A BIG thanks to @neuroticspiral, who obtained this article through uni library access. And let this be a reminder that if you are still in uni, you have access to so much published material that is locked away behind paywalls for the rest of us. You will miss that availability when you graduate, so enjoy it while you can! Obviously, these articles are under copyright, but today you are all my students and we are here for academic purposes.
This author make a few good points (keep reading for the bit about Eddie and Tom's eyes), but he also, I think, missed the point a few times. Full text of the article after the cut.
Double Trouble: Like Minds
17-YEAR-OLD ALEX FORBES (EDDIE REDMAYNE) SITS IN A POLICE INTERVIEW ROOM CALMLY. HE RADIATES A SUBTLE INTELLIGENCE, INDICATING THAT HE IS IN CONTROL OF THE SITUATION. NOT AT ALL THE REACTION OF A BOY WHO HAS JUST BEEN ARRESTED FOR THE MURDER OF HIS BEST FRIEND.
BY RJURIK DAVIDSON
What could have driven this innocent-looking youth to murder, or is he, as he claims, innocent? This is the question that forensic psychologist Sally Rowe (toni Collette) must answer. The interview process, together with Rowe’s own investigation, forms the first storyline of Like Minds. The second storyline, which is the heart of the narrative, is intercut with the first. It is Alex's retelling of the macabre and disturbing events that led to the murder of Nigel (Tom Sturridge).
In this story, Nigel arrives at a prestigious boarding school and becomes Alex's new roommate. Nigel is brooding and quiet. He spends his time alone, dissecting animals and writing in voluminous notebooks. He is, to the other boys, a freak. But he’s a freak who slowly draws Alex into his fantasy world, a world dominated by the history of the Knights Templar, the murder of the heretical Christians known as the Cathars, and the Templar myth of Maraclea. According to this myth, Maraclea was the true love of one of the Knights Templar. Before they could be married, she died tragically. Devastated, he dug up her dead body and made love to it. Nine months later, the knight was summoned to the grave, and on opening the coffin found that the body’s head had been moved beneath its hips and its thigh bones crossed, (the origin of the sign of the skull and crossbones, Nigel tells us). This myth becomes central to Nigel’s gradual entrapment of Alex, and a ghoulish replay of the myth brings the story to a climax.
But it is more than a question of entrapment, for it seems that Alex himself has awakened these dark fantasies in Nigel: they have entered into a Gestalt relationship, in which ‘the whole is more important than the sum of its parts’. Gestalt psychology is the true and central subject
of Like Minds. Alex cannot help being dragged into Nigel’s fantasy world. He finds himself agreeing to secret rendezvous, reading Nigel’s histories of the Templars and the Cathars, and taking on his friend’s obsessions. It is as if Nigel is in his mind and can read his thoughts. As
writer-director Gregory Read explains:
There is a big misconception about psychopaths. The majority of psychopaths are not killers at all. They are out there functioning in society, maybe in a very dysfunctional way but still, they are not necessarily dangerous. I thought, what happens if we put two potentially ‘normal’ psychopaths together in a close environment? Could they trigger something in each other?’
Filmed alternately in Yorkshire (the boarding school scenes), Adelaide (the police interview scenes), and New South Wales (the train scenes), the film is a macabre psychological thriller whose interest in Gestalt psychology is mirrored in its very structure, in which both storylines
resonate with each other. At times the complexity of Like Minds strains and even ruptures its own bounds. There are moments when the sheer amount of conceptual information threatens to overwhelm the viewer. What, we ask, is the relationship of all this – the Templars, the myth of Maraclea, Gestalt psychology, the fact that almost all the adult males belong to a club apparently descended from the templars – to the story of the two boys? But if this is a weakness it is also a redeeming feature: better a film be too complicated than thin and empty. Read’s aim was to:
... think of it more in terms of a psychological puzzle, one which the audience can piece together. With this in mind it was imperative that all the pieces were carefully defined, allowing the audience to read the clues through the story, and draw their own conclusion in retrospect.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t quite hold together. The adult male club, for example, sits in the background threatening but never actually coming into play. Nor is it exactly clear, by the film’s end, of what happened, and more importantly, what the motivations of the characters were. The viewer is left to backtrack through the scenes to try to reassess. The script also sometimes falls into the awkward error of transmitting chunks of information through dialogue. Some of these moments form the film’s low points, as characters become mere mouthpieces for information or discourses about history. The film is thus reminiscent of adaptations of novels for the screen, which so often fall into the same difficulties.
The history of Knights Templar is, in the wake of The Da Vinci Code, not exactly original material (though the myth of Maraclea and the history of the Cathars chart more original territory). Neither is the boarding-school psychological thriller exactly unfamiliar. Notions of half-forgotten histories, of secret clubs and the power of mythology, are common in the literature of the macabre, and at moments the film suffers from a disconcerting sense of déja vu. What originality it shows lies in its combination of these elements.
Like Minds is distinguished by strong direction with great attention to the mise-en-scène. The film makes great use of the brooding Yorkshire landscape with its muted light and bleak weather. Director of Photography Nigel Bluck says:
The Yorkshire scenery was great. The starkness of the leafless trees and the muted colours, the soft low English light, the classical stone architecture and the atmosphere of the snow were perfect for the mood we were trying to create in the film.
Adding to this is a nicely underplayed and moody score by Carlo Giacco, which works well with the direction. Giacco composed the music so that there were:
... no cues where the music heralds what’s going to happen. It follows rather than flags what is occurring dramatically. The element of surprise works to great effect in the film throughout and it was important not to pre-empt that musically.
Without doubt there are some strong performances, most notably those of Eddie Redmayne and Toni Collette. Redmayne is a young actor to watch. Though this is only his first feature film, he captures the character of Alex with subtle verisimilitude. Director Read claims that ‘I wanted to find someone who had the eyes. The casting was all about the eyes.’ This, however, proves to be truer of Tom Sturridge’s portrayal of Nigel. Rather, Eddie Redmayne’s facial expressions as a whole carry his performance. Indeed, this is no easy task considering the occasionally clunky dialogue, yet it is one he carries off with aplomb. Collette, meanwhile creates a consummately professional performance from rather thin material, while Richard Roxburgh is less convincing as police officer Martin McKenzie, though the part offers probably the least potential for dramatic variation. Here again, the film suffers from over-complexity. Roxburgh and Collette’s characters have apparently once had some kind of romantic relationship, a fact referred to only once or twice. In this, as in various other elements, Read might have done better to strip out a character or two and simplify the film. A 110-minute feature can only bear so many ingredients.
