Movies like American Beauty or The Grand Budapest use bright or dull bland colors to set tone and provide atmosphere. Can the same be said for exposition? Example, Sin-city is a mainly black and white movie where they use colors only to draw attention to details. So, again, I pose the question, Can colors be a main source for exposition in film?
The selection of a color pallete is just as essential to film exposition as the storytelling, cinematography and editing as it helps to establish the 'flavour' of a scene in visual shorthand. I see you mentioned 'Sin City' in particular. In this instance, since the film was based on Miller's graphic novel, it made sense to stay with black and white to help create the same mood and atmosphere found within the graphic novel. I'd also suggest taking a look at the recent British science fiction thriller 'Anon' (written, directed and co-produced by Andrew Niccol), which uses a near washed-out pallete to establish the blandness of a population's existence within a city that is under constant surveillance by the authorities. Good idea for a topic suggestion though and you have my vote. – Amyus7 years ago
Another good example to consider is the usage of red and yellow in The Village. M. Night Shyamalan uses both to peak efficiency in the film, to the point where the sight of the color red alone sparks a response with the viewer. – ValleyChristion7 years ago
Great work, this is an excellent topic. Check out Cinefix's video on the uses of color in film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tILIeNjbH1E&t=461s, it's incredibly informative. A color palette creates atmosphere, environment, and mood easily, and it's interesting to explore how different colors can have differing effects, and take on differing themes. – Matchbox7 years ago
I was struck by the brilliant use of colour (I am spelling this word as the Canadian I am!) in "The Handmaid's Tale." The glaring red of the handmaids' dresses against the generally dark interiors (such as Waterford's study) which evokes various things: their 'fallenness' (think, Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter); the bloodiness of menstruation and childbirth. The red dresses are in contrast (yet in direct complement) to that odd shade of green worn consistently by every wife. Both colours contrast with the lifeless khaki worn by every Aunt. The use of colour in "The Handmaid's Tale" reminds me of Julie Taymor's use of colour in her "Titus". In the Special Features section of the DVD, Taymor talks to students at Columbia University about this topic. – Jos7 years ago
The exploration of colour in film is something that has fascinated me ever since I was little. Film is just another form of visual media, so I think that there is grounds for more study on this topic within the discussion of aesthetics in film. Colour is but another aspect of mise en scene. It would be even more interesting to track the progress of colour in film, starting with hand colouring of film cells in the early 1900s all the way to technicolor and beyond. – Samantha6 years ago