by indigoblue on May 29, 2015 23:01:33 GMT
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Post by indigoblue on May 29, 2015 23:10:44 GMT
  
He does seem to vary a lot in appearance (compared to Julie, for example who always seems the same). I would be interested to know whether you think the differences in his appearance are due to :
1. Cosmetic factors, eg make-up, hairstyle, clothing (looking at the honeymoon photo) 2. Cinematic factors, eg lighting, soft-focus etc 3. Mr Plummer's amazing range of facial expressions.
Happy gawping! |
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Post by augiesannie on May 30, 2015 0:27:02 GMT
I think it must be a mix of those things; agree that the post honeymoon is intentional, but I think there are other points where it is just done inconsistently.
Oh, and I like 22/47 because I think 22 is realistic for someone at her life stage, and I can't really see a man with Georg's career starting a family at 26, plus 47 is not as old as all of you think (since most of you have not achieved 47 yet and I have!). I'll confess that I kind of like the gap, it feels sexy to me, but also agree that it doesn't matter very much.
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Post by utility_singer on May 30, 2015 2:32:50 GMT
I think it must be a mix of those things; agree that the post honeymoon is intentional, but I think there are other points where it is just done inconsistently. Oh, and I like 22/47 because I think 22 is realistic for someone at her life stage, and I can't really see a man with Georg's career starting a family at 26, plus 47 is not as old as all of you think (since most of you have not achieved 47 yet and I have!). I'll confess that I kind of like the gap, it feels sexy to me, but also agree that it doesn't matter very much. Yes, this. All of it. Including that 47 is not as old most of you think ;-) lol |
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Post by acid.milque on May 30, 2015 4:10:05 GMT
I think it must be a mix of those things; agree that the post honeymoon is intentional, but I think there are other points where it is just done inconsistently. Oh, and I like 22/47 because I think 22 is realistic for someone at her life stage, and I can't really see a man with Georg's career starting a family at 26, plus 47 is not as old as all of you think (since most of you have not achieved 47 yet and I have!). I'll confess that I kind of like the gap, it feels sexy to me, but also agree that it doesn't matter very much. Very much agreed. Especially the age gap! Also Chris gained some weight during filming, when they were in Austria. So I'm sure that as well played a factor into it. |
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Post by indigoblue on Jun 8, 2015 13:43:07 GMT
I am sure his make-up was designed to narrow his face and nose, because if you look at any photos of him in real life as a young man, both of these are much broader (also if you watch The Return of The Pink Panther, he looks completely different for this reason.) I can only think that this was done to give him a more 'aristocratic' look, especially in the hall at the beginning when he appears more haughty.
My feeling is that the narrowing (presumably done by highlighting down his nose and forehead) was lessened as his character relaxed, which would account for why (in the Ball scene above)he has lost a lot of the narrowness, and he seems to have acquired some breadth to his face more like his natural face; he also seems to have acquired a suntan! In general, I feel his features appear broader as the film progresses, and along with his hair getting less gelled and more swooshy, completes that delicious melting that we all know and love...lucky old Maria...
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Post by clarinetjamie on Jun 8, 2015 16:26:49 GMT
I am sure his make-up was designed to narrow his face and nose, because if you look at any photos of him in real life as a young man, both of these are much broader (also if you watch The Return of The Pink Panther, he looks completely different for this reason.) I can only think that this was done to give him a more 'aristocratic' look, especially in the hall at the beginning when he appears more haughty. My feeling is that the narrowing (presumably done by highlighting down his nose and forehead) was lessened as his character relaxed, which would account for why (in the Ball scene above)he has lost a lot of the narrowness, and he seems to have acquired some breadth to his face more like his natural face; he also seems to have acquired a suntan! In general, I feel his features appear broader as the film progresses, and along with his hair getting less gelled and more swooshy, completes that delicious melting that we all know and love...lucky old Maria... That makes sense to me, but I always thought his face looked fuller in certain scenes like the dance scene because of all that food and drink he had in Austria, lol. |
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Post by utility_singer on Jun 8, 2015 18:13:13 GMT
Some is makeup, some is lighting, some is overindulgence. It's all good.
