7 Color Culture and Science JournalVol. 13 (1) DOI: 10.23738/CCSJ.130101 

Color and/is narration. The narrative role 

of color in Wes Anderson’s filmic images 
Greta Attademo

1
 

1 
Department of Architecture, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy. greta.attademo@unina.it 

Corresponding author: Greta Attademo (greta.attademo@unina.it) 

 

 

ABSTRACT 

American Director Wes Anderson’s films are an interesting case study on the use of representation and 

visual language as elements capable of implementing the narrative underlying the film plot. His films, in fact, 

are constructed according to a logic similar to that of architectural representations. The combination of 

geometries, perspectives, textures and colors generates a code of signs capable of mediating between the 

intelligible and the sensitive, between the idea and the image. In particular, chromatic aesthetics constitutes 

a carefully curated component in the image sequences. The balanced and perfect color compositions, 

however much they may seem a decorative whim, represent a clever narrative device that, designed 

according to logical patterns, is able to embody symbolic and communicative values. This research, 

therefore, aims to investigate the language of color in Anderson's films, with the aim of analyzing its 

narrative potential. The color is investigated both as a narrative content of the filmic atmosphere and as a 

narrative container of emotions and symbols. The double register of analysis used for Anderson's films can 

become a trace of a general methodology of analysis, applicable not only to the works of other directors, but 

also to other forms of visual narration.   

 

 

KEYWORDS Wes Anderson, color palette, films, chromatic perception, narrative color, movies sequences 

 

RECEIVED 21/01/2021; REVISED 28/03/2021; ACCEPTED 31/03/2021 

 

 

 

 

 



Color and/is narration. The narrative role of color in Wes Anderson’s filmic images 
 

8 Color Culture and Science JournalVol. 13 (1) DOI: 10.23738/CCSJ.130101 

1. Introduction 

The visual representation constitutes a communicative 

tool that accompanies the history of man since his birth, 

as clearly demonstrated by the examples of wall painting 

found in the Lascaux Caves, dating back to the 

Paleolithic period. The language of images, in fact, for its 

characteristics of conciseness, immediacy and 

universality, allows the observer to understand the 

underlying messages only through the use of sight, the 

sense he has most developed and experienced. As Scott 

McCloud also argues, the visual code has the ability to be 

understood by a generic individual without he has 

developed a specific formal education to interpret it, 

unlike what happens with the writing. The latter, in order 

to be understood, requires him to use a special 

vocabulary in order to decode the symbols of its 

language (McCloud, 1994). The role of visual narratives - 

already embedded in the same root "idein/to see" of the 

words "eidos/idea" and "eidolon/image" - is a topic of 

great interest, especially in today's society, where the 

concept of information culture is parallel to that of visual 

culture (Manovich, 2005). In recent years, in fact, visual 

media have experimented and investigated the narrative 

potential of images, whether they are static (painting and 

photography) or dynamic (video games and cinema). In 

the latter, in particular, the relationship between 

representation and narration is fundamental. The visual 

experience, in fact, is the dominant means of 

communication, so much so that it can acquire perfect 

narrative autonomy, as demonstrated by the first silent 

films. The story is an essential element, because each 

film sequence has its corresponding one that, mounted to 

the others, goes to configure the overall narrative. Among 

the formal elements of visual language used in cinema, 

color is certainly one of the most effective tools, because, 

in addition to contributing to the determination of tones, 

atmospheres and rhythms of the narrative, it is endowed 

with great psychological power, able to convey messages 

by leveraging emotional and perceptual factors of the 

audience. With the aim of analyzing the narrative 

potential of color in cinema, the research focuses on the 

films of American director Wes Anderson. In his films, in 

fact, the color is used both as content and as a narrative 

container, responding to the Kandiskyan idea according 

to which “color is the keyboard, the eyes are the 

hammers, the soul is the piano with its many chords” 

(Kandinsky, 1996). 

 

2. Visual storytelling in Wes Anderson's cinema. 

A methodology of investigation 

Wes Anderson is an American director, screenwriter and 

film producer, who became famous for the great attention 

paid, in each of his films, to the definition of a precise and 

structured "aesthetic guideline" (Vaughn Vreeland, 2015), 

able to make itself immediately recognizable to the 

viewer. The logic through which Anderson constructs 

filmic images is similar to that of architectural 

representations. The combination of geometries and 

perspectives, as well as the care and attention in the 

composition of patterns and colors, in fact, generate a 

code of signs capable of mediating between the 

intelligible world and the sensitive one, transforming 

every idea into an image and every image into a story. 

