Effective Use Of Color In Revolutionary Road

Another crucial aspect concerning the cinematic depiction of the male American antihero and his surroundings represents the effective use of colour. Although the colour red is most notably prominent in American Beauty, shades of blue in Shame, and nuances of white and beige in Revolutionary Road, there are similarities in meaning of the use of these colours to be noted in all the films. In general, one can conclude the following: white, beige and greyish colours stand either for purity and innocence or blankness and lack of personality. While red, on the one hand, indicates longing, activity, force, and passion of any kind (no matter if positively or negatively motivated), blue, on the other hand, points to enforced idleness, passivity, isolation,
and denial. The colour blue is symbolically accretided to have a calming and comforting effect, though. Therfore, one could argue that it hides the sufferings of the characters by calming themselves and others in order to communicate an image of peace and quiet instead of mental stress. Also, one can detect a general focus on the contrast between warm and cold colours reflecting the characters’ state of mind or the steps in their journeys. Having discussed the implications of prominent colours in American Beauty, Revolutionary Road, and Shame or, in other words, the literal notion of the proverb ‘the world is not just black and white’, we will now move on to its metaphorical meaning and summarise its importance in these films. In several respects, the films emphasise the value of individualism and of going one’s own way and, in the best case, steering a middle course that works for oneself and one’s environment. On several occasions, it is suggested to do so in two ways: firstly, by standing out from the crowd and stressing what’s best for oneself instead of following common ideas of success and happiness, and secondly, to develop a healthy sense of self-love - both avoiding the one step too far into to egocentrism and narcissism. My intention is not to cite random calendar mottos or wall sticker quotes but to give an insight into the films’ depth. Alan Ball, screenwriter of American Beauty, himself states that “the movie is about people who are searching for meaning in their lives. And we’re all doing that every day but rarely do you see a movie about that” (Look Closer... The Making of American Beauty). Not only American Beauty but also Revolutionary Road and Shame suggest that one can only find this personal equilibrium, the so-called happy medium, by questioning one’s own desires, values, and priorities. The message of this decisive process of reflection is frequently conveyed by a certain prop: the mirror.
On the one hand, it illustrates how characters such as Lester and Jane spend too much time focusing on their body image and dedicating too much time on themselves, particularly in times of dissatisfaction and crisis, instead of figuring out the actual root of their unhappiness and strengthening their relationships to others. On the other hand, the mirror represents a tool that does not only contribute to a negative but also a positive change of the self. At a certain stage of one’s life one just has to hold a mirror up to oneself and reflect on the following: Who am I? Have I denied myself? Have I changed? What do I want? What have I got? Which responsibilities are connected to that? What do I need? However, this personal process of reflecting how to reach this ultimate goal of inner harmony and a meaningful life can be hard in today’s Western culture. Ball further argues that “[l]ife is so fast and hectic and filled with distraction, you have to sort of teach yourself to be still and be quiet and allow yourself to look for what I call beauty” (ibid.) referring not only to character traits but also the beauty of life. In conclusion, one can sum up that both outer and inner beauty (or lies in the eye of the beholder and that not every flower in a colourful garden needs the same amount of water and sunlight to live and
prosper.