I was looking on my tumblr dashboard [which is the Blame Mame 'photo gallery'] when I saw this new ad for the Dior fragrance J'adore. The reader claimed it featured Grace Kelly, Ava Gardner, Marlene Dietrich, and Marilyn Monroe, so I was intrigued. When I watched the video I was amazed. Watch the video below and after the cut I posted some screen captures.
The Grace Kelly CGI literally is indistinguishable from the actual actress. I noticed a women that resembled Ava Gardner, but I didn't think it looked like her. I did a little research and it is not supposed to be Ava.
Than came Marlene Dietrich in her famous pose from The Blue Angel. When they showed her face I was amazed... it looks a lot like her. To be honest I felt it looked a little more like Madonna.
Than came the only one to have a speaking part, Marilyn Monroe. While the CGI looked just like her, when she spoke it ruined it. They should have had her stay quiet like the other two actresses, nonetheless, a great likeness the real thing.
And as Charlize Theron enters to walk down the catwalk, we catch a glimpse of the three ladies watching.
Funny you thought that Marlene looked like Madonna--I thought the same thing. I thought Grace Kelly looked a little different. For example, her face is narrower and her features more 'perfect'. She is also REALLY thin. She was not that skinny in real life.
ReplyDeleteI actually have fairly strong feelings about this sort of thing. I think it is disrespectful to the actresses' legacies to artificially render them in this way. Doesn't anyone have control of their image that can stop this sort of thing? Since the actresses pictured are no longer here to choose whether or not they want to participate, I think Dior has no right to impose their image on a product they might not even support (for example, Marilyn famously loved Chanel No. 5 perfume). The whole thing just kind of makes me frustrated. That said, it IS pretty amazing that they have the power to do this. It's also kind of scary. Who and what is next?
Well, just my two cents...
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ReplyDeleteI agree with Audrey, but it's still a fascinating concept. I guess the question is are we still looking at people or just images/iconic symbols? How much does the referent matter? Is it wrong to have the Mona Lisa on dish towels or holding a can of campbell's soup, and if not how different is that really?
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Meredith and Audrey. It creeps me out that they can do this with another person's image, but I understand that they are icons. I also think that the face they presented to the world was different. This is the movie version of these women. I'd be more upset if they dug into their private lives. It bugs me more when advertisers mess with films. Like that Audrey Hepburn commercial for the GAP. It was cute, but it bugged me. I guess overall, the technology impresses me, but I wish they wouldn't do it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone else, too. I think it's very interesting that they can do this kind of a thing and it's nice that the face of Old Hollywood is still in the public eye, but this is not fair to the actresses pictured. Perhaps these actresses did not care to endorse Dior at all - if they were still alive, there would be a lawsuit. I don't think it's fair to the memory of Grace, Marlene, and Marilyn. There needs to be a line between "icon" and actual people, because icons are most often looked as as objects or brand names that make money, case in point. It was pretty well done, I have to admit, though.
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