Today’s Topic: Facial Hair in Movies

After successfully and unsuccessfully watching a lot of good, bad and ugly movies, one point on the same has kept coming back to me. What is the significance of facial hair among male actors in movies?

Let us dwell first on the various types of facial hair encountered in movies.
1. None at all. (No comments coz I have a handlebar moustache. General category.)
2. A thin moustache, (though this breed is almost dead now. Was very popular in the era of B&W cinema and early colour movies)
3. A thick moustache, (initially created to signify the bad guy later caught on for the negative hero character and finally for the hero as well. This category was widely prevalent in South Indian movies)
4. A beard. (signifies people who have been in a lot of trouble, jailbirds, people who have had love failures. Though initially created for the rough vagabond type, the above is now prevailing extensively.)
5. A stubble. (initially created to signify a natural feel in the movie, for example, a guy who has been traveling for 3 days in the wilderness obviously cannot shave. But now it is more of the norm in Indian cinema. Apparently having a thick stubble is considered heroic these days, why, is totally beyond my comprehension).
6. Miscellaneous. (Includes Handlebars, Side locks, soul patches etc etc, entirely based on the character of the story)

Having analyzed the different types of facial hair in movies and their significance has made me realize that there is no significance in today’s movies on the relevance of facial hair. Gone are the days when they were used to communicate to the audience about the character himself. (For example a thin moustache signified a distinguished gentleman or a charming Casanova).
Now it is just whatever the makeup artist or the director feels like. No significance one bit.

It grieves me here because there is no more silent/hidden meaning to the moustache or facial hair, no more is the subtlety and the charm.

Good night…and Good luck.
May the Force be with you.