Colours of Film: The Story of Cinema in 50 Palettes

Taking you on from the earliest feature films to today, Colours of Film introduces 50 iconic movies and explains the pivotal role that colour played in their success.

The use of colour is an essential part of film. It has the power to evoke powerful emotions, provide subtle psychological symbolism and act as a narrative device. Wes Anderson’s pastels and muted tones are aesthetically pleasing, but his careful use of colour also acts as a shorthand for interpreting emotion. Moonlight (2016, dir. Barry Jenkins) cinematographer (James Laxton) and colourist (Alex Bickel) spent 100 hours fine-tuning the saturation and hues of the footage so that the use of colour evolved in line with the growth of the protagonist through the film. And let’s not forget Schindler’s List (1993, dir. Steven Spielberg), in which a bold flash of red against an otherwise black-and-white film is used as a powerful symbol of life, survival and death.

In Colours of Film, Charles Bramesco introduces an element of cinema that is often overlooked, yet has been used in extraordinary ways. Using infographic colour palettes, and stills from the movies, this is a lively and fresh approach to film for cinema-goers and colour lovers.

Format: Hardback
Pages: 208
Imprint: Frances Lincoln (Quarto), UK
Publication date: 09/02/2023