I can surmise that it refers to the color of dry earth or dirt but that also refers to China and Georgia. Is the term ever used or explained in the film?
The geographic location of the plantation is vague with only a reference to being days upriver to Saygon. The few French references imply Vietnam but is it?
A box on the river boat is addressed to Dennis Carson, North Cochin China, Via Saigon. Cochin China was the southern part of Viet Nam which included Saigon.
shareWikipedia says "The film's title is derived from the large quantities of dust that are stirred up by the storms." It says this while citing other examples of the movies efforts at accuracy in displaying what life was like on a rubber plantation in French Indochina.
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