Welcome back to a series I'm very passionate about... The Colours of Cinema! After tackling a not-so-common colour (Purple), I wanted to try analysing the usage of red, one of the most common colours in cinema. Read on to see popular scenes with this striking colour.
Given its popularity in film colour palettes, the usage of red is (like most colours) open to interpretation, but I think we can all agree that the most common themes are love, danger, power and passion.
Vengeance
In Tarantino's war film Inglorious Basterds (2009) Shosanna is the epitome of vengeance. The climax of the scene depicts her draped in red (a similar shade to the Nazi red colour) which is very symbolic. The propaganda film screen gets set ablaze after playing a video of her proclaiming the Nazis' downfall, thus proving how powerful Red was in this final act.
Rise, Roar, Revolt!
In SS Rajamouli's maximalist film RRR (2022), Ram Charan plays a police officer in British India with a dark past and a hopeful future. His characterisation had been influenced by fire and red has been synonymous with his internal angst and deep vendetta. Whether it is simply wearing a dark red British uniform or literally playing with fire in a high-octane action sequence, Rajamouli did not shy away from using red in the most useful, effective way possible.
That said, do you think Ram Charan would've done a good job playing Jr. NTR's role as Bheem (the water character)? Comment below!
Yearning
In the heart-wrenching scene in Tamasha (2015)—during the song Agar Tum Saath Ho—Tara represents the heart while Ved represents the brain. Their internal conflicts make their yearning for love unrequited. It's simply a tear-inducing scene as you see her crumble trying to be with him. I remember watching listening to the song many times before watching the movie and the visual experience was just on another level. Their painful love journey reached an almost unbearable breaking point in this scene.
Bravery
When you think of the haunting conclusion of Padmaavat (2018), you'll remember the brave look of all the women before they stepped into the fire. Deepika Padukone's titular character is the face of empowerment as she doesn't intend to give in to Alauddin Khilji's manic obsession with her. This scene gives goosebumps every time.
It's so powerful. You do not feel like she is doing anything wrong. You want her to embrace the flames because she is going to be united with the man she loves. — Deepika Padukone on the controversial scene.
Acceptance
The tragic story of Thangam—a segment in the anthology series Paava Kadhaigal (2020)—is one that makes use of the colour red in a powerful way. Sathaar (played by Kalidas Jayaram) is a trans woman who is ostracised by the village. Red is repetitive here; from chewing betel leaves to redden her lips to being gifted lipstick by Saravanan (showing his acceptance of her gender identity), red becomes Sathaar's symbol in this heartache of a movie. Watch this gripping film on Netflix.
Cultural symbolism
One of my favourite movies, Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) is a movie about, well, everything. It did an amazing job of portraying the identities of Chinese immigrants, using red in an apt cultural context.
I wrote about EEAAO and RRR in a post about captivating action movies. Be sure to check that out!
So why does the colour red matter? Humans are tuned in a way to pick up cues from their surroundings to make logical decisions. For movies to work well with the audience (and ultimately the box office), filmmakers have to make their work of art as understandable as easily as they can. Colour clichés are a great way to engage the audience effectively... and the colour red is one of the most widely used hues.
I hope you enjoyed this post. Please like and share. Comment below what colour you'd like to see next! Cheers!
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