Technologic
10-12-2007, 06:54 PM
"Discuss the use of colour in Pleasanville"
The use of colour in Pleasantville
The use of colour in “Pleasantville” is not only a way of showing the developing plot of the film but it is also a way of making a statement. The colours are used to convey different messages to the audience about things such as prejudice, the freedom of speech and change.
‘Pleasantville’ is a T.V. show about an idealistic town named “Pleasantville.” The town at first is portrayed in black and white for many different reasons. The most obvious reason is that it is set in the 1950’s when colour television was only just coming about but there are many more reasons than this. The most important reason for it being set in black and white is in the name. As the name suggests “Pleasantville” is a pleasant place, there are no crimes, no fires nothing to endanger the residents but there are also no true emotions shown. They have no concept of what love is, or even sex, no sense of self-awareness or independence and they have no lust for adventure. Nobody even thinks about what might be outside their town, which is more like a prison cell as there is no way out. Every person has a routine which they repeat every day as though they were stuck in rut. The town and its people are very bland and this is why it is portrayed as black and white because they are bland colours. It’s only when Jennifer and David arrive that colour begins to appear and the townspeople begin to undergo a transformation.
The first colour change comes about just after Jennifer has finished her date. The object that changes colour is a single red rose. The red rose represents passion and love and it changes colour just after Jennifer, also known as Mary-Sue, shows Skip what sex is. The change in colour is due to the fact that a person has changed, they have discovered something new which isn’t in the daily routine. These changes continue with at first small, material things changing but then people begin to change too. The people who change have, in a sense, already changed. Their personalities and morals have all been wiped off the board as they discover new things such as emotion, self-awareness, independence and the feeling of rebellion.
There are several different messages of the film, all of which colour is used to convey them. The first of these messages is racism. At first those who have not changed colour take little notice of the people who have changed colour, viewing it as a “teenage fad” or even an illness but as more people begin to change colour they begin to treat them differently. They see the colour as a problem and some even resort to banning them from their businesses.
The second message in the film is sexism and the way women are expected to stay at home and cook. The line “Where’s my dinner?” said by Bud’s father as he frantically searches the house for his dinner seems to strengthen the message. Bud’s mother changes colour when she realises that she is an independent person. When Mary-Sue tells her of the ways she can enjoy herself then she knows she has the choice to do what she wants, when she wants. She even goes as far as refusing to go to a meeting with her husband.
Communism plays a large part in the film. The mayor of Pleasantville begins to worry about the changes people are experiencing. He sees them as a threat, something that will damage the way of life of the people who live in the town so he decides to impose strict rules banning the use of any coloured paints except black and white, restricting the songs that can be played on the radio, teaching the non-changist view of history in the schools and closing down Lover’s Lane, the area in which most of the teenagers hang out. He wants to keep everything in Pleasantville the same as it always used to be and he does not and does not want to accept that change does happen and there is nothing he can do about it.
The other main message of the film is the large change in culture that happened during the era. In the 1950’s everything was very civilised and bleak but when the 1960’s came along people began to change their actions and standards changed a lot. The colours represent the bright colours that people wore in the 1960’s. Another aspect that the colours represent is the way relationships changed, they became more open, much more vibrant and these are represented by bright and vibrant colours.
The mural painted by Bud and Bill, the soda shop owner, has a very important significance in the film. It is an explosion of colour in the film and it comes about because Bud and Bill are rebelling against the new rules that Mayor Bob has set, when you try to restrict something people get angry and eventually they rebel. This rebellion is usually an explosion of anger and emotion; this is what the mural represents. The mural also has several recognisable icons from different parts of the film. The burning of the books, which was another trait of the 1950’s, can be seen in the background with winged books which resemble angels flying away, the image of Bud’s mother and Bill kissing in the foreground and also the many depictions of an angry mob destroying the town are also present in the mural. The mural not only expresses the feelings of the people who have changed colour but it also tells the story of what has happened in the film, all in one picture.