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Post by gothicbutterfly95 on Jun 9, 2015 5:32:23 GMT
Am I the only only one who doesn't shrink the age gap? Nope. I don't shrink it. 22 and 47 to me. |
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Post by gothicbutterfly95 on Jun 9, 2015 5:36:41 GMT
Once Julie hit age 26 she turned into a weird enigma of agelessness that is probably the big reason I play with their ages a bit. Up to about 45 she just... stays the same. She doesn't look any younger than 26 ever to me after that point but she never looks the age she actually is in the years following, either. Then you can basically stage the next segment of her agelessness at 45-60. It's bizarre, and I never know quite what to do with it. So when writing for any of her characters (except for Eliza... being the same age as Eliza, that one's pretty static for me), I allow a certain level of fluidity in terms of age. OMG! Totally agree. To me from My Fair Lady to Tamarind Seed ('56 - '74) she barely changes at all. After that she seems the same from then to the 90s. And I don't think she's really changed since. |
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Post by cass on Jun 9, 2015 19:03:33 GMT
Once Julie hit age 26 she turned into a weird enigma of agelessness that is probably the big reason I play with their ages a bit. Up to about 45 she just... stays the same. She doesn't look any younger than 26 ever to me after that point but she never looks the age she actually is in the years following, either. Then you can basically stage the next segment of her agelessness at 45-60. It's bizarre, and I never know quite what to do with it. So when writing for any of her characters (except for Eliza... being the same age as Eliza, that one's pretty static for me), I allow a certain level of fluidity in terms of age. OMG! Totally agree. To me from My Fair Lady to Tamarind Seed ('56 - '74) she barely changes at all. After that she seems the same from then to the 90s. And I don't think she's really changed since. Not really, though you can definitely see the toll losing her voice and losing Blake respectively took on her. She is crushing the sexy factor lately, though. Some photoshoots I've happened on, I'm just amazed that I'm supposed to believe she's actually 79. Back when I was in high school someone asked me if she was 45 in the Princess Diaries movies and I laughed until I cried. Oh, I still laugh. It's a favourite absurd and pointless story for me. I was covered in dirt, dressed in full riding gear, and trying to get my mount to his stall. Someone just randomly asked me after finishing up a short conversation about Mamma Mia! and I was glad I had a huge horse to hang onto for a few minutes. She's just that elusive on the age front that otherwise intelligent adults can't bridge the gap between early 2000s and 1965 and ask questions like that.  |
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Post by gothicbutterfly95 on Jun 10, 2015 1:48:51 GMT
Oh I can definitely see changes, but they're not huge.
And regardless, she still looks AMAZING
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Post by missisa on Sept 27, 2021 20:47:28 GMT
Returning to the initial question (and updating, incidentally, this old thread) more than younger / older, I would say that the Captain looks different in various ways but not so much in relation to age as to other factors: stress, anger, worry, sadness, happiness, love... how much wonderful subtlety hides the interpretation of Chris!
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Post by thecaptainsfraulein on Oct 10, 2024 4:01:04 GMT
I think that has been noted before, yes. Some have suggested that he looks positively revived when he gets back from Paris. In which case... well played. I recently revisited the movie and I agree with everyone here (especially *this* comment😉) plus factoring in him dealing with grief (sadness, anger, pain), having 7 children as well as going through governesses can really take a toll on a person's physical health. Chris was around 34 (he was only a year older than me and I'll be 34 this December) at the time of filming and the Captain was supposed to be in his 40s but as the ladies said, it depends on who he's with. I think once he was with Maria, he was so relaxed and the Captain looked so much younger, especially after his honeymoon with his new wife. He looked great no matter what!!❤️ |
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