project hail mary viewing no. 3 had me thinking a lot about costuming as an art form, and how essential it is to the narrative even in a contemporary setting like phm
eva stratt wears black or other dark shades the entire film, visually contrasting basically every other character (excluding those in a uniform). i can't help framing it alongside the use of the dies irae motif in the soundtrack - death is a fundamental part of her work and it weighs on her at all times. it's her armor and strength, the wall separating her from everyone else, the reaper, the wolf, the mourning dress, the end her astronauts will find in space and the grave dirt of those on earth.
it's particularly fascinating that, talking to grace three days before the launch, stratt is shrouded in black moreso than ever before. she knows the weight of the mission and that there will be no going back. she is acutely aware that what comes after isn't 30 years of peace and hope, but unavoidable tragedy and hard choices no matter what. but it's also the narrative clearly telling us what's about to happen - death is clutching more tightly than they realise and it will force her hand that day.
contrast this with grace's colours- oranges, yellows (with their own layer of symbolism), blues, and cream/white. he is warm and vibrant and alive and always wearing his heart on his sleeve. but white in particular is notable as a contrast to stratt's black hues. it's hope and bravery, it's his memory loss, a layer of grace's own detachment from the world despite containing every color, the lamb to the slaughter, the astronauts' ultimate sacrifice. i might have missed it elsewhere, but i think the only times grace wears the white flight suit is after getting drugged on earth and when sacrificing himself to go back and save rocky - notable for the latter being his choice.
stratt also wears a coat when she needs to be official and show leadership (recruiting grace, the warship conference, the meeting room ultimatum) and sheds it in moments of greater vulnerability. the last time grace sees her, she's coatless - but it's also the only scene the audience gets with her wearing a light grey. death is still there and on some level she's still the wolf, but she has made herself vulnerable to try and connect with grace, to try to make him understand. she is so very aware of what she's doing, that they are both sacrifices to the cause, and for better or worse she has just as little choice as he does in that moment. there are endless possibilites and yet only one path saves the flock, and she has to take it.
anyway. i continue to dream of the day that costuming professionals are truly uplifted, paid properly, and respected for their essential role in all performance mediums. i love you project hail mary.
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