The Protei of the Cinema: The Body as a Tool and Means of Artistic Endeavour

Grażyna Stachówna

Abstract

Human body is an important element of symbolic culture. Its age, appearance, expression com- bined with the clothes worn, movement, gestures and facial expressions can be a source of aes- thetic experience and an effective way of nonverbal communication. youth - age, beauty - ugliness, sexiness - asexuality, elegance - negligence, etc. characterise people in their life, and define them socially and in terms of social class. Internal interactions of a person, his intentions, thoughts and emotions are manifested through the body. It applies in a special way to actors ap- pearing on the stage of a theatre or on the cinema screen. The object of description of Stachówna’s essay are the bodies of actors - “variables”, transforming themselves, means of artistic expression, coming to be a part of the creative effort. In the subchapter Lipstick, wigs and corsets the author writes about the art of characterisation that facilitates a spectacular change of corporeality; the part Wrinkles, scalpel and collagen deals with the bold use of appearance aged by time, and the struggle against advancing biological changes, while the subchapter Benedict Cumberbatch - the Proteus of Acting describes the amazing changes in the image of this English actor in film.