Like Minds is not, in the end, a ground-breaking film. Its key concerns – what is psychopathology? What makes a psychopath? – will be familiar to most viewers. Its interest in medieval history likewise has the touch of the familiar about it, even if some of the specifics are original. For a part-Australian film it does chart some new territory, delving into the sub-genre of the psychological thriller where recent Australian staples have been comedies or relationship dramas. Never boring, what carries the film is its satisfying pace, strong direction, well-planned mise-en-scène and strong performances. It’s a film that shows that Gregory Read has talent, which should develop beyond this promising but unremarkable first feature.
Rjurik Davidson is a freelance writer and editor. He has taught at Victoria University, RMIT and La Trobe University.
For additional reading, please see:
[Like Minds Masterpost - Main]
This article appeared in the same magazine issue as the previously posted "Macabre Myths and Psychological Puzzles."
A few days back, @and-the-gun-kissed-my-face asked if anyone had some screenshots of the clothing worn by Alex and Nigel. As it turns out, I am incapable of simply posting some screenshots like a normal person, and I had already been meaning to make some posts breaking down the costuming and how to search for similar items for your own closet. Since I was gathering example shots all together in one place, I figured now is as good a time as any to get into this breakdown.
Note: Normally I edit my screenshots from this film to counteract the excessively desaturated cold gray tones. For this post series, I have avoided any color correction, only increasing exposure or brightness when necessary (often) and sometimes upping the sharpness to get a little more detail on blurry shots.
Both of them wear the basic school uniform consisting of blazer, pants, shirt, and tie, although Alex and Nigel each have their own personal touches as well. Breakdown below the cut:
The Suit Jacket
Jacket Style: Single-breasted, notch collar, two button, double vent, navy buttons, flap pockets.
Color: The blazer and pants are navy, a tricky color to search for because it can mean a pretty wide range of hue-saturation-lightness combinations, from very blue to almost gray, and from medium tone to almost black. Color grading in this film makes the uniforms read very heavy on the gray tones at times, but in some shots the blue becomes more apparent.
The promo shots for the movie lean far more into the heavily saturated and high contrast territory, so some of the blues become almost black.
Fabric: These are simply school uniforms meant for growing boys, so they could be a pretty cheap fabric like a wool/polyester blend. It IS a posh boarding school, and it’s in the cold climate of England, so they could also be a 100% wool as well. For anyone out there trying to find something similar, go with what you can afford and what works for your climate. I don’t recommend 100% polyester anything, but life be expensive these days so I get it.
Sourcing: (I am USA-based, so I only know of suggestions available here.) Depends a lot on your proportions and also on how screen accurate you want to be.
If you have a masculine body type that falls within or near standard sizing, this is straightforward. There are countless options for navy suits.
If you don’t fit easily into off the rack men’s blazers, there are a few other possible paths. If height is the primary issue, check the boy’s section of a department store (like JCPenney, Macy’s, Dillard's, etc). They often have fairly cheap versions of a suit cut for the shorter and narrower frame of a teenager.
If you are both short and wider in the upper body than a typical teen boy (shoulders, chest, stomach, etc), some stores also offer “Husky” boys sizes—still shorter than adult men’s options, but cut wider for thicker bodies.
If you have a pronounced feminine body type (wider in the hips/butt/thighs), finding a men’s/boy’s blazer is going to be difficult since they are cut on the assumption of a narrow lower body. In that case, your best bet might be simply to shop in the women’s section—they also sell navy blazers/suits, so the main thing is finding something that fits and has a classic menswear style cut.
If you are focused on recreating the vibes without worrying about exact matching, there’s a lot of room to play. Basic navy blazers or suits are widely available from so many places (in the US/Europe at least), both new and used.
If money is no object and you want accuracy and a good fit for your body, you could have an off the rack blazer tailored at a local alteration place or splash out the big money on a store like Indochino which will take your measurements and have a suit custom made to fit you, and you get to choose the fabric, the lining, the details, the buttons, etc.
Matching suit or separates: Due to the variations of color and fabric finish, it is extremely hard to match up navy items purchased as separates. If you really want that uniform vibe, it would be best to get both pieces as a “suit” or from the same store, same designer, and at the same time.
The Pants
Pants Style: Flat front (meaning no pleats), straight leg, no cuffs, extended tab closure with hidden bar hook, slant pockets.
Sourcing: See above re: finding a matching jacket and pants if at all possible. The exact style doesn't matter too much as long as they fit you and are the same color as the jacket. If you are aiming for a more casual interpretation of the vibes, you can also pair a navy blazer with contrasting pants like chinos in another color, or even just the right shade of jeans. Casual Academia, if you will.
The Shirt
All the students wear the same style of white dress shirt, and we don’t really see it without a layer of clothing on top. Look for a plain white button up dress shirt with a classic straight collar, sometimes also called a point collar. Avoid spread, button down, cutaway, club, or elongated point collars. Button down collars are too casual and more common in the US, plus they can be awkward with a tie. Aim for a smooth woven fabric rather than the more textured oxford weave. To make your life easier, try to look for one that is both machine washable and “wrinkle-resistant” or “no iron”. Trust me on this.
The Tie
Tie style: Regimental or repp stripe navy tie with green and gray stripes in a very particular pattern.
Sourcing: Search for regimental tie navy green, or repp tie navy green, and then try every variation of that you can think of. There are so many tie vendors at so many price points online. This style of tie is very popular for school uniforms, for adults showing sports team or alma mater pride, and for people who love the US East Coast old money preppy aesthetic—think brands like Ralph Lauren and its various sub-brands, J Crew, Brooks Brothers, etc. I will usually recommend silk fabrics for almost any tie. Although there is a lot of variation depending on the fabric weave and the construction of the tie (how many layers are folded into it), silk generally gives the best knot and avoids the tacky cheap vibes of synthetics. You can often find cheap used ties at thrift stores, but you'd have to be lucky to find one similar to the movie tie.
I spent a few years searching every way imaginable, scrolling through images and browsing countless stores on a desperate hunt for this exact pattern, all to no avail. There are plenty of navy and green striped regimental ties out there, some with a white or gray stripe as well, just none in that exact stripe repetition. If you’re aiming for something as close as possible, do note that British repp/regimental ties have stripes going in one direction, while US versions have the stripes reversed the other way. (Here’s a little explainer about the history of regimental ties.)
The Real Thing: One day I happened to be watching the full credits of the movie roll and I saw they credited the company in Wales that supplied their ties and scarves--which turned out to still be in business. Their website didn’t have movie pattern listed, so I emailed them. They had the fabric in stock and I special ordered a batch of the ties (thankfully just before these shitty US tariffs hit). I now have the exact screen accurate tie, as do a few other fans out there, and it’s as exciting and surreal as you might imagine. It is worth noting that these were meant as school uniform ties, and thus they are made out of polyester rather than silk.
If this company (Wrexham Club Ties Ltd.) continues to have the fabric in stock, you may also be able to contact them about a special order, but I can’t vouch for whether they can make another order, how far they are able to ship, or whether it would be cost effective to do so. Shipping from UK to US was certainly not cheap.