Although the scenes are in motion, the compositional 

characteristics adopted by the director instill in the viewer 

the feeling of being in front of a painting. The camera, in 

fact, placed perfectly central and perpendicular to the 

scene, seems to move slowly along an imaginary grid of 

vertical and horizontal lines, thus building the story 

through prolonged sequence plans. When it is necessary 

to take a break in the montage, the camera, while 

changing its position, maintains its perpendicularity to the 

frame, giving the observer an ideal, symmetrical and 

perfect point of view. In particular, Anderson's style is 

distinguished by the role given to chromatic composition 

which, carefully crafted, confers an aesthetic logic to the 

visual compositions of each film (Seitz, 2013). The 

balanced and perfect color compositions, however much 

they may seem a decorative whim, represent a clever 

narrative device. The attention to the lights, to the 

chromatic combinations and to the calibration of the 

tones becomes for the director an element of support in 

the determination of the overall narrative atmosphere. 

The colors, moreover, are used in their emotional and 

symbolic component, with the aim of stimulating the mind 

of the audience, creating specific impulses and feelings 

necessary for the interpretation of the contents of the 

story. Wassily Kandinsky, theorizing about color in 

"Concerning the Spiritual in Art", states that it acts 

simultaneously on two levels: the first is physical, based 

on the concrete visual sensation obtained from the 

observation of the chromatic phenomenon; the second is 

psychic, in which color, once processed by the brain, 

defines its role on the allegorical and perceptual level 

(Kandinsky,1996). Starting from these considerations, it 

is interesting to investigate the color of Anderson's films 

through this double register of analysis: on the one hand, 

it will be investigated as a tool to support the narrative in 

which it is inserted; on the other hand, we will focus on its 

ability to trigger a series of emotional and symbolic 

relationships in the viewer. 

3. Color and Narrative. The construction of the 

filmic atmosphere 

In the films of Wes Anderson, color is one of the main 

elements in the implementation of the narrative. As set 



Color and/is narration. The narrative role of color in Wes Anderson’s filmic images 
 

9 Color Culture and Science JournalVol. 13 (1) DOI: 10.23738/CCSJ.130101 

designer Adam Stockhausen explains, color is first 

studied to determine a general atmosphere, common to 

all his films, and then modeled on the individual narrative 

sequences, thus defining a specific palette for each of 

them (Grobar, 2015) (Vaughn Vreeland, 2015). 

Anderson's filmic narrative is always composed of 

particular, undefined and enigmatic plots. The characters 

do not specifically belong to the categories of 

protagonists/antagonists, because both dark and delicate 

aspects of them are shown. The film genre is never well 

defined, having comedies with nostalgic tones and 

dramas with bittersweet endings. This condition of 

indeterminacy is also communicated through color: the 

chromatic choices, the brightness and the calibration of 

shades, in fact, contribute to the construction of a stylized 

aesthetic (Zettl, 2011), aimed to communicate a narrative 

world explicitly fictitious and deliberately artificial (Lee, 

2016). At the beginning, in fact, the color palette is 

reduced to a few essential colors, generally pastel tints, 

able to introduce the unrealistic and fairy-tale 

atmosphere. To the succession of scenes, then, 

corresponds a chromatic transformation increasingly 

synthetic: from pastel colors, soft and dusty, we pass to 

defined and saturated colors that, making each frame 

more artificial than the previous one, emphasize the story 

of a theatrical and surreal universe (Bartolomei and 

Ippolito, 2016). In "The Grand Budapest Hotel", for 

example, the ethereal tones with grey dominants of the 

initial scenes are transformed, as the narrative continues, 

into strong and distinct oranges and browns, until the 

insertion, in the final scenes, of shades of blue and violet 

(Fig.1). The sensation of a dreamlike and timeless world 

is also reinforced by the relationship between the 

chromatic choices of the filmic photography and those of 

the costumes and sets which, combining, generate retro 

atmospheres characterized simultaneously by nostalgic 

tenderness and jovial fun. One thinks of the yellow/blue 

patina that permeates skies, buildings and clothes in 

"Moonrise Kingdom", capable of recalling old family 

photographs, as well as the orange/brown lens of "The 

Darjeeling Limited", capable of creating oriental 

atmospheres inhabited by vintage characters. The 

synchronic composition of all the colors of the 

representation unifies the characters to their worlds, 

almost as if they could only live in that particular context. 

Moreover, even when darker events occur, the colors are 

kept bright and brilliant, ensuring that the viewer always 

has in mind that the one observed is a representation of 

a fantasy (Austerlitz, 2010). The perception of unreality is 

also communicated through the lighting: the light, always 

warm and soft, brings out the particular chromatic 

contrasts. The position of the light sources, often frontal 

to the scene, does not create strong shadows even in 

interiors, where the lights are diffused, determining a 

further flattening of the images. The color, therefore, 

serves to support the director's message to the audience: 

by explaining the artifice, in fact, Anderson makes the 

viewer aware that what he is observing is not a faithful 

reproduction of reality, but a fictitious story that is located 

in a different world.  

