Just watched this for the first time. The colour red seems to have strong significance - you can't help but be struck by Travis' hat, set against that sky-blue background, from the first moment you see him.
Red is featured strongly in the scene when Travis and Jane reunite at the club, and in many others spots ... any ideas why?
I noticed this, too. Some might say red is a color of determination. It might also be the color of passion, desire, and love. It might be a color of turmoil.
In the beginning of the film, Travis is absolutely determined to get to Paris, TX. Even after Walt retrieved Travis and his belongings from the German doctor, and after he rented the motel room, Travis was determined to get to Paris. Travis was also determined to find Jane. He set out to find her in a red shirt, and Hunter also wore red.
When Travis and Hunter find Jane, she drove a red car. And when a similar red car appeared on the highway, Hunter inexplicably knew which one belonged to Jane.
When Travis finally talks to Jane, he describes the intense passion they once had. He tells her about the intense love he felt, and the jealousy, also associated with the color red. He describes the turmoil, and how she burned down the trailer where they lived before leaving him. Ordinarily I would also associate these things with the color red.
Interestingly, he says he woke up in the fire Jane set in blue flames, a color some might associate with stability. He says he tried to get back to Hunter and June through the fire, but failed. And he finds Jane working in a peep show where the building is blue. I thought this might be associated with lasciviousness, but maybe it is consistent with the stability Jane represents. After all, Jane wired money every month on the same day from the same bank for Hunter. Travis decided to return Hunter to Jane instead of trying to remake the family because she is the symbol of stability. Even if her job is questionable, Travis was the one who couldn't keep a job because of his passion and jealousy related to Jane.
Finally, in the scene where Travis shows Hunter the photo of the property in Paris, Texas, he tells Hunter it is near the Red River. Earlier in the movie, Travis told Walt he believed he had been conceived there, the result of the passion between his father and mother.
Thanks for asking this question. When I first heard Travis mention Red River, it made me think of the John Wayne movie. But I don't really have a theory of how that would fit into the themes of this movie.
It's not just red but green too. Anyone got a clue what it means?
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