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The ideal aspects of women
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By audrey rose, Section Culture
Posted on Wed Jan 14, 2004 at 09:47:09 PM PST
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In Japan, twenty years old has a special meaning. If we become twenty, our circumstances or situation certainly change. In addition, we must be called an adult in general. This year, I became twenty, and am also called an adult. However, I can't consider myself as a real adult woman yet because not only my exterior but also my interior have not changed since my teens. Coming to this turning point, I tried to consider what a veritable grown woman is like.
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What on earth is a woman whom I long and want to be? Generally speaking, it is said that the ideal woman is beautiful, slender, wise, rich, kind to everyone and so on. Although these are not necessary, and some of you may have different ideas, but at least, most of you also long to be such a woman.
Wondering about that, one woman came to my mind at once. The woman is Audrey Hepburn, the famous and popular actress all over the world. She was born in 1929 in Belgium as Israelite, and went through World War II; and two marriages. She commands four languages, English, French, Italian and Dutch, and was also good at ballet. In her later years, she became an ambassadress of UNICEF and administered to suffering children in the Third World. She thought this role that it is like a bonus for her at the last of her life. On 20th of January in 1993, she finally died from colon cancer aged sixty-three. Her death made a lot of her funs sad and she was buried in Switzerland where she spent her later life and love. As an actress, she appeared in a lot of movies and nominated Academy Award six times and received Premiere Award four times. She had thick hair, gentle inner beauty, elegance and neatness. Her manner and features are described as fairy, and loved for a long time. I think that she is the best person who suits my ideal woman and perhaps yours. Therefore, I would like to search for aspects of women as portrayed by her in two movies, Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany's.
First, she played Princess Ann in Roman Holiday which celebrates its golden anniversary this year. This movie was released by Paramount Company in 1953, and established her position as an actress. She received an Academy Award and Golden Glove Awards by this movie next year. Moreover, according to the popularity poll of Japan in 1990, this movie won the first prize in foreign films. In this story, Ann was well-off in everything and was always overprotected with instructions at the sacrifice of her freedom. When she traveled to European countries to carry out her public duty, she escaped from her room one night in Rome. There, she met a journalist named Bradley. At first, he didn't find her a princess, but after he knew who she was, he tried to make advances for the exclusive story. However, while he saw the sights in Rome with her, they fell in love. In the end, she returned to her official duty, and then, spoke about Roman holiday with their secret description at the press conference. From first to last, Ann was really graceful and polite but she never forgot humor and innocence. This is reflected by the famous scene in which they traveled to the tourist attraction, the Mouth of Truth. It is said that if you are a liar, when you put your hand into the mouth, it will be pulled out. When Bradley put his hand into it, he pretended to be pulled, making fun of her. Then, she was really surprised at that and tried to help him desperately. However, she realized it was a lie, she jumped onto his chest with relief and love for him. This scene was so natural and filled with her purity, but in fact, these were all ad libs of hers. They were acted out just by Bradley's capricious idea, therefore we can see her real charm. "She has not only quiet beauty but also dignified manner and innocence which can feel tiny pleasure or love sincerely." ( Wailer, 1953:p86) Her attraction makes us forget that this movie is black and white. Gregory Peck who played Bradley said ` All people engaged in this movie were in love with Audrey.'
Second, she played a call girl, Holly in Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1961. This movie is famous for the song, Moon River and the immortal masterpiece. Moon River was sung by Holly, with a guitar, in the movie, and received an Academy Award. In this story, she lived from hand to mouth by various men. One day, a would-be novelist, Pole moved in next to her, and they gradually began to close. By then, she had wanted to marry into the purple to get a stable life and to keep her life. However, she couldn't admit that he was given money and presents by a rich woman. At last, she noticed that was the reason why she loved him, and he also began to love her. The love made them decide to live their own life afresh.
In this movie, she has a nameless cat in her apartment. This cat is symbolic of her. Holly was independent but vaguely enshrined in loneliness and fear. Also, cats are always free and arbitrary, while they sometimes lonely and fawn on us. When she decided to live breaking with the past, she released it from her, but she noticed it is not right to give up freedom or liberty. They were needed for her new life if they made her past. She sought out the lost cat, and hugged it with all her strength as if she took herself to her heart. This movie tells that we live with contradiction or conflict like Holly, but they generated her attraction.
They were also represented in the opening scene in which she had a croissant and a cup of coffee while looking in the show window at the exclusive jewelry shop, Tiffany. In the morning haze, a yellow cab stopped at Fifth Avenue in New York. The noble lady got out of it wearing long black dress, gloves, sunglasses and pearls. She stopped in front of Tiffany and began to eat a croissant taking it out of a brown bag. Before eating, her style and air were so elegant and perfect, but the next instance, her rough eating motion spoiled them. However, this imbalance represented her practically and that was her beauty itself. Some people say that this mood can be made only by Audrey Hepburn. She played Holly too lovely, so afterwards, nobody could play this character. "Holly played by Audrey is like a fragile crystal, but also looks a sunny and pert girl."(Bechary, 1990:p152) It seems that these gaps of her characteristics are the greatest attractions of her and this movie.
Then, comparing these heroines, we find that there are some similarities and differences between them. At a glance, most of you will easily find some differences because their life style or position is obviously quite different. Ann has the greatest status as princess and always behaves nobly. In contrast, Holly has no level and acts how she likes. It seems that they are in another world and unrelated. Considering the side of feeling, Ann is dreaming of a life free from restraint, but Holly needs someone or something because she is lonely by being free. Their outside and inside like circumstances or needs are different entirely.
They also have some similarities surely. They are the most important when we focus on the ideal aspects of women. The heroines both learned something by contact with somebody and changed their minds or posture for life. For example, Ann turned from a selfish, fickle but pretty girl to a resolute and full-grown princess. Moreover, Holly also changed her mind and realized she could get real liberty and happiness only by restriction and limit, not being rootless. To live seriously with all their force might be one of reasons they could change, and what's more, it is another similarity between them. Despite the fact that the same actress played, both parts she never makes us feel somewhat out of place with them. It shows she is a really great actress and attracts us with her intrinsic charm. There is a famous episode about Roman Holiday. When the director examined the cast played Ann, he filmed candidates one by one. After her turn, she thought the camera stopped, and smiled by liberation of tensions. This expression was very beautiful and wonderful, so he selected her right away. These charms were shown by us through her parts in movies.
Of course, actually, we can live without thinking or having on our minds how we should act to be better, but if we do so, it must make us happier. I want to live freshly as a woman and also want to cultivate myself more to be like my eternal vision, Audrey Hepburn. It seems that she couldn't understand why she was so special and superior to other people, but this artless style increases her attraction. Although the first time I watched her movie and was attracted by it is long ago, but I can still rediscover her grace and attraction changing a frame of reference in this time. She is always filled with many kinds of beauty.
The characters she played also reflected them. They combined not only looks but the inner side. In general, we tend to lose sight of the interior beauty, and persist in things we can see. However, the real beauty shines from the inside. The looks changes all the time, and is insecurity and uncertain. In contrast, the interior never change and decay forever. If it were not true, everyone she has met wouldn't love her. They all said, "She has the magic and beauty as enthuse with." (New York Times,1954:p33) I feel she taught me valuable things. Ann and Holly also show us their integrity for living. Their style of life or thoughts and the nature are different, but everything is all right if we can be true to ourselves, and the difference is beauty itself. "Audrey opened the world of beauty on personality."(Yoshimura 1991:p55) I feel really happy to be acquainted with her and her dear characters.
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