Not Just A Hat Rack - Myrtle

“I’m not funny because I can’t take myself seriously anymore.”

Opening Night has been considered as a horror film. It isn’t hard to recognise this, not just by that eerie 70s film aesthetic, with patches of blood red appearing in the decor, props and costume, spiritual sequences and scenes taking place in the shadows. From the very beginning we see the particularly brutal death of an obsessive teenage fan of main character Myrtle and from then on it seems something malevolent is present throughout.

The long remainder of this film will journey with Myrtle as she tries to make sense of the death and the girl, who strangely resembles Myrtle and represents her lost youth, spirit and enthusiasm. She has already alluded to how she used to be much more in touch with her emotions, but the years and the current strain of the play are causing her a crisis, where she is unable to reconcile with the character she is performing.

The play itself is named "Second Woman", an ambiguous title that might be interpreted as Myrtle's haunting by the dead girl, whose animosity she is confronted with in her dressing room, or penthouse, or interpreted as Myrtle losing her identity as the woman she formerly was. Either way, the production is clearly having a tremendous psychological affect on her.

We are witnessing a descent into madness, not just because Myrtle is a woman who we are repeatedly reminded is single, childless and aging, but because the one thing she does have control of, her profession as an actress, is being questioned. Not that she is incapable, but whilst she cannot adapt and relate to the character of her current role, she is faced with an existential crisis of sorts with regards to her profession. The material stinks and it’s not going to advance her career.

Alongside this, she is surrounded mostly by men who are captivated and drawn to her, willing to worship her command, but stop short to remind her she "isn't a woman". She might also be considered the second woman to the play's director, whose long suffering wife is often sidelined in favour of Myrtle.

Myrtle will take (or lose) control eventually, ad-libbing and improvising to a mindless audience, whilst the others watch on fearing ruin. Yet from drunken instability, to sobering up and letting loose, Myrtle's antics don't appear to faze those unaware to what's really going on and with the debut turning out to be a success, Myrtle perhaps did reconnect with her youthful, courageous and unafraid former self.

The Hat:

Could this hat be anymore indicative of Myrtle’s current state of mind? It is in fact a pivotal piece of her costume, only worn on stage, but each time she wears it, her genuine solemnity shows. The hat is black, feathered and netted, more suited for a funeral and makes Myrtle all the more tragic a figure. At one point in (one version of) the play, her character Virginia apologises for wearing her veil in a scene where she has gatecrashed on the family gathering of her ex husband.

Her younger self, reflected in the obsessive fan, is first shown wearing a bucket hat, her face obscured to allow for greater confusion to the viewer, as to whether we are seeing a completely different person, or indeed Myrtle's alter ego, who will plague her throughout the movie.

When without the hat, Myrtle is letting loose, bouncing between male co-stars for reassurance and affection. Maybe this hat holds some possession over her, making her feel the part, as much as it makes her look the part.

Not Just A Hat Rack - Myrtle reel on Instagram