After critical acclaim and a short theatrical run, Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” is now available to watch on Netflix’s streaming service. One aspect of the film that is earning greater regard is the hours of work artists such as production designer Bob Shaw, costume designers Sandy Powell and Christopher Peterson, as well as the visual effects team, went through to chronicle a tale that covers five decades. In an exclusive video provided to The Playlist, Powell and Peterson specifically discuss what a huge undertaking it was.
It’s rare that two costume designers take credit on a film, but Powell, a three-time Oscar winner, and Peterson, an Emmy nominee for “Boardwalk Empire,” needed all the help they could muster to bring a cohesive look to 121 actors and 6500 extras dressed over so many distinct eras and that doesn’t even include stars Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino who had approximately 215 costumes between them.
“Costumes and clothes always mean a great deal to me,” Scorsese says. “They immediately put you back in a time and place.”
Scorsese’s vision also meant making sure these gangsters weren’t as loud as iconic characters many of the actors have played in movies such as “The Godfather,” “Goodfellas,” “Casino” or “The Untouchables.” Moreover, chronicling someone’s subtle influence can often be harder than dressing a more ostentatious public figure. Powell notes, “These are really gangsters who don’t dress to be seen or noticed.”
“They need to look like real guys, guys who made it their business not to be photographed,” Peterson adds.
You can check out the results of their hard work in the video embedded in this post.
“Netflix” is now playing in theaters in limited release and streaming on Netflix worldwide.