Was Reynolds Woodcock a Real Designer? Was Alma a Real Person? Where is She From?

‘Phantom Thread’ follows the intricate love story of an artist and his muse and the lengths they go to with the intention to foster their connection. Following the eccentric dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis), the interval romance drama explores his all-encompassing dedication to his craft and the havoc his muse and eventual spouse, Alma (Vicky Krieps), performs on his delicately curated way of life.

The story explores the central couple’s exceptional dynamic intimately however stays imprecise about their respective backgrounds and origin tales. Their assembly, too, is serendipitous and left at that. So simply how a lot do the characters of Reynolds Woodcock and his muse, Alma, draw from real-life personalities? Let’s discover out.

Was Reynolds Woodcock a Actual Designer?

No, Reynolds Woodcock is a fictional designer created for the needs of the plot by the movie’s author and director, Paul Thomas Anderson. Nevertheless, the enduring Daniel Day-Lewis breathes an unbelievable degree of authenticity into his character, giving Reynolds Woodcock a really real-life high quality. In preparation for the function, Day-Lewis reportedly spent a yr immersing himself within the artwork of conventional dressmaking. He skilled underneath the New York Metropolis Ballet’s costume designer, Marc Happel, and didn’t start filming till he completed recreating a robe by Cristóbal Balenciaga.

Regardless that Reynolds Woodcock will not be revealed to be primarily based on any specific classic couturier, the type of garments designed by the character within the movie, mixed along with his single-minded concentrate on his craft, present some similarities to the enduring Balenciaga. Thus, Day-Lewis creates a fancy focal character by combining his personal legendary method-acting type and probably some points of the real-life craftsman he takes inspiration from — creating the distinctive however however lifelike character of Reynolds Woodcock.

Was Alma a Actual Particular person? The place is She From?

Reynolds Woodcock’s muse, Alma, is a fictional character. Very similar to the central Reynolds himself, his co-protagonist can be not primarily based on an actual individual however doubtless takes inspiration from a number of sources. Curiously, little or no about Alma is revealed within the movie, which explores the intricacies of her relationship with the famed dressmaker however reveals little or no about their respective pasts. The one factor we learn about Alma’s origin is that her mom had inexperienced eyes — a element she reveals on her first outing with Reynolds.

Fittingly, it’s by no means revealed the place Alma is from, however her accent clearly locations her origin exterior the UK. Her transient use of lilted French with the Princess hints that she is probably going from continental Europe, probably Belgium, Holland, or Germany. By the way, Vicky Krieps, who essays Alma, hails from Luxembourg and is of Luxembourgish and German heritage.

It’s attention-grabbing to notice how Alma’s character is subtly depicted as an outsider. She is clearly not from the city the place Reynolds first meets her, which is made all of the extra obvious by the relative ease with which she picks up and strikes into the Home of Woodcock. Throughout her time within the dressmaker’s somber residence, Alma additionally continuously (and unapologetically) stands proud in a means that’s refreshingly jarring. Bodily and emotionally, the muse introduces some very “international” points to Reynolds Woodcock’s life and carves a spot for herself in it.

Learn Extra: Is Phantom Thread Based mostly on a True Story?