 

Fig. 1. The transformation of color in the narrative 

sequences of "The Grand Budapest Hotel". 

Although the general definition of chromatic features is 

similar in all of Anderson's movies, the color is able to 

diversify each of his films. According to the director, in 

fact, every film needs a dominant color that, combined 

with a specific palette, allows to identify each story as 

different from the others (Fig.2). It is due to this reason 

that only one or a few colors are used in an 

overwhelming manner, thus monopolizing the "projective 

foreground" of the viewer (Yumibe, 2012). From the 

beige of "Isle of Dogs" to the yellow of "Moonrise 

Kingdom", from the blue of "The Life Aquatic" to the 

orange of "Fantastic Mr. Fox", each film presents itself as 

a vivid memory reduced to a single color, emblematic of 

the microcosm it wants to narrate. The revelation of the 

process of emphasizing a single color is once again 

revealed by Stockhausen. Talking about pink, the 

predominant color in "The Grand Budapest Hotel", he 

states that if only its tones had been used, its presence 

would have been cancelled in the eyes of the observer. 

He, becoming accustomed to the uniqueness of the 

chromatic stimulus, would stop seeing it (Vaughn 

Vreeland, 2015). For this reason, the addition of shades 

such as yellow and blue was necessary, so as to "cut" 

the dominant color, making it stand out more clearly 

(Grobar, 2015). Many studies show that the audience has 

little memory of color when reflecting on digital media 

(Block, 2008). Anderson, therefore, decides to increase 



Color and/is narration. The narrative role of color in Wes Anderson’s filmic images 
 

10 Color Culture and Science JournalVol. 13 (1) DOI: 10.23738/CCSJ.130101 

the intensity and saturation of the main color in relation to 

those of secondary colors. In this way, the viewer can 

create an immediate association between color and film, 

thus transforming the chromatic signal into a factor of 

differentiation of the narrations (Fig.3). 

 

Fig. 2 Color palettes in Wes Anderson's films 

 

 

Fig. 3. Dominant colors in Wes Anderson's films 

 

4. Color is Narration. The chromatic 

associations between emotions and symbolism 

The studies on color perception, the neurosciences and 

the biology all agree that color can influence certain 

moods or can trigger specific psychological reactions in 

people (Vaughn Vreeland, 2015). These perceptions that 

color is capable of establishing are assimilated by the 

human mind according to the images formed over time in 

the collective memory and culture. According to Yumibe, 

in fact, “through its sensual appeal, color can move the 

mind and emotions of a spectator. This understanding of 

the interconnection of the senses, intellect, and emotions 

is also, broadly construed, synesthetic in nature” 

(Yumibe, 2012). Prolonged exposure to a specific color, 

therefore, creates reactions in the viewer, capable of 

connecting to specific symbols and emotions 

(Gegenfurtner and Sharpe, 2000). It is possible to 

diversify the sensations produced by combining and 

mixing tones (Itten, 1974). The psychological potential of 

color can be fundamental within film narratives, because 

the chromaticity of the images can itself be a story. In the 

works of Wes Anderson, in fact, color has become a real 

language through which to interpret themes and feelings 

of the characters and of the space they inhabit. 

Saturation and color mixing create different 

environmental perceptions and psychological impacts 

(Itten, 1974), while lighting and temperature establish 

relationships between characters and spatial contexts 

(Vaughn Vreeland, 2015). Anderson balances the 

chromatic weight in different ways with the aim of 

generating a sense of environmental stability or instability 

(Hurbis-Cherrier, 2012). In this way, he determines two 

types of scenes, those that are harmonious and those 

that are alienating. The visual result is pleasant, 

communicating security, calm and peace to the viewer, 

when the colors used in a scene are similar or close in 

color wheel, and the colors of the costumes and 

accessories of the characters blend with those of the 

furniture and of the architecture. On the contrary, if 

complementary colors are used, the contrast between the 

tones, becoming jarring and disturbed, causes feelings of 

tension and discomfort (Fig.4). The colors of the scene 

set in the elevator in "The Grand Budapest Hotel", for 

example, show a clearly caricatural situation. The 

saturated red of the elevator seems to incorporate the 

characters inside it, suggesting a feeling of tension. This 

feeling can be seen on the face of Madame D. who, not 

surprisingly, wears hat, gloves, dress and lipstick which 

are also of an intense red. The other characters are in 

contrast. The concierge and the lobby boys, in fact, 

wearing purple clothes, create a strident contrast with the 

red, emphasizing their feeling of discomfort and 

resignation towards the rich and impudent woman. On 

the contrary, the scene of the Mendl's sweet boxes is 

substantially monochromatic. The pastel tones of pink 

and light blue make the contrast less accentuated, 

expressing a harmonious situation of intimacy and 

rediscovered love, in which even the chaos of the boxes 

is perceived as positive and delicate. Color, moreover, 
becomes a symbol in Anderson's films to introduce a 

certain theme or emotion to the audience (Lee, 2016). 

