Figure 1.--The film is very interesting for its diverse costuming details. Rainbow-maker, the chief boy of the story, wears a pullover sweater, short trousers (sometimes lederhosen), and very long woolen stockings obviously supported by a Leibchen. In one of the scenes we see the children playfully undressing each other to reveal Marie wearing the typical Leibchen with four hose supporters that were characteristic of children's underwear (boys' and girls' alike) during the 1950s in the GDR.

"The Land Beyond the Rainbow" is very interesting for its diverse costuming details. Rainbow-maker, the chief boy of the story, wears a pullover sweater, short trousers (sometimes lederhosen), and very long woolen stockings obviously supported by a Leibchen. In one of the scenes we see the children playfully undressing each other to reveal Marie wearing the typical Leibchen with four hose supporters that were characteristic of children's underwear (boys' and girls' alike) during the 1950s in the GDR. Marie wears a peasant dress and also brown stockings except in the scenes where she metamorphoses into a kind of virginal princess dressed all in white (complete with white long stockings). The images attached give a good idea of the children's costuming. The first image shows Rainbow-maker and Marie in a private conversation in the nearby woods. The second image shows the same two children dressed up for May Day with Marie in white stockings and the boy in dark brown hosiery with a white shirt. The third image shows Rainbow-maker with his grandfather. The fourth image shows the two children undressing each other with Marie wearing the Leibchen with four garters. If for no other purpose, this shot gives us a rare view of children's underwear in 1950s Germany. The final image shows Hans, Marie, and Rainbow-maker with the latter's grandfather. Notice that in this scene, the boy is wearing lederhosen with his long woolen stockings. Our HBC reader tells us, "The lecturer I heard remarked that the historical costuming for 1953 was carefully researched and reproduced. Notice the scene where the children are undressing each other--an interesting bit of childlike innocence and total naturalness about the human body in a context of adult sexuality in which the parents and others behave like rabbits in heat. This scene gives us an excellent view of the typical Leibchen or Strumphalterhemd (undershirt with garters) that both boys and girls wore in 1953. So this particular scene is very enlightening about period underwear, information not easy to come by."

Created: 8:58 PM 5/16/2010
Last updated: 8:58 PM 5/16/2010