Tie Knot: Alex and Nigel both use what I believe is the Four in Hand knot, sometimes called the Simple or Schoolboy knot. It’s easy and quick, slim, and asymmetrical.
Analysis Note: Nigel’s notes about Alex mention that he always does his tie in a Windsor knot. Because I believe in Nigel’s powers of observation and his extensive knowledge about tie knots given his background and father, I think this is an error on the part of the propmakers. If you look at every screenshot of Alex in this post, he is decidedly NOT using a Windsor knot. For comparison, John Colbie has what appears to be a full Windsor knot at Josh’s funeral. These are wide, bulky, symmetrical knots, considered to be at the highest end of formality—worn by high-powered business men or someone attending a formal event like a wedding or funeral. I'm sure an older Alex might lean in to this kind of vibe, but it's not happening in this movie.
Another Note: Alex's tie is comically too short in this first shot below, and it always bothers me. Never do this! The point of your tie should hit just at your pants button/belt buckle area. Sometimes this means re-tying several times until you get the length just right, but over time you will learn exactly where to start your knot to get the right length.
Alex’s V-Neck Sweater
On multiple occasions, Alex wears a v-neck sweater as an extra layer between jacket and shirt (and sometimes without the jacket). This makes particular sense given the climate and the fact that Alex doesn’t seem to have a formal coat (or at least never wears one). While the sweater does look almost black in some scenes/lighting conditions, in others it reads as a dark navy. Navy makes more sense here—a black sweater with the blue of the suit and the tie isn’t a common choice, and isn't one I would ever make. As a layering piece, it’s thin enough to fit under a jacket. If it is 100% wool, it would be plenty warm without having to be bulky.
Sourcing: Plenty of these sweaters available when fall/winter clothing hits the stores, and they’re very unisex garments. Navy v-neck layering sweater is a good search to run, and I’d suggest looking for merino wool which can be fairly affordable, but beware that in recent years many of these sweaters are so thin that they’re almost transparent. I avoid polyester and acrylic sweaters like the plague because they are bad at keeping you warm and not at all breathable, so you’re going to be both cold and sweaty at the same time. Super gross.
Alex’s School Scarf
Alex uses his school colors scarf quite often, both with his uniform and in casual clothes. I would guess this is also likely wool, though hopefully a nice superwash merino which is much softer and more pleasant to wear against the skin. At Josh's funeral, you can see other students also wearing the same scarf.
Sourcing: You can find so many scarves with horizontal stripes, but it’s a lot harder to find them with these vertical stripes. It seems to be more of a UK thing, and there are even photos of Eddie wearing a similar scarf with a red stripe instead of the green.
I found a UK site called OXFOX that sells scarves of this type—the closest ready made listing has two sets of smaller white-green-white stripes instead of one large set (also in the movie it's gray stripes rather than white). They also offer a custom option that lets you pick the colors and stripe pattern to create an exact replica of the scarf in the movie. The scarves are quite expensive, but I do plan to have one made in the future whenever I feel like I can afford such a frivolous expenditure.
Nigel’s Waistcoat
Like the posh little rich boy he is, Nigel adds a medium gray waistcoat to his uniform for formal occasions like the funeral and the play. He also wears a silver pocket watch with this outfit, the frosting on top of this fancy bitch cupcake. It’s hard to get much in the way of details from the scenes in which he wears it, but in the promo image further up the post, we can see the fabric is a fairly textured weave, though maybe not quite something as nubby as a tweed.
Sourcing: Search for gray waistcoat, single-breasted, 6 button, no lapel, gray buttons. There are plenty of waistcoats (vests in the US) in both feminine and masculine cuts, it’s just a matter of casting a wide net until you find one that fits your criteria for similarity, fit, and price. Best option is to get one that has the same fabric on back and front, rather than the ones with the suiting fabric in front and that shiny lining fabric on back. This allows you to wear the vest by itself, which is a whole vibe, and thus gets you more bang for your buck.
This turned into SUCH a stupidly long post, so expect two more posts in the near future, in which I will discuss casual wear for Alex and Nigel.
Costume Breakdown: Nigel Colbie
Like Minds Masterpost - Aesthetic/Creative (costuming posts will be linked on this masterpost)
Some days, I go to work dressed as a cunty motherless British murder twink.
The tie is screen accurate, directly from the company that supplied the ties for the movie. It took me three years to track down the exact match because I didn't want to settle for close enough. Because I'm *that* bitch.
Getting that stripe to line up perfectly on the knot is very difficult, so maybe I'll nail it next time.
I just need to get my navy blazer tailored to fit me correctly, and then I'll be unstoppable. Maybe then I'll go hunting for a gray waistcoat like Nigel's so I can switch between them at will.
The second part of my costuming breakdown, inspired by @and-the-gun-kissed-my-face and their request for screenshots of the clothing worn by Alex and Nigel.
Note: Normally I edit my screenshots from this film to counteract the excessively desaturated cold gray tones. For this post series, I have avoided any color correction, only increasing exposure or brightness when necessary (often) and sometimes upping the sharpness to get a little more detail on blurry shots.
The good news: for the most part, Nigel's non-uniform clothing is incredibly basic and easy to replicate. The bad news: the very big exception to this is his coat. Apart from his uniform and one pair of shoes, everything he wears is monochromatic--white, black, or shades of gray. Full breakdown below the cut:
The White Tank
Style: Starting from the inner layers, the white tank top is possibly the most iconic thing he wears and also the easiest to find. I'm fairly certain this type of shirt is available no matter where you live. Various names for this style of shirt include: tank top, A-shirt, undershirt, "vest" in the UK, and is still sometimes called a "wife-beater" in the US. The public perception of the shirt became entangled with racist and classist stereotypes in the US (because this country sucks)--here's a brief article about that.
Nigel clearly wears this style of shirt for sleeping and night-time lounging--he was wearing it when Alex kidnapped him while he slept and he wears it again when sitting in his parent's bed. He does seem to change the one stained by Helen's blood for a clean one, since we do not see any bloodstains on the shirt he wears to chase down Alex at the train tracks. It's perfectly reasonable; these types of shirts are meant to be worn as a base layer under other shirts, and typically one will have multiples for daily use.
Sourcing: The specific type that Nigel wears is ubiquitous and has been around for decades. Search white ribbed cotton tank top (or undershirt) and you'll almost certainly find them for cheap, often in multipacks. For accuracy, make sure you get this finely-ribbed cotton, rather than a plain smooth jersey. Fit should be snug, and the cotton should be thin--they're meant to be worn underneath another shirt so bulk is minimized. (I may sound like a broken record, but DO get cotton, not polyester blends--anything close to your skin should be breathable.) There are options marketed for men and women, but apart from some length variations and perhaps slightly more room at the bust, these shirts are incredibly unisex. Women and those with more fem-shaped bodies have been buying and rocking the men's version for decades (bless you, Gina Gershon in Bound 1996.)
