English director Joe Wright’s movies appear across popular culture in a multitude of ways, whether it is a Tumblr repost of a scene from Pride & Prejudice or imitations frequent collaborator Keira Knightley’s backless silk green dress from Atonement. Wright’s best-known movies are period films, and he has continued this trend with his most recent release: Cyrano. Wright first rose to prominence with his directorial debut, Pride & Prejudice, and that set the tone for the rest of his career and what is potentially to come from the director. He has continued to put out several hits throughout the years, although it may be hard to say if it has topped the surge of popularity that came with his first two movies.
However, if there is one characteristic that sets Wright’s films apart, it is costume design. Costumes are a critical part of immersing viewers into the story that they are trying to tell, especially if it is a period film. If there is one element that seems too unrealistic for the era that it sells, then that could completely ruin the experience of watching the movie for a viewer. Whether a garment tries to tell the world about a character’s motives or provides a vehicle for moving the plot’s themes forward, a simple dress or choice of jewelry can completely morph the story into something different. These are Joe Wright’s movies, ranked according to their costume design.
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5 Darkest Hour
Universal Pictures / Focus Features
Wright’s 2017 movie Darkest Hour stars Gary Oldman in the role of Winston Churchill amidst the beginnings of World War II in England, as well as the War Cabinet Crisis that occurred in May 1940. Darkest Hour recreates London in the 1940s, so, of course, the set and fashion design offer some nods to the historical elements of the time. According to IndieWire, costume designer Jacqueline Durran went to the shops that Churchill frequented when he was alive to get costumes for Oldman. She also mentions that Churchill often wore a similar color palette and series of clothes across the span of 30 years, so the film nails down that aspect when it comes to his attire on screen.
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4 Cyrano
MGM
Cyrano is Wright’s most recent release, as it came out in 2021, and is an adaptation of a play based on the life of one 1600s man: Cyrano de Bergerac. According to CNN, the crew had 26 days to figure out the film’s costumes, but they still did a remarkable job. Inspired by the 1800s, rather than the 1600s, the costumes are intended to be danced in and have a romantic flair to their design. Color plays a key role in the world of Cyrano, as each of the characters has their personality coded into the shades and hues they wear.
3 Anna Karenina
Working Title Films
When bringing one of Leo Tolstoy’s epic novels to life, Wright’s adaptation of Anna Karenina does not skip out on the lavish lifestyle of the period of Russian history it depicts. Of course, this includes the costume design, which was done by Jacqueline Durran — a frequent collaborator with Wright, as she also did the costumes for Atonement, Darkest Hour, and Pride & Prejudice. Anna Karenina’s costumes are stylish, but not historically accurate. Durran’s influences came from 1950s fashion when it came to the overall design, although some details are a subtle nod to the era Anna Karenina is set. All in all, the attire is believably accurate, enhancing the story’s themes and immersing the viewer in the setting.
2 Atonement
Relativity Media
Keira Knightley’s costumes for Atonement may be one of the most well-known wardrobes for fans of period dramas. When she appears in the green silk dress, it signifies a turning point in the story’s narrative, shifting away from the youthful perspective of Briony and reclaiming Knightley’s Celia as a young woman that wants to be an object of desire. Like Anna Karenina, the film’s wardrobe draws on the period’s overall style, but presents them in a way that may not have been worn in the actual time that they came from. That still does not make the plaids and prints of Atonement, as well as the bathing suits, beautiful to ogle at.
1 Pride & Prejudice
Universal Pictures
In a world of Regency-era films and television, it is really hard to do Jane Austen’s period justice when it comes to historical accuracy. The Bennett sisters wear a wide array of dresses throughout the movie, but never any accessories. While Wright’s Pride & Prejudice lacks the strict social etiquette that was present during Regency, as the actors move about in a contemporary manner, this reflects, too, in the way the characters are dressed. Their clothing is looser, freer, to allow moments like running through a field. Their dresses are also simple, some even scandalous to wear at a ball. Perhaps this was the contemporary update to Pride & Prejudice that the world never knew it needed.
