Striking Use of Color
Ollie W. Holmes
Banshee/Murders in the Rue Morgue. Both pictures were produced by AIP,
and they look sumptuous (mahvelous). Morgue is the standout. Maltin
uses the term, Grand Guignol, to describe the setting of the film, and
derisively gives it a rating of 1.5 stars out of 4. Failing to
understand that the horror genre is judged by its own standards, and
cannot be compared to Casablanca or Ninotchka. Jason Robards, the
stage actor playing a stage actor in the film, is like a fish out of
water. Vincent Price would have been more appropriate, but contracts
being what they are, this possibilty probably de-materialized in
negotiations. In spite of this, the performances by Herbert Lom,
Michael Dunn, and Christine Kaufmann (one of Tony Curtis' wives) are
wonderfully gothic. Kaufmann's flashback and flashforward visions are
rich in color, immersed in flowing reds and deep browns. The sets look
exquisite and authentic, the Paris theater, the backstage, mansion,
merry go-round, and darkened streets. (The film was actually shot in
Spain). Director Gordon Hessler, who does two standalone commentaries
on the dvd, deserves a belated pat-on-the-back for helming two
underrated horror classics.
Murders in the Rue Morgue now joins my growing list of movies with
impressive color design + cinematography. My other favorites:
Black Narcissus. Field of blooming flowers (this is cited by Scorsese
in his laserdisc commentary), and the two scenes with Kerr and Byron,
after Byron renounces her vows.
Suspiria. Every scene of this Argento movie is so well-planned in its
use of color that it should be a case study for any student of horror
film. The creative use of blood is another aspect of this film that
makes it a reference by which to judge all other films in the genre.
The Road Home (1999). The transition from b&w to color is eye-popping,
and even this term hardly describes the wonderful look that is
achieved. Ziyi Zhang is a peasant girl who falls in love with a
teacher, Hao Zheng. It was love at first sight, but to attract his
attention, she prepares meals for him. When he leaves the village, she
rushes after him carrying several bowls of food. She must traverse a
meadow filled with spring flowers and grass. Although simple in
appearance, the Chinese countryside has probably never looked
lovelier.
8 Women. All nuts, but beautifully dressed. In costume design, there
have never been more colorful dresses than the ones Deneuve, Ardant,
and Huppert wear in this film.
Nick Macpherson
black and white, and watching it in technicolor is startling.
Tom Sutpen
Sirk/Russell Metty collaboration I've ever seen (is that on DVD, by the way?).
But then, there *is* "The Adventures of Robin Hood" to consider, huh.
Manic stuff.
Tom Sutpen
"Cinema is Truth, 24 times a second" -- Jean-Luc Godard
"Movies lie 24 times a second" -- Brian DePalma
"Kill Ugly Cinema!" -- Tom Sutpen
Evil
TRAFFIC.
DODES-KA'DEN.
RAN
Mpoconnor7
Pleasantville
Dick Tracy (although they only used basic colors)
Edward Scissorhands
Michael O'Connor - Modern Renaissance Man
"The likelihood of one individual being correct increases in a direct
proportion to the intensity with which others try to prove him wrong"
James Mason from the movie "Heaven Can Wait".
Your Pal Brian
> "Petulia" (1968). The most striking use of color outside a Douglas
> Sirk/Russell Metty collaboration I've ever seen (is that on DVD, by the way?).
Dunno, but Funny Thing...Forum is pretty cool too. (I watch it with the sound
off.)
Ivan the Terrible II goes strikingly colorful at the end.
Brian
Tom Sutpen
>> "Petulia" (1968). The most striking use of color outside a Douglas
>> Sirk/Russell Metty collaboration I've ever seen (is that on DVD, by the
>way?).
>
>Dunno, but Funny Thing...Forum is pretty cool too. (I watch it with the
>sound
>off.)
*****
Interesting, because with the exception of one or two sequences, I've
always thought "Forum" was the least-distinguished cinematography of Nicolas
Roeg's career (not that that's saying much, since he was one of the best color
DPs who ever drew breath).
