It was the head of the hairdressing department of the film herself who gave details about the process of assembling the character of Ariel.

Those of us who have followed Halle Bailey since her facet as a singer years ago along with her sister Chloe, know that part of the look that both sisters wear and that is distinctive in them are dreadlocks as part of their Afro-descendant culture in the United States (and I must clarify the place because it is not something that I see often in my country, for example, of the same ethnic group) and it has been interesting to see that Disney has appreciated that detail to bring it to the big screen together with a beloved character like Ariel and respecting the ancestry of the own protagonist.

Camille Friend, head of the hairdressing department, indicates that they worked up to 14 hours together with the actress so that the hair had the perfect appearance since one of the most striking things about Ariel is how her hair plays with the waves of the sea and bring her closer to the animated character we all know. They respected her long hair and also wanted to emphasize the color of the hair, respecting the skin tone, eyes, morphology of the protagonist’s face and the characteristic colors of the Disney princess’s clothing.

It is important to note that Bailey has had long hair for a long time and even then extensions of up to 30 centimeters were made to give the proper movement through hair extensions. She mixed with keratin tips, and the process involved three shades of red that were applied to achieve the desired balance.

Camille Friend to Variety “I went to see Halle’s family. Her mom is spiritual and they are a kind family. I began to understand who she was and why the natural hair element of hers was so important to maintain.”

For the effect of natural hair under water, loose pieces of extensions were even used, which gave greater mobility, and on the surface it gave a straighter effect with waves in the shape of ocean waves. Impeccable result, but at a high cost. Since it was not reusable, they could only use it on that day of recording and then they had to go back to the process again. That is why the same Friend indicated that approximately the sum of USD$150 thousand dollars was reached for the desired effect.

Since the first trailer was released, one of the most debated issues besides Bailey’s interpretation is the issue of hair. It is interesting and incredible how at this point we continue to strive to see it superficially.

I think, although I have not seen the film today, that the effect of the final result will be more a matter of technology in character characterization since they have not stopped using special costumes and motion capture for many scenes that we see which is really a post production effect. Including the fact that Bailey is a voluptuous and beautiful 23-year-old woman and that Ariel is a tiny, skinny young woman of barely 16 years old (still developing like any adolescent) and that, being Disney, she cannot be sexualized, and if you have noticed we do not see the same proportions when we see posters, videos or posters that when we see the actress in real life.

And that is important to note, it has nothing to do with the great characterization that the critics seem to have so far about the actress in this live action version. Let’s learn to separate things. Like I said, I haven’t seen the movie yet, but for her career, I bet what they’re going to love the most is her voice. She is just amazing. I hope the weekend arrives so I can go to the movies and see it.

Camaleónicas