Lover’s lane is probably the most important location in the whole film with it being the place where the whole colour changing scenario began. With the introduction of sex at Lover’s lane a domino effect began causing many different things to change colour and also more new experiences to be introduced. Lover’s lane is almost like and unconscious Eden. They take for granted that they have a place of such colour and beauty and they do not realise that they are actually in a paradise. The scene with the falling blossom is one of the best examples in the film of the way the director used colour to change the mood and feeling of a scene. As Bud drives down the road you see pink blossom petals begin to fall against a black and white background. As he progresses you begin to see more until eventually he arrives sin Lover’s Lane where there is a cascade of colours for the first time. However, what you do notice is that Bud is still in black and white whilst everybody else is in colour; this is because Bud is still calm, as he has always been, and he has not shown his “true colours”.
In the scene with the trial the factor of the segregation comes into play again. All the people who have changed colour are sat in the top balcony whilst everybody who is still in black and white is sat on the ground floor. The two culprits are bud and Bill, both of whom are in colour. The courtroom is inside the townhouse which is still in black and white, this is because the people associated with it are still trying to get id of the colour in Pleasantville and return it to its former state. Colour is yet again used in this scene to show the change in people except it is more technical. The first person to change is Bud’s father and the colour is used to express him feeling his true emotions towards his wife, he missed her and he realises this after Bud tells him to look into his heart. The second person to change colour is Mayor Bob. The change of colour here is very technical as you actually see him change, all the other characters were blocked by something or the camera was not on them when they changed colour. His colour change comes about when he becomes very angry and shouts at Bud, he has never been angry before because he has always been “Pleasant” His colour change is like when a person blushes, it fades in, starting with his cheeks and then spreading across his body. This is probably one of the most technical parts in the whole film as the director had to make sure the colour change was seamless. Soon after Mayor Bob changed colour everybody else, who have not already changed colour, change colour. This is a simultaneous self-realisation of who they really are and what they really feel.
The final scene set in Pleasantville is completely in colour. The town has now completely changed into colour, bringing along with a sense of discovery. This is enhanced by the fact colour televisions are display in the shop and they are displaying pictures of places all over the world such as Paris and Hawaii. This is another way of showing that the colour change came along hand-in-hand with the new experiences that the town received.
All in all colour is mainly used to show the changes that happen in Pleasantville but there are many different messages behind the way colour is introduced and how the characters react to it. The change in culture seem to be the main point about the movie and how people reacted and finally came to accept these new changes.
The use of colour in Pleasantville
The use of colour in “Pleasantville” is not only a way of showing the developing plot of the film but it is also a way of making a statement. The colours are used to convey different messages to the audience about things such as prejudice, the freedom of speech and change.
‘Pleasantville’ is a T.V. show about an idealistic town named “Pleasantville.” The town at first is portrayed in black and white for many different reasons. The most obvious reason is that it is set in the 1950’s when colour television was only just coming about but there are many more reasons than this. The most important reason for it being set in black and white is in the name. As the name suggests “Pleasantville” is a pleasant place, there are no crimes, no fires nothing to endanger the residents but there are also no true emotions shown. They have no concept of what love is, or even sex, no sense of self-awareness or independence and they have no lust for adventure. Nobody even thinks about what might be outside their town, which is more like a prison cell as there is no way out. Every person has a routine which they repeat every day as though they were stuck in rut. The town and its people are very bland and this is why it is portrayed as black and white because they are bland colours. It’s only when Jennifer and David arrive that colour begins to appear and the townspeople begin to undergo a transformation.
The first colour change comes about just after Jennifer has finished her date. The object that changes colour is a single red rose. The red rose represents passion and love and it changes colour just after Jennifer, also known as Mary-Sue, shows Skip what sex is. The change in colour is due to the fact that a person has changed, they have discovered something new which isn’t in the daily routine. These changes continue with at first small, material things changing but then people begin to change too. The people who change have, in a sense, already changed. Their personalities and morals have all been wiped off the board as they discover new things such as emotion, self-awareness, independence and the feeling of rebellion.
There are several different messages of the film, all of which colour is used to convey them. The first of these messages is racism. At first those who have not changed colour take little notice of the people who have changed colour, viewing it as a “teenage fad” or even an illness but as more people begin to change colour they begin to treat them differently. They see the colour as a problem and some even resort to banning them from their businesses.