Damn, I wish he'd go back to it, the way Freddie Francis did. Can you
imagine what Roeg could do with color today?
Bob Tiernan
Ollie W. Holmes wrote:
> Maltin uses the term, Grand Guignol, to describe the setting of the
> film, and derisively gives it a rating of 1.5 stars out of 4. Failing
> to understand that the horror genre is judged by its own standards,
> and cannot be compared to Casablanca or Ninotchka.
Actually, Maltin is pretty good at rating films
by not only comnparing to all others but by
comparing them to others in the same genre. I
haven't seen this remake of MITRM in years and
years so I cannot comment on the 1.5 star rating.
Bob T
nanwynnfan
"Picture of Dorian Gray." [1945]
doug lauber
Very expressive/moody.
Memento's commentary talks about that limited color
palette used for that film.
Godard's primary color scheme in Contempt
is nice, intense. -doug
doug lauber
Very expressive/moody.
Memento's commentary talks about that limited color
palette used for that film.
Godard's primary colors scheme in Contempt
is nice, intense. -doug
S D
like in them other than the female leads.
MadiHolmes
It really gave it a nice tint.
MadiHolmes
J. Theakston
in IB Technicolor, you'll notice the entire film is a vehicle for the
color system. Amazing splashes of blue, red, green, and yellow all
over the screen. Quite an effort.
-J. Theakston
Stephen Cooke
Not bad for a song about a dope-smoking bug. It's included on Roan's
DIXIEANA DVD as an extra, and is billed as the first live-action
three-strip Technicolor film. The film's as dopey as the song, but it's a
fun little bonus.
swac
Patricia Wadley
Without a doubt "Adventures of Robin Hood" has the most striking color. Just
watched again last night and again I was struck with how rich all the colors were
from the greens to the smallest amount of color in Lady Marian's clothes to the
flesh tones and even to the gray blocks of the castle.
p
aemilia
Jean Pierre Jeunet (his work is always stunning)
Bernardo Bertolucci
Ang Lee
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Spielberg
Oliver Stone
Walter Lang
Jane Campion
James Ivory
Michael Mann
Joel and Ethan Coen
Julie Taymor
Barry Levinson
Terry Gilliam
aemilia
Baelzar
news:vfracvc45fn6di61t...@4ax.com...
> Directors who know how to use color (IMHO):
>
> Jean Pierre Jeunet (his work is always stunning)
Amelie is like a big christmas present. Green and Red all OVER the place.
Loved it.
> Bernardo Bertolucci
> Ang Lee
I understand he's big on green this year. Hey, it was just a jok(SLAP)
Your Pal Brian
Good list, and also:
Douglas Sirk
Stanley Kubrick
Roman Polanski
Francis Ford Coppola
Richard Lester
Baz Luhrman
(I've got Josef Alber's book on its way from Amazon BTW.)
Brian
David
>aemilia wrote:
>
>> Jean Pierre Jeunet (his work is always stunning)
>> Bernardo Bertolucci
>> Ang Lee
>> Steven Soderbergh
>> Steven Spielberg
>> Oliver Stone
>> Walter Lang
>> Jane Campion
>> James Ivory
>> Michael Mann
>> Joel and Ethan Coen
>> Julie Taymor
>> Barry Levinson
>> Terry Gilliam
>>
>Good list, and also:
>
>Douglas Sirk
>Stanley Kubrick
>Roman Polanski
>Francis Ford Coppola
>Richard Lester
>Baz Luhrman
And maybe even Michael Powell.
Wishy13764
behold. Also, it didn't hurt the fact that they had the most beautiful Hedy
lamarr in it to give it an extra boost. Another one I could think of is a war
time musical with Fred Astaire..called "Yolanda and the thief".
aemilia
"Baelzar" <bae...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Ang Lee
>
> I understand he's big on green this year. Hey, it was just a jok(SLAP)
>
>
I know! I know! I have loved Ang Lee since I saw Eat Drink Man Woman
about ten years ago (IIRC), and I love his use of color, human emotion
(Whoever thought a Taiwanese director could do Jane Austen),
composition....everything.
