Making a distinct choice about the aesthetics and cinematography of a movie is better than making a forgettable feature. However, sometimes, the color grading of a film is so intense it becomes distracting. This could happen in discreet parts of the narrative or by an issue with the entire project, but either way, it grabs the audience’s attention. Color is a tool used to create meaning, asdifferent colors have different emotional and physical connotations.When a particular color dominates the screen, it sends a message to the audience that the film should be viewed through a specific lens.
There are somemovies with amazing cinematographythat have very vivid palettes, but they immerse the viewer into the world of the story rather than taking them out of it. Filmmakers like Wes Anderson are defined by their dedication to creating cohesive coordination between the set and character designs to make an enticing product. This makes sense because of the tone of these movies, which are purposefully whimsical or heightened.Memorable and experimental colors don’t necessarily detract from the audience’s experience,but they can if they’re not used properly.
The Matrix Reloaded
Cast
The Matrix Reloaded is the second film in the Matrix trilogy directed by the Wachowskis. The movie follows Keanu Reeves as Neo, who continues his quest to free humanity from the oppressive control of intelligent machines. Laurence Fishburne returns as Morpheus, along with Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity, as they lead their rebellion against the system while uncovering deeper layers of the Matrix.
The originalMatrixfilm also has a memorable color palette, but the following two sequels take most parts of the series and turn them all the way up. These choices includethe green look of bothReloaded and Revolutions,which goes further than the intensity of the first film. WhileReloadedis largely considered a better film than the follow-up, they share an aesthetic that transports the viewer completely out of reality. This makes sense, asThe Matrixfranchise is about the line between reality and technology.
The color green is deeply associated with technology and computer programming, and this roots the films in the artificial reality of the Matrix.
However, the first installment used its coloring to show the difference more subtly. The color green is deeply associated with technology and computer programming, and this roots the films in the artificial reality of the Matrix. However, it also creates somewhat of a disconnect between the audience and the characters onscreen. Additionally,this is amplified by the green codes that rain downand signify how the Matrix is created by computer programming (viaCollider).
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Justice League
2017’s Justice League brings together iconic DC heroes under the direction of Zack Snyder. In the aftermath of Superman’s sacrifice, Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince recruit metahumans Barry Allen, Arthur Curry, and Victor Stone to combat the dire threat posed by Steppenwolf and his Parademons.
TheJustice Leaguefranchise has not been the smash hit that DC Comics might have hoped, but there are some interesting visual choices made in Zack Synder’sJustice League. However, not all of them help to build the universe of the DCU and establish the strength of the characters.There were a few moments that reminded the audience the world of the movie is not a gritty action film but a comic book movie,like Batman’s glowing eyes and the scenes that were clearly shot with a green screen.
There’s nothing wrong with using a green screen and VFX, as almost every movie today does. However,it becomes a problem when the color grading and visual effects don’t work togetherand make the other worse. Additionally, one of the major criticisms of the film was that it had an almost monochrome palette and didn’t take advantage of the many colors that are featured in the comics. This gave the story a more serious tone, but it made it tough to focus on important moments in the script.
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The Aviator
The Aviator is a 2004 biopic about Howard Hughes, a famous film producer, and pilot that was once considered one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the world. Directed by Martin Scorsese and written by John Logan, Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Hughes alongside Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly, and Alec Baldwin.
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Howard Hughes in Martin Scorsese’sThe Aviator, which chronicles the life of the Hollywood producer and airline mogul. Spanning decades from the late 1920s to the late 1940s,The Aviatorsees Hughes rise to prominence in every industry he tackles, but he’s consistently hampered by his ego and the effects of his OCD.From the first frame of the film, it’s obvious that this isn’t a typical biographical drama,as the colors are unlike anything seen in reality.
The changing color grading throughoutThe Aviatorreflects Hughes' different phases of life and is a reflection of how Hughes views the world from his perspective.
It’s particularly the blue and orange grading early on in the movie that makes it difficult to completely commit to delving into Hughes' story. The changing color grading throughoutThe Aviatorreflects Hughes' different phases of life and is a reflection of how Hughes views the world from his perspective. While this is a fascinating way to get inside Hughes' mind,it’s a risky stylistic choice and might not appeal to all viewers.
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Every Leonardo DiCaprio Character In A Martin Scorsese Movie, Ranked
From undercover cops to deceitful conmen, Leonardo DiCaprio has played some of his best characters across his six Martin Scorsese movies.