Pajama Pants
Style: Another easy win for the Nigel enthusiast. These appear to be very simple, plain gray cotton pajama pants. Elastic waist, slant pockets, baggy and comfortable. Nigel wears them often, paired with his tank top for sleeping and also while working on homework at night in the dorms. A guy after my own heart--why wear pants when you can be comfy? I believe these are a plain, lightweight cotton based on the fabric drape we can see in the train shot below--the crispness of the bunching/creasing indicates a plain-weave cotton rather than a flannel which would have soft, loose folds and creases.
Sourcing: Gray cotton pajama pants. You'll find this style available across gender-specific lines, but you're more likely to find this dark gray color in the men's section because of silly gender norms. Right now (July 2026), Old Navy has an almost exact match for these available--I bought them and can vouch for both comfort and similarity to the screen version. Finding these might be harder depending on season--stores are more likely to have cotton in the warmer months, but focus on flannel or fleece for cold months.
Small Details - Slippers: While we are here looking at these photos, there are two other items to point out. First, Nigel seems to wear some kind of hard-soled slippers when he's wandering around the dorms of an evening. It's the only time we see these, and we don't get a very good look at them. On the train, Alex has put shoes (and possibly socks?) on Nigel before dragging him into the night. At home, he's been sitting in bed with his feet under the covers so he's just barefoot. As he walks out of Alex's room, it looks like they are closed back, so here's a few possible options for what they might be like:
Small Details - Underwear?: The other red box above highlights the gap between his tank top and his sagging pants. As far as I can tell, this may be the only time we see anything that might be underwear. From the texture/bunching of the fabric, I think this might be evidence that Nigel wears boxers. Briefs are snugly fitted against the skin and would not have that kind of bunched up fabric appearance.
Cardigan
Style: We see Nigel wear a plain cardigan twice. Once while dissecting the bird, layered over one of his school button up shirts, and again during the cleanup after John and Helen die, thrown on over his tank top and PJ pants. I think this cardigan IS actually black, unlike Alex's v-neck which I've already opined is likely a dark blue. It's a simple cardigan with a deep V neckline and no collar or even noticeable texture. You can just barely make out a fairly narrow band of what is likely to be neckband ribbing, and the cuffs are similarly banded. As I highlighted below, there are probably 4-6 relatively large buttons (he has the top button undone in the last shot).
Fiber Content: Like most of the knitwear in this movie, I would hazard a guess that it is wool rather than synthetic or cotton. Due to the relatively loose, relaxed drape of it and how it moves on Nigel's body, it's fairly thin and could be a nice soft merino, or mayyyyybe a cashmere. The Colbies are fairly wealthy and care about appearances--anyone that gives their son a waistcoat and a pocket watch to wear with his uniform might also be willing to splash out on some cashmere. The idea of him wearing a cashmere cardigan to dispose of his parents' bodies is somehow peak Nigel. Why would he care?
Sourcing: Search up mens black deep v neck wool cardigan and you'll come up with a plethora of options, but scan offerings carefully. You'd think this would be an easy to find, but there's just so much variety when it comes to cardigans. Getting the exact right one is like finding a needle in a haystack, only the haystack is actively fighting against you bc google has become maliciously unusable in the past few years. So many products that google shows you now are garbage quality, misleading, or scams. Modern men's cardigans tend to be shorter and more snug than the one Nigel has and often have a higher/shorter V neck, but there are quite a few options if you sift through. Also avoid sweatshirt/jersey materials, or cable-knit textures.
Sweater/Jumper
The differences in nomenclature for this garment will do your head in, as no one can agree on a standard name even within a single country. I invite you to peruse the Wiki article for a little taste of this confusion. We'll just call it a jumper, since the movie is set in the UK and that's the most likely term Nigel himself would have used.
Style: Once again, a simple garment--no embellishments, no cabling or ribbing, dark gray, plain knit. There's a chance the yarn could be marled (slight fiber color variations mixed in). This one appears to have more inherent texture than the cardigan, which gives me the impression of being made from a thicker, somewhat fuzzier wool yarn.
This is a timeless piece. You could easily find someone wearing the same garment 100 years ago and today. I keep circling back and underlining wool, but Britain does produce a huge amount of wool. It's also cold and rainy, and wool is an incredibly practical fiber for insulating against the cold even when wet. Nigel may not be a fisherman, but he does like to gallivant about at night in British weather, not to mention spending a lot of time in that cold, damp basement.
Sourcing: Search for gray crewneck jumper (or sweater) wool and get ready to sort through the many options, just like the black cardigan. You can find these marketed for male or female bodies, but it's a very unisex garment. For closest accuracy, avoid anything with cable patterns or ribbing. In the examples below, you can see the slight tonal variegation of a marled yarn.
Note: While it may seem logical to assume that Nigel would wear another undershirt/tank top with his jumper, he actually wears a white t-shirt. This is confirmed through a behind the scenes photo taken while they were filming the basement scenes. You can see the hem poking out in the first two, which could be either tshirt or tank top. The collar peeking out in the bottom right shot is a giveaway--the strap of a tank top wouldn't be likely to lie at that spot against his neck.
The BTS photo shows Eddie in full costume as Alex (hoodie and scarf and all) while Tom is there without his sweater. The basement scenes were filmed in Australia where it would have been the middle of summer and probably quite hot, so not wearing a wool sweater while the scenes are blocked out by Greg makes sense. Wearing a t shirt under a wool jumper also makes sense given how rough and scratchy wool can be against the skin--more of your skin protected from the wool is a bonus.
Black Jeans
Style: On his evening excursions, Nigel wears a pair of black pants. The seams on these pants suggest jeans, and another BTS photo shows both the white t shirt and what is pretty clearly a pair of black jeans. Although they look gray next to Nigel's coat, I think black is more likely. The denim weave tends to reflect light in such a way that black looks a bit more gray. If you run a search for black jeans, you'll see that many of them appear grayish. You're more likely to find black jeans regardless, but do whatever works for you!
Sourcing: You don't need my advice for finding a standard white crew neck t-shirt. Black jeans are likewise going to depend entirely on finding something that will fit your specific body, so I can't help much there. These are just standard jeans, looks like a straight leg, very moderate cut--not too baggy or too tight.
That last photo leads us right into shoes. Apart from the slippers mentioned above, Nigel wears two different pairs of shoes in the film.
