Color Theory: Past Lives
If melancholy had a color, it would be blue.
Past Lives by Celine Song is a story that captivates distance, time, culture, and intentions in a familiar way. I resonated with both characters for many reasons - which was comforting and disheartening, ha.
There is a rigidity in this film, which carried an emotional draw for the viewer. The coloring was often expressed in neutral palettes, with moments of bright or expressive colors. I interpreted this to support the big moments within the storyline visually.
The primary colors seen are blue/ blue-green, yellow, and beige.
Blue is seen in just about every frame within this story, supporting the melancholy felt throughout. While the yellow and beige colors support a familiarity.
Just like my previous post, I’ve chosen six frames, lets jump in and discuss.
Frame No. 1
The overall color palette:
Now take a deeper look at the color palette within the frame:
Frame No. 2
The overall color palette:
Now take a deeper look at the color palette within the frame:
Frame No. 3
The overall color palette:
Now take a deeper look at the color palette within the frame:
Frame No. 4
The overall color palette:
Now take a deeper look at the color palette within the frame:
Frame No. 5
The overall color palette:
Now take a deeper look at the color palette within the frame:
Frame No. 6
The overall color palette:
(In my opinion, this is a common color palette used in most of the film’s scenes).
Now take a deeper look at the color palette within the frame:
Final Thoughts:
Past Lives, cinematically, is a film that forces you to wrestle with the 'what if'. The art direction in this film made me appreciate the storyline so much so, that I had to call a friend and tell them what I had just watched. This phenomenal story merges two very different worlds, delicately and surprisingly realistically, which was quite refreshing.
Below is the overview of colors discussed in the six shots above.
A color story rooted in neutrality.
What emotional context can you draw from this palette?
If you’ve seen the story, what thoughts did you have about the film.
Leave a comment, I’d love to chat with you.
Send a note if you have any questions or want a specific film, editorial, or interior design work discussed in a future post.
