by Sam Landaff
While some film stars are notable for their absence of locks (Bruce Willis in Die Hard, or Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta), elsewhere elegantly-coiffed characters grace our screens in a range of styles. Here is our list of the best.
1. Great Lengths
Long hair is synonymous with fairytales, whether on land or under the sea (if you want yours to stay silky and strong, a trip to Lux Hair Lounge is a must). When The Little Mermaid came out in 1989, Disney originally intended Ariel’s hair to be blonde, but being too much like Daryl Hannah’s beachy waves in Splash, it was changed to the iconic shade of red we know and love.
2. Short Story
From making waves, to new wave: Jean Seberg’s gamine crop was perfect for the unique style of À Bout de Souffle (Breathless), showcasing Seberg’s expressive features to equally dramatic effect. In the 70 years since its debut, the pixie cut has launched a hundred imitations (see also: Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday and Winona Ryder in Girl, Interrupted).
3. Out-There Hair
In terms of avant garde directors, it doesn’t get much weirder than Luc Bresson, whose zany cast of characters in 1997’s The Fifth Element all sported various peculiar styles (most notably Chris Tucker’s bleached futuristic quiff and Mila Jovovich’s alien orange locks. Notable mentions go to the entire Star Wars Trilogy, and pretty much every Tim Burton character there is.
4. Bobbed Beauties
There is just something about a bob that screams chic: whether it’s a vampy Uma Thurman jiving with John Travolta in Pulp Fiction, Liza Minelli’s razor-sharp (and appropriately-named) bowl-cut in Cabaret or Audrey Tautou’s sweet, choppy bob in Amélie, certain haircuts are made for the silver screen, and the bob is definitely one of them.
5. Super Natural
While historically the treatment of Afro-textured hair onscreen leaves much to be desired, a more inclusive approach is (slowly) emerging. Iconic looks include Pam Grier’s Afro in Foxy Brown and Grace Jones’ androgynous flattop in A View to a Kill. More recently, Zoe Kravitz wore micro braids in Hulu’s remake of High Fidelity, a look inspired by her mother (Lisa Bonet)’s role in the original movie.
6. Twist of Fate
Curls and romantic comedies go together like coconut cake with chocolate sauce (so long as it’s on the side). The nineties was a golden era for comedic curly girls: from Julia Roberts’ tumbling strawberry mane in Pretty Woman to Andie McDowell’s brunette ringlets, and then there’s Meg Ryan. While Ryan’s blonde crop became a firm favourite with audiences, her springy head-full of blonde curls in When Harry Met Sally was perfect for the eternally optimistic (albeit slightly fussy) Sally Allbright.
7. All the Colours
When Kate Winslet’s Clementine quips, “I apply my personality in a paste” in Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, it’s a great disservice: flawed, nuanced and entirely relatable, Clem is no superhero (unlike Ramona Flowers in Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World), but she has more than enough personality of her own, with her hair changing through the seasons from spring green to icy blue winter.
