Watch The Bling Ring - Behind the Bling Featurette
- R
- 2013
- 2 min
The Bling Ring - Behind the Bling Featurette is a fascinating look at the making of the 2013 film directed by Sofia Coppola that stars Emma Watson and Leslie Mann. The featurette delves into the true story that inspired the film, which follows a group of fame-obsessed teenagers who break into the homes of Hollywood celebrities and steal their expensive possessions.
The featurette opens with interviews with the cast and crew, who describe the allure of the story and the characters they portrayed. Watson, who plays the ringleader of the group, Nicki, explains that the appeal of the story was the way it speaks to our culture's obsession with celebrity and material wealth. Mann, who plays Nicki's mother, adds that the film raises important questions about our values and priorities as a society.
The featurette also features interviews with the real-life members of the so-called "Bling Ring," as well as journalists and experts who have covered the story. They provide insight into the psychology of the teens involved in the crimes, and how their obsession with social media, fashion, and celebrity culture drove them to commit the burglaries.
As we see clips from the film, the cast and crew explain how they went about bringing this story to life. Coppola describes her approach, saying that she wanted to avoid making a standard "true crime" movie and instead focus on the psychological motivations of the characters. Watson shares how she researched the particular dialect and mannerisms of her character, who speaks in a unique blend of New Age spirituality and Valley Girl slang.
The featurette also provides a behind-the-scenes look at the costume and production design of the film. Costume designer Stacy Battat explains how she worked to create the perfect look for each character, using real-life photos and social media posts as inspiration. Production designer Anne Ross describes the challenges of recreating the real-life locations of the burglaries and making them look believably glamorous.
Throughout the featurette, we see clips from the film intercut with commentary from the cast and crew, as well as footage from the real-life news coverage of the Bling Ring case. We see how the film tackled some of the most shocking aspects of the story, including the way the teens flaunted their stolen goods on social media and the fact that some of the celebrities they robbed had left their doors unlocked.
The Bling Ring - Behind the Bling Featurette is a compelling examination of a true crime story that remains fascinating and relevant today. It offers an inside look at how the filmmakers and actors crafted a thought-provoking film that both critiques and celebrates our culture's obsession with fame and wealth. Fans of the movie will enjoy this in-depth exploration of its making, while those new to the story will be intrigued by its examination of the darker side of our celebrity-obsessed society.