MovieChat Forums > The Russia House (1990) Discussion > color scheme

color scheme

posted 17 years ago by angelofvic
9 replies | jump to latest

Did anybody notice the most amazing and very deliberate color scheme of this movie?

It's in the use of the color red. Using an incredibly clear and brilliant shade of red, this color becomes the accent mark in a world of greys and muted tones, all throughout the movie. It becomes so that we crave seeing that red on the screen, longing for it in its absence, and drinking it in when it again shows up.

It starts with the many columns of striking floor-to-ceiling brilliant red curtains in the conference room of the Russia House -- the second scene we see -- and proceeds beautifully from there.

Watch for it if you see this movie again!

I very rarely notice color schemes in movies -- I can think of only one other movie where I did so while the movie was running -- but this one was so brilliant and so unmistakeable and so well done, I was just in awe of it. Excellent!

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[–] SlowRain 17 years ago

If I'm not mistaken, Russians are partial to the color red.

If you're looking for color schemes in movies, check out Alfonso Cuarón's adaptation of Great Expectations (green), Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow (blue filtering), and Yimou Zhang's Hero, just to name a few.

The only second chance you get is to make the same mistake twice. - David Mamet

[–] angelofvic 17 years ago

Are they? Interesting. Also, it can be a metaphor for Communism, of course. I thought the Chinese (perhaps not the Taiwanese) had the most proverbial fondness for the color red ...

Russians and red: I just did a Google search and yes the results are interesting:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=color+red+russia+OR+russians

I think I saw Hero (what was the color scheme? I remember it being very artful, but don't remember a specific color thing), but I haven't seen the others on your list. The movie that comes to my mind with the most striking color scheme is Far From Heaven.

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[–] SlowRain 17 years ago

The Chinese have a fondness for yellow; I'm not sure about red.

Hero just used certain colors extensively in certain scenes, I don't think one was used more than any others.

The only second chance you get is to make the same mistake twice. - David Mamet

[–] garyahampton 16 years ago

Two films which come quickly to mind that use colour to tell the perceptive viewer about scene :
Traffic : blue filters for scenes featuring the US law and political services (those featuring Michael Douglas); yellow for the scenes in Mexico; slight bleaching affects for the scenes with the drugs barons.
The Sixth Sense : The colour red is used as a clue to danger (the red knob on the door leading to the cellar; the red dress worn by the "grieving" mother at her daughter's wake; the red tent in the apartment.). If you watch the extras on the DVD - the one available in the UK - there is a short documentary explaining it.

[–] hhralways 16 years ago

The color scheme was one of the first thing is noticed when watching the Russia House. I loved the little splashes of red.

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There's glass between us.

[–] cynthia_keegan 12 years ago

Just watched it. I do recall that when Katya and Barley were walking in that hillside park they each had dark red accents in their clothes-her sweater and I think his scarf. It gave them a look of unity, hinting that they were now on the same page romantically and philosophically.

[–] FlatSixMan 12 years ago

If you like red, you should watch Don't Look Now from Nicolas Roeg someday. François Truffaut's Fahrenheit 451 also features extensive use of the color red and was photographed by Nicolas Roeg.

You said, "I love you," I said, "Wait"
I was going to say, "Take me," you said, "Go away"

[–] ScopeWatcher 9 years ago

I love this movie; and one detail relevant to this color-scheme discussion is the fact that when Ned visits Barley's apartment for the last time, Barley is in the midst of painting his walls to match the shade of the shirt he happens to be wearing.

His satisfaction in a soothed conscience, therefore, has left Barley thoroughly at peace with his world.

Most great films deserve a more appreciative audience than they get.

[–] 9 years ago

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