The choice of specific colors and the variation of 

saturation scales of the tones, in fact, become 

emblematic in the construction of underlying meanings  



Color and/is narration. The narrative role of color in Wes Anderson’s filmic images 
 

11 Color Culture and Science JournalVol. 13 (1) DOI: 10.23738/CCSJ.130101 

 

Fig. 4. Comparison between contrast and chromatic 

harmony in "The Grand Budapest Hotel". 

(Itten, 1974): the warm tones, from yellow to red-violet, 

symbolize humanity and life, contrasting with the cold 

tones, from purple to green, which are a metaphor of 

brutality and dehumanization. When Richie decides to 

commit suicide in "The Royal Tenenbaums", the director 

does not show the action, but he uses color to narrate the 

event. The thematic opposition between death and life is 

in fact represented by the contrast between the soft blue 

that occupies the entire visual scene, and the bright red 

of the blood that flows in the arms of the main character. 

In contrast, the scene is colored with warm yellows, 

oranges and browns when Richie himself discovers that 

his tormented love for Margot is reciprocated (Fig.5). The 

representation of color, moreover, often coincides with 

the emotional states of the characters, adding depth to 

their characterization, as happens with the pink of the 

young love between Zero and Agatha in "The Grand 

Budapest Hotel" or with the orange of the rediscovered 

communion between the brothers Francis, Peter and 

Jack in "The Darjeeling Limited". Red, for example, 

seems to be a color associated with male characters' 

desire and issues with the father figure (Vaughn 

Vreeland, 2015) (Fig.6). The young Max, in "Rushmore", 

wears a red hat in the moments in which he has the 

desire to have the affection of his father Herman; Chas, 

in "The Royal Tenenbaums", wears a red jumpsuit since 

his adolescence, when he develops a conflictual 

relationship with his father, and his children also wear it; 

the vintage red car in "The Darjeeling Limited", is the only 

object that connects the three protagonists to the father 

figure, with whom they wished to have a relationship, no 

longer possible due to his death. Yellow, on the other 

hand, is often used by Anderson as a color of optimism 

and union (Fig.7). The sky is always tinged with yellow 

when the foxes are happy in "The Fantastic Mr.Fox"; the 

yellow submarine is the only source of joy for the 

protagonist of "The Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou"; the boy 

scouts wear yellow neckerchiefs in "Moonrise Kingdom" 

when they start a collective exploration. 

 

  Fig. 5. Warm tones and cool tones as symbolic and 

emotional expression in "The Royal Tenenbaums" 

 

5. Conclusions 

The analysis of the cinematographic images of Wes 

Anderson is an interesting starting point to understand 

how color is an integral part of filmic narration. The 

specific case of the films of the American director, 

capable of creating a symbiotic relationship between 

aesthetics and narrative, highlights the different 

communicative potential of color. Hues, saturations and 

tones allow to make explicit the director's intentions and 

ideas, differentiating the tone, rhythm and plot of each 

story. The different relationships between the colors, able 



Color and/is narration. The narrative role of color in Wes Anderson’s filmic images 
 

12 Color Culture and Science JournalVol. 13 (1) DOI: 10.23738/CCSJ.130101 

to generate contrasts, harmonies and different chromatic 

weights, stimulate instead the perceptions and feelings of 

the viewer in relation to the stories told. The color is 

investigated both as a narrative content of the filmic 

atmosphere and as a narrative container of emotions and 

symbols. The double register of analysis used for 

Anderson's films can become a trace of a general 

methodology of analysis, applicable not only to the works 

of other directors, but also to other forms of visual 

narration.   

 

Fig. 6. The color red as an expression of the conflictual 

relationship with the father figure. From top to bottom: 

"Rushmore," "The Royal Tenenbaums”," The Darjeeling 

Limited" 

 

Fig. 7. The color yellow as a metaphor for union and 

optimism. From top to bottom: “Fantastic Mr. Fox”, “The 

Life Aquatic”, “Moonrise Kingdom” 

 

6. Conflict of interest declaration 

The author declares that nothing affected her objectivity 

or independence and original work. Therefore, no conflict 

of interest exists. 

 

7. Funding source declaration 

This research did not receive any specific grant from 

funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-

profit sectors. 



Color and/is narration. The narrative role of color in Wes Anderson’s filmic images 
 

13 Color Culture and Science JournalVol. 13 (1) DOI: 10.23738/CCSJ.130101 

 

8. Short biography of the author 

Greta Attademo -• Architect, Ph.D.student at the 

University of Naples, Department of Architecture (Diarc). 

Her fields of research are the relationships between the 

space and visual culture, and drawing in architecture and 

design. 

 

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