preview

Technicolor In A Matter Of Life And Death

Good Essays

This film study will define the theory of “color consciousness” in the psychological characterization of life and death through Technicolor and dye-monochrome methods in A Matter of Life and Death (1946) by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. In the film, Squadron Leader Peter David Carter (David Niven) is depicted as a dying after his plane is shot down during WWII. Natalie Kalmus’ theory of "color consciousness’ defines the use of neutral colors and color harmony in a psychological perspective, which contrast the use of dye monochrome methods of color theory in the black and white sequences of Carter’s journey to the Other World. More so, Carter is a “blessed” individual that survives death, and his life on earth is defined through the color harmony proposed by Kalmus as part of the symbol of nature in the living realm. Cinematographer Jack Cardiff also provides scenic images and lighting technique related to life and death through the “cosmic” view of heaven in the Other World, which contrasts the more nature-based romantic scenes of Carter and June (Kim Hunter) while on Earth. Carter is, therefore, characterized as a symbolic traveler between life and death in the use of color, monochrome film, and lighting in this Technicolor production. …show more content…

In this manner, the symbolic use of black and white scenes in Pressburger and Powell’s film define the “death” of various airmen that are being processed to get wings early in the film. In this context, the lack of color is part of the “psychology” of color usage that Kalmus implies when setting the foundation for the character development of peter David Carter. In Kalmus’ method of color usage in her article, she explains the important relationship between color (and non-coloration) that defines the psychological state of the director’s

Get Access