Dress Shoes
Style: First, we have his school shoes--very basic black leather derby dress shoes. We don't have a lot of detail on these in any shots, but I can see the lacing flaps clearly sewn on the outside of the shoe. It's hard to see if they are cap toe, plain toe, or apron toe, but any of those styles would work. From the small glimpse as Nigel walks out of the church, the sole is smooth with no tread pattern--likely leather which is considered the more formal and higher quality sole for a shoe, but you could get away with a half rubber finely-treaded sole or even just fully rubber/Dainite. Just try to maintain the classic styling with the separate heel, and relatively thin profile.
Men's Dress Shoes: As a general rule, the more details on a man's shoe, the less formal it is. The most formal men's shoes are the most minimal. Therefore a derby is less formal than an oxford due to the visible detail of the lacing flaps on the outside. Here's the difference illustrated for those who don't know how to spot a derby vs an oxford, with the examples on the left, from top to bottom--cap toe derby, plain toe derby, cap toe oxford:
Sourcing: Search for mens black leather derby. This type of shoe is widely available in men's sizes at varying levels of quality. It is harder to find the right style marketed towards women, as the "feminine" versions often have thicker soles, higher heels, and/or more embellishment. Anyone can wear any shoe, but for masc or fem people with small feet, finding proper classic men's dress shoes in your size can be challenging. Most manufacturers only go down to a certain size--typically the lowest men's dress shoe size offered:
US: M7 (W8.5-9), UK 6.5, EU 40. A few sellers go down to US: M6 (W7.5-8), UK 5.5, EU 39.
Men's shoes offered in sizes below M6 are typically considered children's shoes, and will be found in those sections. They do make some dress shoes for kids but be warned: children's shoes are often less refined/elegant and more cheaply made (since they're intended for kids who will outgrow them anyway.) Access to school uniform suppliers would probably be helpful since they will have a range of sizes for smaller feet. There are a couple sellers (such as Allen Edmonds--really great shoes btw) who offer sizes down to M5, but these are very expensive shoes and probably outside the price range most of you are looking for.
One final note on fit: Classic men's dress shoes (any of the ones discussed above) are intended to fit quite narrow and tight to the foot. Be prepared for a shoe that does not have the same width and room as a sneaker, and for a level of stiffness that some will find uncomfortable until the shoe has broken in some. They also are styled with a longer, narrow toe box that extends a bit past the end of your toes--this exaggerates the length of your foot and is to be expected. The important aspect to pay attention to when selecting the right size is that the natural bend point of the shoe falls at the ball of your foot. If the shoe is too long, this bend will instead push into the top of your toes, causing pain and blisters and also looking awkwardly clown-like on your feet.
Casual Shoes
On his extracurricular excursions with Alex, Nigel wears a pair of medium brown shoes. We can see them in several quick glimpses during the basement sequence, and even from these brief shots I get the impression that these are heavily worn in, well used shoes. If they are what he wears for his nightly prowling to who knows where doing who knows what, this would make sense. The school dress code would likely require students to keep their dress shoes well polished, and that type of shoe isn't exactly practical for crawling around in the dirt anyway. These are his adventuring shoes.
The shots showing the shoes prove they are brown, but fail to give much detail other than that. Thankfully, that BTS photo above reveals that they are NOT shoes, but rather boots. You can see the top edge peeking out from behind Tom's hand, and also that the boot extends up the ankle past where a normal shoe would end.
Style: These fall into the category typically termed "dress boots"--patterned after dress shoes, with some of the same stylistic/construction choices, still dressy but a bit more practical for cold weather. The wide banding at the cap toe seam suggests a perforated/brogued seam, but this could just be a doubled up/wider plain seam. The side seam shows the lacing flaps attached in the derby style, and the laces are brown and fairly thin rather than bulky utilitarian laces. The sole is smooth rather than treaded, as one might see on more practical boots. Soles are also quite thick--possibly a double or even triple leather sole, commonly used in boots for additional insulation from the cold ground.
The boot isn't super tall, but does come up past where a chukka or Chelsea boot would end. Based on the proportions, I think you're looking at an 8 hole boot (meaning 8 lacing holes). We can see from this shot that there is no zipper on the inside to allow cheating easy access, so these are lace up only. In keeping with the observations I made above, they are very scuffed on the toes and ankles, and the sole is quite worn--he clearly wears these to crawl in and out of his secret room and probably for a lot of other skulking, lurking, exploring, and miscellaneous shenanigans. It's giving big Dark Academia vibes.
Sourcing: Try mens dress boots cap toe cognac (or tan or walnut). These are likely going to prove hard to acquire for most of you. Dress boots certainly exist, but there aren't many cheap versions in this particular style. The examples above are close--they have the derby style lacing and the wider cap toe seam with the brogueing (the decorative perforations along the seam lines and on the toe). There's a bit too much brogueing elsewhere on the body of the boot, and the soles are normal thickness rather than doubled, but I feel confident that you could still get away with something like this. These types of boots typically run US$200 or more, though careful shopping might find something that works for under $100. You will also run into the same sizing issues as discussed above. While you might be able to find some similar boots offered for "women" with smaller sizes, there will be fewer options to choose from in terms of price and quality.
The Coat
Finally, the capstone of Nigel's wardrobe--his coat. You're thinking to yourself, "If I could just find that coat, I could look like Nigel." You're gonna need some luck to make that happen, I think.
Style: Black knee length single-breasted wool overcoat with a stand collar and slant pockets. Time to get pedantic about yet another topic--what to call this coat. There's a common tendency to call any long coat a "trench coat", but this is not really the accurate term for this garment.
Overcoat: Designed to protect the wearer from cold weather. They’re heavier, which provides superior protection. Silhouettes vary, but most overcoats range from full-length to one that ends at the knee.
Trench Coat: Designed to protect the wearer from rain/snow. They’re water-resistant, and a bit more lightweight. As such, you’ll need to layer up underneath the trench coat to stay warm and dry at the same time. Silhouettes vary, but most trench coats range from the knees to the mid-shin. While they originate from military garments, the modern versions are really just fancy raincoats with some of the same military-inspired details like epaulets, cuff bands, belting, etc.
Nigel's coat has none of the details nor the correct fabric type and weight that I would associate with a typical trench coat. If you search online, you will see every imaginable type of coat associated with every possible name--all of these designations have become diluted and mixed together and used interchangeably. This inattention to accuracy makes our job harder, but you will likely find more suitable results by searching for overcoat rather than trench coat.
Adding to that complication is the very specific and uncommon style of collar. A stand collar is so-called because it's meant to stand upright most of the time, unlike lapel collars that can be turned up but are meant to lay flat generally (like the coat John Colbie is wearing above.) While you can find coats available with stand collars, most of the options I've found have a notch or offset at the seam where the collar band meets the body. Nigel's is a straight, continuous line (see below).
