Why Does Every "Dead Wife" Look the Same in Movies? | Behind the Seams

Why do great movies rely so heavily on "dead wives" to fuel the protagonist's motivation? And why do they always look ... like that?
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[@SirThinks2Much]

Anime has this too - the Dead Mom Side-Braid

[@behindtheseams300]

omg did not know about this!

[@359339]

A goth wife is invincible.

[@spiderine1prime]

Also, they're almost always brunette. Brunette is soft and rarely stands out and feels more "natural". Blonde and red hair are for the action girls.

[@jacquelinesales1146]

Mal in Inception is a rarity, she has red hair, is a dead wife and is an action girl.

[@SaltofSaturn]

I feel like at this point, if you notice your friend suddenly gain a wardrobe of florals and pastels you should stage an intervention before she falls prey to narrative inevitability.
I wonder how this trope contrasts with the Stepford Wives. I feel like most of them looked more like dead wives before they are turned into robots...

[@behindtheseams300]

I feel like Stepford Wives are more hyperfeminine and 1950s-ish? But I love the idea of a horror skit where you notice your friend is starting to dress like a Dead Wife and it's like "get out, girl!" haha.

[@rbush88]

I specifically remember noticing the lead woman's transformation between the first 2 Bourne films when I first watched them as a teenager and being royally pissed off when they killed her off

[@behindtheseams300]

it's very frustrating. i love those movies but sheesh.

[@jessicarhees688]

The part about the Bourne movies made me think of the shift in the prequel Star Wars trilogy, as far as the treatment of Padmé. The shift from practical Tatooine look/power queen clothes in TPM to the mixed senator/lake house/rescue mission looks in AotC, wrapping up with very soft outfits she wore around Anakin in RoTS vs more senate costumes... Well, now I can't unsee this.

[@behindtheseams300]

Definitely!

[@wingnutlady]

Kind of damning that so many of the costuming choices for the Dead Wife figure remain constant across completely different stories. Gonna start telling people this is why I don't wear cardigans.

[@behindtheseams300]

yeah it really highlights the lack of interest these filmmakers have in giving these characters a personality.

[@soniashapiro4827]

I just discovered your videos. Thoughtful and compelling. Thank you for them.

[@makeitmagic23]

Wow, does Chris Nolan have a type.

[@suchheights]

Love this!

[@beeb6730]

really nice analysis of the difference between living and dead love interests.

[@behindtheseams300]

thank you!!

[@MikeTXBC]

I feel like the examples you used for The Prestige are a bit off given the time period. Rebecca Hall's character was dressed like a normal Victorian woman, whereas Scarlett Johansson was specifically dressed up as a magician's assistant (most of whom are scantily-clad women, even today). That's not what she would've worn outside of a show in public unless she wanted to create a scandal as the Victorian era was notoriously rigid when it came to social norms, which included "proper dress codes."

[@jacquelinesales1146]

I was in love with the dead wife in Memento.

[@fakeemail940]

re: examples of "dead wife" (and mother) with distinctive costumes, i'd add Bella from Hunt for the Wilderpeople

[@LoXena]

I had a 💡 moment : finally understand the reference of the "dead wife " in American Gods. And of course her name is Laura. Better late than never 😅

[@mitchellizaiah254]

So Nice 💘💘💘💘💘💘

[@sorenmohammad4916]

Hi Guys 😍💋 💝💖

[@maverickmarcos6001]

Woow woow 😍💋 💝💖❤️

[@goblinslayer7096]

Men: account for the overwhelming majority of movie deaths
Women die in movies: “there’s a term for that.”

[@Shoomer1988]

For for a start they don't. You just selected some that do (ignoring all the ones that don't) and made it a thing.