Speed Racer
Speed Racer (2008) is a live-action adaptation of the classic anime series Speed Racer. Directed by the Wachowskis, the film stars Emile Hirsch as Speed, a young race car driver aiming to win races with the help of his family and his high-tech car, the Mach 5. The movie features a vibrant visual style and intense racing sequences, with supporting roles from Christina Ricci, John Goodman, and Susan Sarandon.
While The Wachowski Sisters make big swings with the visuals and themes in their projects, most of the time, these risks pay off. WhileSpeed Raceris rarely ranked amongChristina Ricci’s best movies and TV shows, she and the amazing cast do a great job bringing their characters to life amid the strong manga-inspired visuals. Based on the manga of the same name by Tatsuo Yoshida,the Wachowskis attempted to capture the gorgeous drawings of the original project in live-action, which is notoriously difficult.
Speed Racerwas severely underrated at the time of its release,and as time has gone on, the visual effects might have become more dated. However, they’ve been reevaluated as daring and experimental for the time. Each character and setting has a distinct color, and the difference in grading from scene to scene is obvious. Though the point of effects and design like this is to be noticed, the already fast-paced story ofSpeed Raceris easily overshadowed by the attention-grabbing visuals.
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The 2005 film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel, directed by Tim Burton. It follows a young boy, Charlie Bucket, who wins a tour of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, a fantastical realm overseen by the eccentric candy maker played by Johnny Depp.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factoryis oftenranked as the worstWilly Wonkamovie, with the original 1971 film being cited as the best. It’s not entirely fair to compare the different iterations of the story, asTim Burton’s version uses a much more experimental aesthetic.However, it’s not always effective at translating the magic of the seminal story to the screen. Burton’s work is well-known for making bold and visually intriguing color and stylistic choices, but while this worked for projects likeBeetlejuice, they failed inCharlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Roald Dahl’s original book already incorporates enough visual description into its narrative without the film adaptations having to reimagine a new look for the story.
The film remains divisive to this day, but regardless of critic or audience opinion, the look of the film is striking enough to be a distraction. Roald Dahl’s original book already incorporates enough visual description into its narrative without the film adaptations having to reimagine a new look for the story. Though it’s a cohesive aesthetic and givesCharlie and the Chocolate Factorya darker edge, it doesn’t feel as true to the source material as the first film.
In the Heart of the Sea
Based on the real-life event that inspired Moby Dick, In the Heart of the Sea is directed by Ron Howard and stars Chris Hemsworth as Owen Chase, first mate of the whaling ship Essex who must fight for his life in the middle of the ocean when a whale destroys his ship, killing most of his crew and stranding him and a few survivors on a lifeboat. Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, Ben Whishaw, and Brendan Gleeson also star.
Despite the star-studded cast ofIn the Heart of the Sea, the movie failed to make a splash at the box office or in its critical and audience reception. Loosely based on the real story of a whaling ship in the 1800s,In the Heart of the Seafeatures Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, and Tom Hollandas crew members aboard the ship. Much of the narrative takes place on the ocean, making the water a character unto itself in the story.
However, the striking teal of the ocean and the way the characters and their environment drastically change color throughout the film was too experimental for the film.As the story progresses,In the Heart of the Seaquickly becomes a survival film,and each phase of hunger and desperation brings further blues, greens, and deep oranges that make it hard to take the character’s suffering seriously. Additionally, in trying to make the movie look like a period piece, the film is given a yellow cast that takes away from the exposition.
In the Heart of the Sea (2015)
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Peter Pan
Peter Pan (2003) is an adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s classic tale directed by P.J. Hogan. Jeremy Sumpter stars as Peter Pan, who whisks Wendy Darling, played by Rachel Hurd-Wood, and her brothers to the enchanted world of Neverland. Jason Isaacs portrays the dual roles of Mr. Darling and the malevolent Captain Hook. This film showcases the adventures and conflicts in a land where children never grow up.
The 2003 adaptation ofPeter Panis a nostalgic classic for many audiences who grew up in the early-2000s,and it’s a children’s fantasy movie that deserves more recognition. However, that doesn’t mean that every aspect of the film has aged well, as there are issues with the visuals that are endearing but also make it difficult to focus on the story. With fantasy movies, the appearance of the sets and environment must be otherworldly but still realistic enough to convince the audience they’ve stepped into another land.
