Turn up the Color

Memoirs of a Geisha is a film filed with controversy and self reflection and preservation. All these themes are expressed through the color temperature of the shots and scenes of the film. Most color temperature is expressed through the settings and decor placed in this magical world of japan and the masked visage of a beautiful geisha.

This movie is narrated by a Japanese woman, who is telling the story of her hard life being sold into a geisha house and made servant and then into geisha where she had to sell herself for the highest bidder, all the while falling in love but geisha's cannot afford to love, so it is a sad tale. All this romance and hidden emotion paired with extensive histrionics is displayed through excellent acting but also the color temperature placed throughout each expressive detail.

In scenes that portrayed unwanted emotion or conflict the director Rob Marshall placed heavy tones of red and oranges to reflect an evil vibe. The devilish centers on the unwanted things in the main characters life. For instance the screen shot on the left demonstrates the man in the foreground, who is in love with her, but is taking her farther away from the man she truly wants. This is cast with red and yellow tones as if there is a fight of good and evil going on and his presence means that evil is winning. With the screen shot on the right its evident that the women in red is disliked. In fact her body language gives that away all by itself. However she is the antagonist and the road block/villain of the film, so the garnishing her in a red geisha garb puts the audience in that standoffish frame of mind. By doing this the director is creating subconsious conflict through clothing. 

The main character here is portrayed in a world where there are many shades of grey and dark colors. This kind of world suggests that it is plain and perfunctory. But the color in the protagonists ensemble make her the shining star in a world of night. She illuminates outwardly with her light pinks and whites giving her the innocence and star quality of someone surrounded by doubt and sameness. These colors of her outfits are demonstrated throughout. What's interesting in this frame is the colors of her dress. she does have the whites and pinks to show her innocence and purity but she is subdued around the waste by red and green. This suggesting that she is held down in this life of a geisha. 

This movie has scene after scene of different color temperatures, all portraying the central themes of good versus evil, innocence versus debauchery, and love versus jealousy. Through technicolor outfits and painted faces surrounded by a world filled with grey and black the color temperature defines more than fashion.