A Critical Review of Sally Potter's 'Orlando'

Adopted by Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, Sally Potter’s Orlando follows the character of Orlando, played by Tilda Swinton, and explores the themes of gender fluidity as they experience a morphosis from a male to a female sex, bringing the novel to life with the use of mis-en-scene: the use of lighting, costume and props. Orlando's physical change, as well as the change in their clothing and their makeup, all signify physical change of their body, the fluidity of their identity and the way society reacts to their change in accordance with their gender in the duration of their film. Hence, Potter’s Orlando captures how outward appearance and social reactions shape and reflect the fluidity of gender over time. 

Liesbet Van Zoonen argues that media constructs, represents, and reproduces gender norms and that femininity and masculinity are constructed and maintained by media texts. But it seems, that Sally Potter's Orlando does otherwise (or atleast, Potter's interpretation of Woolf's Orlando) does challenge mainstream narratives, as opposed to Zoonen, and rather de-constructs gender norms, and emphasizing gender fluidity. The mis-en-scene shows how lighting highlights Orlando’s freedom according to their gender, when they reject their butler’s proposal, and run into the maze, the lighting change to a much darker tone, connoting their oppressive feelings being trapped into the body of a woman. Furthermore, the use of props, specifically the use of a mirror, reflects the departure of Orlando’s masculinity and the birth of their femininity. Moreover, their costume represents a dramatic shift from Orlando being a male, who had non-restrictive garments, as compared to their constrictive gowns and corsets, symbolizing traditional gender narratives and the societal impact of how gender constantly defines oneself.  

The way the lighting works in Orlando is also key to understanding the shift in society and its reaction to gender norms. As a man, the colour gradient is more brutalist and darker-toned colours are more present, we can see this in the first few minutes of the film of the dark building and the shot only being illuminated by candlelight; as well as Orlando, whose costume is illuminated by it, accentuating their masculinity. In comparison, as a woman, the colour scheme adopts a romantic ambience, as we see with the colour selection of Orlando’s castle and the gardens, no longer are they the brutalist and dark buildings by the lighting, and natural light takes more dominance when Orlando transforms into a woman - and perhaps, may also foreshadow the Orlando's romantic relationships. As this transformation takes place, the way society treats them also changes, (a reflection of the impact of restriction of gender). Orlando was more respected when they were a man, and this can be seen through the harsh lighting of their faces, making them look more intimidating. On the other hand, when they are a woman, the lighting makes their features appear softer and more feminine, hence they are not seen as more credible by the men, which is a comment on mainstream narratives from Potter.  

Another aspect of miss-an-scene apparent in Orlando is the use of costumes. As said by Sally Potter herself, ‘’the clothes come to evoke is a feeling in the body, and the performative aspect of gender’’ when talking about the contrast between feminine and masculine clothes. I would argue that Potter portrays this perfectly in her version of Orlando. We see how Orlando as a person is depending on their gender, as when Orlando wears more masculine costumes, they adhere to the more masculine side of them, this can be seen with their relationship with the Russian Princess, as they demand her to stay with them. However, when they are adhering to the feminine side of themselves, their voice is constrained, as Orlando’s legal rights are questioned, and their independence is restricted due to their new gender. I would argue that despite their transformation, Orlando remands fundamentally the same, underscoring the arbitrary boundaries and the flaws of societal imposed gender norms. It is this interpretation that Potter attempts to give and successfully does so, as she said that Woolf wrote Orlando to show that ‘’she was not writing about somebody feeling male or feeling female, but rather how they perform what is expected of them by virtue of the gender that is perceived as male or female, and then how they are treated as a consequence.’’ therefore suggesting that gender is a social construct, and it is through the costume that Potter shows this, as when Orlando changes, they say ‘’same person, no difference at all’’ Potter inevitably shows how Orlando is non-binary and challenges fixed gendered identities.  

Furthermore, another aspect of miss-en-scene that Potter uses frequently are props. We can see this in the use of the mirror when Orlando metamorphoses into a female. The mirror is an example of Orlando’s self-perception and how they look at themselves realising that they have changed, is highly significant because it emphasises bodily change, but it does not sexualize them as a female being. Moreover, the long shot of Swinton’s whole body, avoids the conventional cinematic technique of sexualising female character which includes the head-to-toe shot, but rather captures Orlando into two separate shots, a close-up shot of their face to convey their emotions and straight to the body emphasising the gender fluidity, but ensuring that they are not objectified. Through this cinematography, not only is traditional visual narratives challenged but we also see elements of post-modernism as Potter de-constructs traditional distinct between gender and identity. Another example of props that we see in Orlando and the juxtaposition of gender, is through the pitchers, and bowls. When they are in the Middle East, they are given wine by the servants and are highly respected because they are a man. however, when they are a female, they adopt a nurturing role when they meet the US Adventurer, giving him water to drink, and hence assume the feminine side of themselves, demonstrating that gender is fluid and a social construct.  

Through cinematic realism meanings can be connotated for us to better understand how society changed, yet Orlando stayed the same, and how that, challenged gender restrictions. For example, in the beginning of the film, Orlando leans across a trunk of the tree, reading, as a man, yet at the end of the film, they, now a woman with a daughter, leans across the tree, shows the cyclical imagery that Potter creates. The tree can be argued to be seen as a symbol of continuity and a cycle of Orlando’s life, as in when we see Orlando for the first time with the tree, they are lonely and dejected. However, by the end of the film, they are happier as they look upon their daughter. This shift is a commentary on gender, as in the beginning their isolation is tied to rigid gender and societal expectations. By the end, their presence with their daughter signifies their own personal happiness. Through miss-en-scene, the aspect of using a set to convey a certain meaning to the audience is presented in this symbol, developing a larger meaning of the film, and in doing so, traditional gender norms are challenged.  

To conclude, through the film form of miss-en-scene, I would argue that Potter’s Orlando challenges and deconstructs mainstream narratives of gender identity, and through the deliberate choices in costume, lighting, set designs and props, the film not only captures Orlando’s gender fluidity, but also critiques societal structural and its restriction upon identity.