Fraulein Schneider Character Presentation

The scene I have chosen to look at is Act One, Scene Three. This scene is where we are first introduced to Fraulein Schneider. From this first interaction with Cliff Bradshaw we learn a lot about the character of Schneider.  From the opening stage directions we learn her age, her zest for life, how nosey she is and the fact that she is indestructible. Perhaps through life experience she has become indestructible. The middle of the passage shows how Schneider is trying to make Cliff Bradshaw take the room. Here she is persuading, trying her hardest to get the room let. This could be because she is desperate for money due to the economical downturn. The last section shows an insight into Schneider’s past in the flat, saying people of real quality used to stay. Why did they stop? Perhaps the sanctions caused the people of quality to lose their money, meaning they had to leave Schneider. 

The actress who has inspired my idea of Fraulein Schneider, is Brigitte Helm. Even though Helms' career started when she was only 18 years old, I think she looks a lot older. I think the hair around the face makes her look aged. Some of the facial expressions Helm pulls in the film also gives her an older persona.

Brigitte Helm. Metropolis. 1927. viewed 24/10/14 

Brigitte Helm. Viewed 24/10/14

The still above is the image that makes me think of Schneider. The intense look could signify her interest in everything around her. Here Helm is pulling on some kind of garment, perhaps a dressing gown, which is what Schneider is wearing in her opening scene. Although Helm is a young actress here, I can imagine how she would look when 60. Wrinkles around the eyes and lips, she would still have the thin lips seen here and a less intense eye. I think the hair would be wispier because of her age. It also wouldn't be so perfect because the character of Schneider would not have had to time to make her appearance perfect, if she had to clean, run and look after the guests in her flat. 

The mood board above shows my ideas on what Schneider would look like from the stage directions given in Act One, Scene Three. I think her skin will be aged as she is around 60 years of age. For this I will use latex and Kryolan Supracolour Palette in order to create some wrinkles around the eye area and lips; the Supracolour palette will create the lines and shadows across the face. I think her eyes would have been natural with a little bit of mascara, because she wouldn’t be able to afford elaborate make-up. The mascara could be smudged a little bit under the eyes to show the appearance of sweat. Her lips would be a dark red colour to make herself presentable. This however wouldn’t be thick, but applied with the finger to show that the lipstick has come away from the lip due to how hard Schneider is working. 

The mood board above shows my inspiration for what I think Fraulein Schneider’s hair would look like. Because she is 60 her hair would gradually be getting greyer, therefore there will be different tones of grey in the hair. The hair would be long, because the older generation didn’t cut their hair short as this was what the younger generation did in order to shock the elders. The front of the hair I imagined to be wavy. The rest of the hair would be pinned up curls that are waiting to cool down. The hair would be covered with a see through type of material. I think that Cliff Bradshaw caught her at a moment that she was getting ready therefore she still has half her hair in preparation. She would have covered her hair so her new guest wouldn’t see her looking non presentable.

Above is a mood board for scenery in Act one, Scene three. I think that the room would be very basic. The paint would be coming off the wall. The room would look dirty no matter how hard Schneider tried to clean it. The pieces of furniture would be basic although there may be a couple of pieces that Schneider hasn’t sold that show the art deco movement.

The idea for my make-up look for Schneider consists of aged skin, dark lips and natural eyes. I will use latex around the eye and lip area to crease the skin. And then use Kryolan Supracolour palette to create the lines in the face. The lips will be applied with the finger to create a barely there look as if the lipstick has started to come away from the lip. The cheeks are a red colour on the apple of the cheek to show she is flushed. I will have to carry out tests to see if latex would be the right product to use, because of experience I know that it is tricky to use, therefore I may have to use glue or duo eyelash glue to create the same effect.

The idea for my hair look is inspired by the bobs created in the 1920’s and the hair seen on Brigitte Helm throughout her early film roles. The front section of the hair will be curled and then brushed out and pinned behind the material. The rest of the hair will be pinned up in curls and placed under a see through material that will act as a head band.