One more look at this picture

One supposes that women of a certain generation will resonate to various aspects of this picture. This 1980s haircut (thoroughly in synch with the 1980s leather look) generated curls in the hair of many of the straightest-haired men. I myself have a treasured memory of running my fingers through the curls and caressing the neck of a college boyfriend who had this haircut after an episode of violent kissing. Note also the way that the shadow of a curl is cast on to Gisborne’s neck and the way (slightly cut off in this cap) that his bangs are falling over the forehead. The stubble beard is also very 1980s, although one should note that it has persisted in Europe as a male style choice, perhaps because it’s easier to maintain without skin problems than the smoothly shaved look, although one that’s unfortunate for their partners who plan to do a lot of kissing.

At some point after North & South, someone (Armitage? His handlers?) must have decided that his hair needed to stay an extremely dark brown or black. (His actual color is a fairly nondescript brown and though I love several of the roles he played with brown hair, the black shade is definitely more striking.) The black hair against his fair skin has the effect of making his eyes, which move from an intense blue to a pale green to an almost icy color, even more arresting.

Finally, we cannot neglect the nose. I have a thing for pronounced noses. But Armitage’s nose enhances the dramatic possibilities of the roles he plays because the nose potentially casts a shadow over an entire half of his face when the scenes are lit from the side. He was often lit with his face half in light, half in shadow, in North and South, as in the cap below taken from RichardArmitageonline.com.

~ by Servetus on February 26, 2010.