When I heard he was doing The Hulk, I cringed. I absoltely cringed. But
then I realized that he is also a young guy who grew up on comic books
and when broached with the offer, he said, "Cool!" Sort of like I think
Bryan Singer did with X-Men and Tim Burton did with Batman. A chance to
be the coolest kid on the block. At least, that is my rationalization
for the whole thing.
And I'll go see it, much like I dragged myself to see Crouching Tiger
Hidden Dragon, which I ended up enjoying, so maybe I'll enjoy the Hulk.
I do enjoy cheesy popcorn movies, just am apprehensive about a cheesy
popcorn movie from the man who made The Ice Storm.
Weird.
aemilia
aemilia
Your Pal Brian <brian...@iFreedom.com> wrote:
>
> Douglas Sirk
> Stanley Kubrick
> Roman Polanski
> Francis Ford Coppola
> Richard Lester
> Baz Luhrman
>
> (I've got Josef Alber's book on its way from Amazon BTW.)
Well, DUH! for Baz Luhrman. Had a brain fart. I actually considered
Kubrick and Polanski, but I'm really not a Polanski fan and can only
base my opinion Chinatown (which I loved), which is more overwhelmed by
the natural color landscape of Los Angeles (where I live and grew up).
Kubrick I thought and also rejected because I thought he really only
used color artistically in Eyes Wide Shut. But then again I have never
seen anything by Kubrick but Eyes Wide Shut on a big screen. Everything
else I have seen was on a tv. I do though, love his use of Black and
White film. He does have a way with light.
That was the only redeeming thing IMHO about the Coen Bros film The Man
Who Wasn't There. The stunning use of light in a color medium, only to
transfer it to black and white and STILL know how to shoot it in color
FOR B&W (am I making sense?) amazed me.
aemilia
Your Pal Brian
> I actually considered
> Kubrick and Polanski, but I'm really not a Polanski fan and can only
> base my opinion Chinatown (which I loved), which is more overwhelmed by
> the natural color landscape of Los Angeles (where I live and grew up).
I was thinking Macbeth. He takes his palette from the heather on the
hills: lots of earthy greens and purplish browns. Everything's dark and
dingy and unfriendly, yet beautiful in an ugly sort of a way.
There's one bit at the end when Macbeth is wearing his armor by candlelight
("our castle's strength will laugh a siege to scorn") you swear it was
painted by Van Dyck or late Titian, or one of that crowd.
http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/art/d/dyck_van/1portrai/balbi.jpg
> Kubrick I thought and also rejected because I thought he really only
> used color artistically in Eyes Wide Shut. But then again I have never
> seen anything by Kubrick but Eyes Wide Shut on a big screen. Everything
> else I have seen was on a tv. I do though, love his use of Black and
> White film. He does have a way with light.
>
Indeed he does.
There's a thread right now over in the boobyhatch that is
alt.movies.kubrick about SK's use of red & white: the bathroom in The
Shining, all over 2001, even the writer's bathrobe in in A Clockwork
Orange. Google "Bathrobe Foreshadows Violence ACO" if you don't want to
subscribe. (And believe me, you don't. I love them, but they're all
fookin' mad.)
Brian
Kevin FilmNutBoy
>Kubrick I thought and also rejected because I thought he really only
>used color artistically in Eyes Wide Shut.
Wow.
--Kevin
comes...@hotmail.com
the spectrum, the incredibly vivid and unusual use of color in What
Dreams May Come.
~ Roger
Jeff Duncanson
Roger Deakin's work on "The Secret Garden" - He's my favorite guy
working right now.
Black Narcissus - a no-brainer - Another Powell/Pressburger that
deserves mention is "Stairway to Heaven"
David
Bergman's use of color in "Whispers & Cries" is extremely complex &
chilling, with multilayered meanings & searing, direct assaults. We
tend to think of Bergman in terms of those chilly Swedish grays, but
his (& Nykvist's) forays into color have almost always proved
awe-inspiring.
Stephen Cooke
"maybe"?
I'm sure he was first in a lot of people's minds when this topic came up.
BTW, anyone mention Mario Bava and Dario Argento?
swac