The second message in the film is sexism and the way women are expected to stay at home and cook. The line “Where’s my dinner?” said by Bud’s father as he frantically searches the house for his dinner seems to strengthen the message. Bud’s mother changes colour when she realises that she is an independent person. When Mary-Sue tells her of the ways she can enjoy herself then she knows she has the choice to do what she wants, when she wants. She even goes as far as refusing to go to a meeting with her husband.
Communism plays a large part in the film. The mayor of Pleasantville begins to worry about the changes people are experiencing. He sees them as a threat, something that will damage the way of life of the people who live in the town so he decides to impose strict rules banning the use of any coloured paints except black and white, restricting the songs that can be played on the radio, teaching the non-changist view of history in the schools and closing down Lover’s Lane, the area in which most of the teenagers hang out. He wants to keep everything in Pleasantville the same as it always used to be and he does not and does not want to accept that change does happen and there is nothing he can do about it.
The other main message of the film is the large change in culture that happened during the era. In the 1950’s everything was very civilised and bleak but when the 1960’s came along people began to change their actions and standards changed a lot. The colours represent the bright colours that people wore in the 1960’s. Another aspect that the colours represent is the way relationships changed, they became more open, much more vibrant and these are represented by bright and vibrant colours.
The mural painted by Bud and Bill, the soda shop owner, has a very important significance in the film. It is an explosion of colour in the film and it comes about because Bud and Bill are rebelling against the new rules that Mayor Bob has set, when you try to restrict something people get angry and eventually they rebel. This rebellion is usually an explosion of anger and emotion; this is what the mural represents. The mural also has several recognisable icons from different parts of the film. The burning of the books, which was another trait of the 1950’s, can be seen in the background with winged books which resemble angels flying away, the image of Bud’s mother and Bill kissing in the foreground and also the many depictions of an angry mob destroying the town are also present in the mural. The mural not only expresses the feelings of the people who have changed colour but it also tells the story of what has happened in the film, all in one picture.
Lover’s lane is probably the most important location in the whole film with it being the place where the whole colour changing scenario began. With the introduction of sex at Lover’s lane a domino effect began causing many different things to change colour and also more new experiences to be introduced. Lover’s lane is almost like and unconscious Eden. They take for granted that they have a place of such colour and beauty and they do not realise that they are actually in a paradise. The scene with the falling blossom is one of the best examples in the film of the way the director used colour to change the mood and feeling of a scene. As Bud drives down the road you see pink blossom petals begin to fall against a black and white background. As he progresses you begin to see more until eventually he arrives sin Lover’s Lane where there is a cascade of colours for the first time. However, what you do notice is that Bud is still in black and white whilst everybody else is in colour; this is because Bud is still calm, as he has always been, and he has not shown his “true colours”.
In the scene with the trial the factor of the segregation comes into play again. All the people who have changed colour are sat in the top balcony whilst everybody who is still in black and white is sat on the ground floor. The two culprits are bud and Bill, both of whom are in colour. The courtroom is inside the townhouse which is still in black and white, this is because the people associated with it are still trying to get id of the colour in Pleasantville and return it to its former state. Colour is yet again used in this scene to show the change in people except it is more technical. The first person to change is Bud’s father and the colour is used to express him feeling his true emotions towards his wife, he missed her and he realises this after Bud tells him to look into his heart. The second person to change colour is Mayor Bob. The change of colour here is very technical as you actually see him change, all the other characters were blocked by something or the camera was not on them when they changed colour. His colour change comes about when he becomes very angry and shouts at Bud, he has never been angry before because he has always been “Pleasant” His colour change is like when a person blushes, it fades in, starting with his cheeks and then spreading across his body. This is probably one of the most technical parts in the whole film as the director had to make sure the colour change was seamless. Soon after Mayor Bob changed colour everybody else, who have not already changed colour, change colour. This is a simultaneous self-realisation of who they really are and what they really feel.
The final scene set in Pleasantville is completely in colour. The town has now completely changed into colour, bringing along with a sense of discovery. This is enhanced by the fact colour televisions are display in the shop and they are displaying pictures of places all over the world such as Paris and Hawaii. This is another way of showing that the colour change came along hand-in-hand with the new experiences that the town received.
All in all colour is mainly used to show the changes that happen in Pleasantville but there are many different messages behind the way colour is introduced and how the characters react to it. The change in culture seem to be the main point about the movie and how people reacted and finally came to accept these new changes.