Fit: While this style of coat is meant to be relatively well-fitted with enough allowance to be worn comfortably over a suit or winter garments, Nigel's coat appears to be a bit too big for him. The shoulders fit well, but the body seems quite roomy--though it's hard to tell since we never see the coat properly closed. The sleeves seem a touch too long judging by how much they bunch up when he has his hands in the pockets. Compare to John's coat which is visibly more tailored. I also point out that in the church photo further up, his pants are also far too long--they aren't meant to bunch up like that. There are other background students with pants too long (possibly just due to available costume rentals being limited in size options). Perhaps you can explain this by imagining his parents bought him clothes a bit larger than needed in the assumption he would continue to grow. If you want to get judgy about the Colbies, you could also imagine that it's a sign of no one paying much attention to him, including what size clothing he actually needs.
The waist isn't notably emphasized/snatched, but there IS some subtle shaping you can see in the profile shot above. He doesn't have enough of an ass to make the coat flare like that on his own. There's no belt or horizontal waist seam, so the shaping is done through the vertical seams only. That shaping combined with the single back vent will help create that slightly flared out back silhouette.
The coat has 5 total buttons, and when entirely buttoned, the stand collar would wrap around and just barely overlap at the front, under the chin. If you examine the detail I highlighted in the funeral shot, you can see that there is a hidden placket for the buttonholes. We never see him with his coat properly buttoned, but when closed, those buttons will be invisible behind the outer shell of the coat, creating a very streamlined, minimalist look.
Sourcing: God help us all. The searches I've run trying to find something suitably similar are infinite, and the results abysmal. Multiple factors are working against us here. First, clothing has become both shittier and also more expensive in the past 20 years. Second, google has completely shit the bed when it comes to giving you results relevant to your actual search terms. Third, there is a massive overwhelm of sketchy bullshit "stores" selling products from god knows where, and which are not in any way something you should be giving your money (or personal info) to blindly. I've been banging my head against this for days and still have nothing solid to offer.
You can try: mens coat black wool "stand collar" knee, but frankly no search term combos I've tried make any difference in getting relevant results. I invite anyone to share their results if they can find a coat that meets even just 75% of screen accuracy. For everyone else, it may simply come down to finding something that at least creates the same vibe.
Priorities should be: approximately knee length, wool or wool-blend fabrics, fairly plain, single-breasted, and a collar that can at least be turned up when you want the full Nigel effect.
To sum it all up, the Nigel capsule wardrobe will consist of:
white cotton tank top/undershirts
white cotton t-shirts
gray pajama pants
boxers
gray slippers/house shoes
black deep v-neck cardigan
gray crew neck pullover jumper/sweater
black jeans
black knee length overcoat
black dress shoes
brown boots
school uniform
gray waistcoat
optional accessories include: silver pocket watch, composition notebooks, dissection tools, black doctor's bag, red personal "bible", blood, rain, shotgun
Good luck and happy hunting.
Costume Breakdown: School Uniforms
Like Minds Masterpost - Aesthetic/Creative (costuming posts will be linked on this masterpost)
Using the order in which each spread is presented in the scene where Alex finally reads through Nigel's book, these are spreads 7 and 8, combined in one post since there is only one image on each spread.
Spread 7
Spread 7 - Masonic Knights Templar
Initially, this image defeated me. Freemason lodges all have their own traditions and often their own heraldry, which led me to believe I may not be able to find a match for this image online. Coming back to it with new search strategies allowed me to find an exact match. This coat of arms belongs to:
The Royal Exalted Religious and Military Order of Masonic Knights Templar of England and Wales
The various subgroups and special ranks and rites within the Freemasons are well beyond my ability to summarize and explain. Here is a brief explanation (from this page) of the Freemason-specific version of the Templar Order, which I must emphasize has no real connection to the original Templars:
The Knights Templar is an international philanthropic chivalric order affiliated with Freemasonry. Unlike the initial degrees conferred in a Masonic Lodge, which only require a belief in a Supreme Being regardless of religious affiliation, the Knights Templar is one of several additional Masonic Orders in which membership is open only to Freemasons who profess a belief in the Christian religion. The full title of this Order is The United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta. The word "United" in this title indicates that more than one historical tradition and more than one actual Order are jointly controlled within this system. The individual Orders 'united' within this system are principally the Knights of the Temple (Knights Templar), the Knights of Malta, the Knights of St Paul, and only within the York Rite, the Knights of the Red Cross. The Order derives its name from the historical Knights Templar. One theory of the origins of Freemasonry claims direct descent from the historical Knights Templar through its final fourteenth-century members who took refuge in Scotland, or other countries where the Templar suppression was not enforced. Although the theory may not be dismissed, it is usually deprecated on grounds of lack of evidence by both masonic authorities and historians.
Essentially, the Masons are LARPing as Templars because it makes them feel cool. Here's the source page where I found the image itself, which contains the text of the Statutes from 1864. If you search online, you will find some Masons who really do buy into the myth that they are actual inheritors of the legitimate Templar mysteries and rituals, but also many more who understand that it is only a fable meant to lend legitimacy to the Masonic tradition. The page linked above goes on to explain the details of the Templar order within the Masonic organizations.
It's worth noting that Nigel identifies his father as "grandmaster" of the Order. If the movie version follows the actual Freemason Templar organizational structure, that does indeed make John Colbie an extremely prominent and powerful figure within the Order.
A Brief Aside Regarding Scottish History and the Templars
The above passage I highlighted in red is part of the history referenced in the film. When Alex reads Nigel's book, and goes to examine the painting of the battle in the assembly hall, he states:
"When I was a child my father used to stand me in front of that painting. He told me stories of courage and bravery, how my ancestors had fought to protect their free right. It was only then that I realized what Nigel believed. I was of the same Templar bloodline."
The painting depicts the Battle of Bannockburn in which Robert the Bruce of Scotland fought against King Edward II of England during the First War of Scottish Independence. Dr. Forbes is clearly Scottish (by his accent) and values his ancestry. It is only after reading Nigel's book that Alex realizes the symbol of the "Order" appears all over the painting. Nigel seems to know at least something of the Forbes family history (possibly through access to the Order's records) and believes that Alex is not just a descendant of the Scots who fought for independence but specifically of the Templars who supposedly fought with the Scottish in that battle. It should be noted that there is no solid evidence of Templar involvement in this battle, but it's a popular story nonetheless.
(Note: the painting itself was created for the film and does not exist out in the real world anywhere.)
Details of the Arms
The lower left quarter of the heraldic shield shows the most widely recognized symbol of Freemasonry, the Square and Compass. As you might guess from their name, the Masons derive their origins from the builders and masons guilds of the Middle Ages, and for the most part, their rituals and lessons are based on the tools, principles, mathematics, and geometry of architecture and building.