There are some moments when the fairytale palette works inPeter Pan’s favor, like the blues and golds of Wendy and Peter’s fairy dance in the woods.
When compared to the bland color grading of more modern projects, the vivid colors ofPeter Panare a welcome change, but they’re not perfect. There are some moments when the fairytale palette works inPeter Pan’s favor, like the blues and golds of Wendy and Peter’s fairy dance in the woods. However, for many of the moments that take place in the sky,the pops of color make the dated visual effects all the more obvious.
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Every Peter Pan Movie Ranked
J.M. Barrie’s classic fantasy play Peter Pan has inspired a plethora of adaptations in various forms of media, but which Peter Pan movie is the best?
Twilight
Based on Stephenie Meyer’s book of the same name, Twilight follows Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), who falls madly in love with Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), who she soon finds out is a vampire. Falling in love with her at the same time, Edward and Bella must overcome obstacles to preserve their forbidden relationship.
The first installment in theTwilightfranchise introduces audiences to Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson)and their epic supernatural love story. However, the most memorable part of the 2008Twilightisn’t the romance, the intrigue, or the mystical elements; it’s the blue tint that’s overlaid on every frame of the movie.Twilightreceived significant flack from critics about many aspects of the film, but the filter that gives the film a desaturated visual aesthetic could rightfully be criticized.
Some could argue that losing the blue filter in the rest of theTwilightmovies took away some of the visual intrigue, but it does allow the audience to feel closer to the action. Additionally, sincethe firstTwilightis defined solely by Bella’s relationship with Edward, it makes sense that the aesthetic would be icy and cold,like the vampires. However, as the series progresses, Bella’s life intertwines with Jacob and the werewolves, and she starts to view herself as one of the vampires. This means they don’t have the otherworldly aloofness they once did, which the blue perpetuates.
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, released in 2009, continues the saga of Harry Potter as he faces growing threats from Lord Voldemort. While navigating the complexities of teenage romance, Harry and Dumbledore seek crucial information to thwart Voldemort’s plans, leading to pivotal encounters that alter the dynamics of Hogwarts.
As theHarry Pottermovies progressed, each installment got darker and more adult, which was reflected in the cinematography and tone of the projects. However,Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Princewent too far with this gritty realism,as the sixth installment of the franchise is too dark for the audience to see. While it makes sense that the visuals in the film would match the dangerous and melancholy mood of the story, the color choices still need to be dynamic and allow the viewer to engage with the narrative.
This lack of clarity becomes an issue at the end of the movie when Harry and Dumbledore are in the cave and trying to obtain the Horcrux.
InThe Half-Blood Prince,the color grading isn’t so much distracting as it is mystifyingbecause it’s almost impossible for the audience to make out the characters during the most important moments of the narrative. This lack of clarity becomes an issue at the end of the movie when Harry and Dumbledore are in the cave and trying to obtain the Horcrux. In one of the most emotional and traumatic parts of the series, the audience misses the subtleties of the performances of Daniel Radcliffe and Michael Gambon.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
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Into the Woods
Based on the musical of the same name, Into the Woods revolves around the reimagining of several well-known fairytales, such as “Cinderella”, “Rapunzel”, “Jack and the Bean Stalk”, and “Little Red Riding Hood”. The film centers on a baker and his wife who, in their attempts to have a child, must lift a generational curse placed upon the baker’s family by a witch. Other stories based on the various fairytales are woven into the narrative as well, which ultimately deals with the characters facing the unintended consequences of the actions that they take. The film features an ensemble cast including James Corden, Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, and Chris Pine.
WhileInto the Woodsisn’t regarded as one of thebest movie musicals of the 21st century, it still brings the classic stage production by Stephen Sondheim to the big screen with a clear love for the original work. Unfortunately,Into the Woodsfalls victim to a common problem with films from the early 2010s and isoften too dark and too blue during key scenes.This is especially clear during the moments set in the woods, which are vital points in the plot for exposition and plot development.
The blue appearance of the woods is also problematic because Meryl Streep’s character, the Witch, has a blue design and costuming, making it difficult to differentiate between her and the background.Color plays a significant role inInto the Woods,as the Witch tells the Baker and his wife to seek out items with distinct colors like blood-red and corn-yellow. However, the overall palette of the movie fades into the blue of the woods, making the viewer waste time looking for the items instead of easily picking them out onscreen.
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