MovieChat Forums > Historical > Earrings in a period movie

Earrings in a period movie

posted 13 years ago by MyMovieTVRomance
5 replies | jump to latest

I was just watching the 1985 version of "A Room with a View" and one of the stars of the movie, Helena Bonham Carter, I was noticing her earrings. Keep in mind, this movie is set in what I believe is 1912 -- Victorian era Europe (Italy and England, respectively). And pierced ears as we know them today, as a modern fashion statement, didn't start until I believe the 1970s. So I have a real beef with any movie that depicts women wearing earrings that are clearly for the pierced ear. Because back in those days, women would not have had those earrings in their ears. I'm a mere amateur, with very limited knowledge, and even I know that! So the fact that these people who work so hard on the movie sets to make things realistic, how can they let such an oversight into the film?!

Anyone else have a problem with this? Or, am I mistaken? Did some women have pierced ears back then? Or maybe, they just simply appeared to be earrings for pierced ears, but were not? [Bare in mind, I do realize that in certain cultures, pierced ears have been around for thousands of years -- but not in Europe -- not like that, at least.]

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[–] molarmaven59 13 years ago

IamTheMoviesILove;

Ear piercing was a dead issue during the Middle Ages.

Check out pictures during the Renaissance, when they grew back into fashion to our present era.

[–] niamh-11 12 years ago

Ear piercing has come and gone for hundreds of years as a fashion statement among men and women, if you look at portraits of William Shakespeare in some of them he has a nifty little gold earing,and women through the ages have had various forms of adornment. My mother and grandmother both had pierced ears as little girls and my grandmother was born in London in 1903. I had my ears pierced in 1969 but have let them close since, My mum is not impressed!

[–] eljuma_1 12 years ago

The Romans abhorred earrings along with any other form of body modification (tattoos, piercings, circumcision, etc) which they considered barbaric.

[–] MyMovieTVRomance 11 years ago

The Romans abhorred earrings along with any other form of body modification (tattoos, piercings, circumcision, etc) which they considered barbaric.I'm glad you said that, because so do I.! And everyone always tells me every time I bring this up, that pierced ears have always been around, but here, finally somebody is committing that a select group of Europeans despised it! Thank you! I feel a little better about my opinion now -- knowing that it's not just mine. :-)

Please excuse typos/funny wording; I use speech-recognition that doesn't always recognize!

[–] furienna 11 years ago

I know that Romans (and Greeks too) abhorred circumcision, and maybe tatoos as well. But it seems like at least the women could pierce their ears and wear earrings.

http://www.ancientromangoods.com/adornment/earrings

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