The upper right quarter depicts a hexagram, a symbol comprised of two overlapping equilateral triangles which is very recognizable to most people. While it is possibly most well known in the present day as a symbol of Judaism (the Star of David), the symbol itself has been used in many contexts, including religious (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, etc), magical/esoteric traditions (Theosophy, Hermetic and Rosicrucian occultism, Freemasons, etc), and as decorative ornamentation in many cultures.
Both of these symbols are so rich with ascribed meanings and interpretations, even just in the context of Freemasonry, that they are FAR beyond my ability to summarize here. Feel free to fall down that rabbit hole if you'd like something to occupy your time for literal years.
Spread 8
Praying Skeleton
This image is widely recognizable, even if you aren't familiar with the background or artist. The piece is by famed English surgeon William Cheselden (1688-1742), and is pulled from his book Osteographia, or the Anatomy of the Bones published in 1733. As you might expect, this book contains anatomical illustrations, particularly known for its many renderings of skeletons, mainly human with a few animals included.
To me, the most noteworthy (and tragic) aspect of this image is the way it seems to prophesy Nigel's death, in this very pose, as he commands Alex to "pray for us both." It's possible Nigel either intentionally or subconsciously assumed this pose after absorbing the imagery into his consciousness. My inclination is to think there was at least some impact on his psyche, even if it was below the level of conscious thought.
The Seal
The opposite side of this spread is the cutout containing Nigel's special booklet insert (to be covered in another post). The cutout itself is covered by a black board, with a seal affixed. While the black on black color combined with the low lighting makes it hard to see any details of this seal, I think the most obvious conclusion is that the seal is the same as that used by Nigel on his letter to Alex. Raising the exposure and brightness, you can see the light reflecting off what seems to be the same cross shape.
As it happens, this seal also appears on the envelope Alex leaves for Sally. It's possible this was a different seal or that Alex simply took Nigel's seal for himself. I feel the latter is more likely due to the details of the seal itself, but it could go either way.
Seals of this sort are not exactly in common usage in the modern era. While there's been a renewed interest in the past few years (many craft stores are selling seals and wax, there are many videos depicting elaborate techniques, etc), this was not at all common in 2006. I have owned some seals since before that time, but the availability and array of designs was quite limited. Even today, you can find equilateral crosses but nothing that exactly matches this particular design. Crosses of any sort are generally depicted as a flat, single plane--a single piece. Rather than simply being a "cross formee branchee", this seal specifically shows a crossover at the intersection of the arms of the cross, which evokes the crossed bones motif so central in the movie.
Given both the scarcity of seals in general, and the uniqueness of this design, it feels unlikely that Alex could simply walk down to the store and get another seal just like Nigel's. That leads me to conclude that he simply took Nigel's seal at some point.
If you want to get TRULY into the weeds, I can also point out that Nigel's bible is never found, nor is the letter inviting Alex to the Colbie house. There is always the possibility that neither of those things ever existed in the first place, and that the seal was only ever Alex's, and his bible was the only version to exist. I have thoughts on why this doesn't feel very likely to me, but ultimately this is up to each viewer to decide for themselves.
I've previously done a transcription of Nigel's notes about Alex. In the interest of completeness, I've also been looking at the other pages glimpsed while Sally flips through his notebooks. One exceptionally clear page was easy to decipher, and instinct told me this was a quote from an existing text. Research confirmed my hunch, and below is a breakdown of the source text and notes.
This passage is a discussion of technical processes while engaging in the study and taxidermy of specimens. It was pulled by the propmaker from Taxidermy and Zoological Collecting; A Complete Handbook for the Amateur Taxidermist, Collector, Osteologist, Museum-builder, Sportsman, and Traveller, published by William Temple Hornaday circa 1891. The full text can be found on the Internet Archive.
The passage utilized by the propmaker is on pages 21-21 of the book. While it was clearly the inspiration and they used some of the exact wording, the tone of the notes was changed to make this seem like the personal thoughts and observations of Nigel himself, rather than an example of him transcribing a passage from another text.
I have the full text of the relevant excerpt below, with red text to highlight the exact portions seen in the notes. Blue text indicates places where the notes deviate from the text.
On the other hand, the taxidermist who permits himself to be wholly unable to make simple sketches, with a fair degree of accuracy, from animals in the flesh, is seriously handicapped. It is only the heaven-born genius — as yet unborn, I believe — who can study animals and remember everything he sees. Written descriptions help out a great deal, especially when particular emphasis is called for, and in the absence of sketches, photographs are the next best thing. It is an excellent thing to be able to photograph animals, both living and dead ; but the trouble is, one cannot always get the game and the camera together. A note-book and a pencil one can always carry, and even when you have the camera, the former often proves the better ally of the two.
OUTLINES. — For years it has been my constant practice to make outlines of dead animals, on large sheets of paper, before skinning them. My plan is to lay the specimen on its side on a sheet of heavy manila paper, place the legs and feet [body and the legs] in an easy walking attitude, pin or nail them fast in place, then mark entirely around the animal with a long [thin] lead pencil. To get an exact diagram of a rather large mammal, I invented a wooden square, carrying a pencil point at its outer angle, with which it was easy to get the exact outline of a large animal, or large skull. In mounting a specimen, such an outline is of great [use and] value as a check on errors in proportion that might easily be made in putting it together [the animal.]
FIELD NOTES.— There are hundreds of specimens on which you will not need to take notes, unless you have the time to study their habits, find out what they eat,[take various notes to that I can find out their ha-] how they live [for example and what they eat. I det-/] etc. But of rare and interesting objects you will want to record all the information you can gather regarding their life history. To determine what they feed upon, examine the contents of their stomachs. If there is no time to do that in the field, then preserve the stomachs in alcohol, carefully labelled, and examine the contents at your leisure. Learn how to observe, and then put down in black and white, between substantial leather covers, all that you do observe, and all that is told to you by the natives about species with which they are familiar. Do not forget to ascertain and record the native names of your specimens, for after you get home you will be certain to wish to know them. One thing is certain; when you come to write about your collection, you will wish you had taken more notes in the field.
The notes deviate entirely from the text at this point. To make it easier to read, here is the transcription:
...There are hundreds of specimens
...take various notes to that I can find out their ha-(bits?)
...they live for example and what they eat. I det-(ermine?)
...(wha)t they have last eaten by examining the contents
...(stom)ach. The cat had eaten a small bird as-?
...food, and a rather large fish and th-?
...I, myself, had fed it that
...(sto)machs in alcohol
...jars. I have
...press
(The "to" is a mistake by whomever wrote the notes out, and should have been written "so".)
This passage gives us a little interesting bit of information which could be interpreted in a couple ways. Nigel talks about dissecting a cat (his stuffed cat, maybe?) and examining the contents of the stomach. Among the contents is some kind of food that he had fed it himself. This implies that the cat wasn't a dead cat he found somewhere, but rather one he knew or had encountered at least once while still alive.
