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throughout. Not based on any of Elton's existing pieces, Day considered Elvis and the work of Bob Mackie through the prism of Rio Carnival and Venetian Commedia del Arte. The finished garment is rife with metaphor, serving as a personi- fication of Elton's character's dissolution. "At that point in his life, he's behaving quite beastly—between his addictions and behavior— and the costume shows the disintegration of his mind. But as the scene develops, when you look closer, you see the heart-shaped glasses. What Elton is looking for is love, which he has been searching for his whole life." In this costume you can also see Day's collaboration with Swarovski in full effect. "… Just adding those crystals added another layer to the devil," he enthuses. "It took eight people a week to apply the 240,000 crystals on the costume." As the movie progresses, Elton removes the wings and cape, and then the horns. Crystals and feathers tumble to the ground until finally, Elton the man is in a robe, stripped of his rock star trappings, willing to face others, and most vitally, himself. Day feels a cinematic scene is like a painting and is as captivated by background characters as he is the principals. As a result, he loves to be involved in the fittings of the crowd, because every actor has the potential of being viewed full-screen. He adds, "You never know where the camera will land, so you've got to focus on everything. It's really good fun. There are no extras." His delight in the details is evident in all of the eras of the film, from the teams of 1950s danc- ers in the opening song depicted in desaturated colors and period suits and dresses, to the heady hues and homespun textures of Laurel Canyon in the 1970s, to the punchy neon of the 1980s. But it is Elton's performance costumes which literally dazzle, and the film is studded with them. "I said to my crew, if you can put 10 crystals on something, put 20 or 30, don't hold back." The Dodger costume for the "Pinball Wizard" is encrust- ed with stones and required two people to transport. When it arrived on set for the first time, it garnered a collective gasp. The surrounding sequence features six elaborate costume changes in a blur of screen time and is a visually emblematic of the scope of Elton's success. When asked how he managed to create these pieces and stay within a modest budget, Day chuckles, "There was no waste. We used every part of the animal." One of his favorite ensembles is worn for "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" which culminates the film. Day incorpo- rated aspects from The Wizard of Oz's four main characters. The fur coat symbolizes the Cowardly Lion, the silver shirt the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow is evoked through a straw hat. Dorothy is channeled through the hue of the light blue suit. But most magically, Elton's shoes are studded with the same shade of crystal as Judy Garland's original ruby slippers, designed by legend Gilbert Adrian. Thus with an allusive sleight of hand, the look links the song to the classic film. Day adds, "I think my collaboration with Swarovski was essential to the look of the costumes. I felt that the crystals added another, fourth dimension."