The question is: did the cat die of natural causes immediately after Nigel fed it, or did Nigel have a hand in its death? I tend to think of him as an opportunist - someone who seeks out and utilizes found specimens, like roadkill and such, rather than actively killing the animals he uses. The cause of the cat's death isn't discussed. The timing could mean he had an active hand in its demise, OR it could have been a case of "I feed a neighborhood cat and then it died naturally/after being hit by a car/whatever and I'm going to preserve it like I do all dead things, as an act of love and respect."
If you wanted to get really into the weeds with me and my inherent hate for John Colbie, you could head canon up a situation where Nigel had befriended a neighborhood cat (just like his friendship with Luther). John, who clearly hated Luther as a noisy nuisance, might also have had a hatred for the cat always coming into the yard, shitting in the flowerbeds, etc. Perhaps....he poisoned the cat or caused its death in some other way. Perhaps I just want to make him even more of a monster. Perhaps he fucking deserves it. ANYWAY.
One other takeaway: we need to start calling Nigel an Osteologist, because it's clearly true. Just look at all the bones in his secret room.
Nigel's Notes: Observations About Alex
Like Minds Masterpost - Main
As I reorganize my bookmarks and images in the hopes of preparing another Nigel's Book post soon, I am reminded that I've been meaning to make a short post about the Templar seal.
Researching anything involving the Templars should be approached with caution and skepticism. Conspiracies and myths about this group are plentiful, and a lot of what you find online is wishful thinking, poor scholarship, and/or outright fabrication. People have been very weird and obsessive about the Templars for a very long time. Even the Wikipedia articles about Templar-related topics have a fair number of "citation needed" notes.
There are plentiful references regarding the Order's use of the image of two knights on a horse, but it's worth mentioning that this particular image comes from a book published in 1894.
Image citation from the Wikipedia article: "as reproduced in T. A. Archer, The Crusades: The Story of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (1894), p. 176. The design with the two knights on a horse and the inscription SIGILLVM MILITVM XRISTI is attested in 1191, see Jochen Burgtorf, The central convent of Hospitallers and Templars: history, organization, and personnel (1099/1120-1310), Volume 50 of History of warfare (2008)"
The article itself has this to say:
The image of two knights on the horse was widely used:
* Matthew Paris in Chronica Majora ca 1250
* An English monk and chronicler from St. Albans in Historia Anglorum (SEE BELOW FOR THIS IMAGE)
* At least as early as 1158 as the seal of the Grand Master of the Temple, Bertrand de Blanchefort. This is the earliest known seal for the Grand Master of the Temple forty years after the Order was formed.
* Use of this symbol continued under subsequent Grand Masters for as long as the Order survived, however the seal went through more than one incarnation. The Reynaut de Vichiers, who was Master of the Temple from 1255-1259 depict same images, but it is obviously not the same seal.
While the article does briefly discuss the possible meaning behind this symbol, the section seems to be entirely conjecture and lacks citations:
* The Templar Seal showing two knights (perhaps Hugues de Payens and Godfrey de Saint-Omer) on one horse. There are many interpretations of the symbolism of this seal.
* Contemporary legend held that the symbol represented the initial poverty of the order; that they could afford only a single horse for every two men.[citation needed] Still, the Rule of the Order from the outset permitted three horses and no more for each knight, as well as no Templars sharing the same horse.[citation needed]
* Several masters adopted this seal from the beginning of the order until at least 1298. It is known to have been in use since 1167.[citation needed] The Rule forbids two riders on the same beast.[citation needed]
* According to legend, Hugues de Payens (the first Grand-Master of the Templars) and Godfrey were so poor that between the two of them they had only one horse, and this gave rise to the famous image on the seal of the Templars, of two men riding a single horse.
Other sites dedicated to promoting the Knights Templar reiterate many of the same ideas--namely that this particular symbol is a reference to the Templar origins as a group of poor knights. Without an incredible amount of time and unfettered access to university level libraries and publications, I am simply unable to conduct adequate research to sort out fact from fiction.
Another common image you will see on the internet, which is legitimately connected to the Templars:
Manuscript BL Royal 14 C VII Historia Anglorum, Chronica majora, Part III; Dating 1250-1259; Location St Albans, England; Institution British Library; Folio 42v [source]
I post all of this information to simply point out: this is just very gay. I'm being reductive and silly, I know. To be fair, during the downfall of the Templar order, one of the accusations brought against them was sodomy. This is once again a topic which far more informed scholars have written hundreds of pages about with seemingly little consensus on whether they were truly guilty of homosexual acts or whether this was merely a conveniently shocking crime to use in bringing about their dissolution.
But I can't help thinking of Nigel and Alex looking at these images and nodding, because yes...this looks like something they should be into. Very manly knights just sharing a horse, as men do.
(Don't do that, actually. It puts a lot of strain on the horse, ESPECIALLY if you're armored up).
Templar seal: symbol of poverty and humility or secretly GAY? You decide.
Per the Behind the Scenes video from the Like Minds DVD, the scene where Josh is buried was filmed at Haworth Cemetery in the village of Haworth in West Yorkshire. The town's primary claim to fame is its connection to the Brontë sisters, who lived at the Haworth Parsonage while their father was the parson. They wrote most of their novels here, including Wuthering Heights.
This cemetery was created after the original Haworth graveyard was deemed too full (there are reportedly around 40,000 people buried there, obviously by reusing graves). It's located on a hillside, overlooking the Yorkshire moors.
The choice to film the movie partly in Yorkshire is particularly appropriate given the region's connection to Gothic literature both in terms of history and due to the nature of the landscape itself.
The scene itself was filmed near the center of the cemetery marked by a cluster of trees, and near the middle of the slope. As we can see on the drone image below, the bottom of the slope is marked by a line of trees, and a paved access road bisects the slope. Given the distances of the tree line and the cars parked in the shot, that places the scene at approximately the red X in the overhead view. The arrow indicates approximate direction of the camera in this shot.
There's an open area that would have allowed them to dig a faux grave without disturbing any of the actual graves, and there are plenty of headstones to fill the foreground of the long shot. It's difficult to tell exactly where the grave is placed because of the way camera depth of field can distort distance perception between the characters and the background.
Alex and Dr. Forbes are standing with their backs to the central cluster of trees. Nigel and John Colbie are standing on the opposite side of the grave, with the tree border in the distance behind them. Raj seems to be standing on the downslope, at the "head" of the grave (probably thinking about the bullet he dodged).
Zooming in, we can see the obelisk shaped headstone highlighted in the screenshot above. The photo below also shows the same headstone, from the opposite (bottom) corner of the area.
The stunning backdrop of the desolate moors is used as the perfect accompaniment to Alex's emotional state in this scene.
[Like Minds Masterpost]
[Filming Locations: Secret Rendezvous]
[Filming Locations: The Old Astra]
