10 Weird Color Grading Decisions That Made Movies Harder to Watch

Making an outstanding choice about the aesthetics and cinematography of a movie is better than making a forgettable feature. However, sometimes the color grading of a film is so intense that it becomes distracting. This can happen in discrete parts of the story or through an issue with the entire project, but in any case, it grabs the attention of the audience. Color is a tool used to create meaning, vi Different colors have different emotional and physical connotations. When a particular color dominates the screen, it sends a message to the audience that the film should be viewed through a specific lens.

There are some movies with amazing cinematography that have very vivid palettes, but they immerse the viewer in the world of the story rather than taking them out. Filmmakers like Wes Anderson are defined by their dedication to creating a coordination between the set and character designs to create an enticing product. This makes sense given the tone of the movies, which are purposefully whimsical or heightened. Memorable and experimental colors do not necessarily detract from the audience’s experience, But they can if they are not used properly.

10

The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions (2003)

Directed by the Wachowski sisters

The original Matrix Film also has a memorable color palette, but the following two sequels take most parts of the series and turn them all the way up. The choices include The green look of both Reloaded and revolutions, Which continues the intensity of the first film. While Reloaded Is largely considered a better film than the follow-up, they share an aesthetic that transports the viewer completely out of reality. That makes sense, like The matrix Franchise is about the line between reality and technology.

However, the first installment used its coloring to show the difference more subtly. The color green is deeply associated with technology and computer programming, and this roots the films in the artificial reality of the matrix. However, it also creates something of a disconnect between the audience and the characters on screen. moreover, This is amplified by the green codes that rain down and describe how the matrix is ​​created by computer programming (by Collider).

9

Justice League (2017)

Directed by Zach Synder

The Justice League franchise hasn’t been the smash hit that DC Comics might have hoped for, but there are some interesting visual choices made in Zack Synder’s Justice League. However, not all of them help to build the universe of the DCU and establish the strength of the characters. There were several moments that reminded the audience the world of the movie is not a gritty action film but a comic book movie, Like Batman’s glowing eyes and the scenes that were clearly shot with a green screen.

There is nothing wrong with using a green screen and VFX, like almost every movie today. however, It becomes a problem when the color grading and visual effects don’t work together And make the others worse. Furthermore, one of the main criticisms of the film was that it had an almost monochrome palette and did not use the many colors that were featured in the comics. This gave the story a more serious tone, but it made it difficult to focus on important moments in the script.

8

The Aviator (2004)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Howard Hughes in Martin Sorcerers The planewhich chronicles the life of the Hollywood producer and airline mogul. Spanning decades from the late 1920s to the late 1940s, The plane Hughes rises to prominence in every industry he tackles, but is consistently hampered by his ego and the effects of his OCD. From the first frame of the film, it is clear that this is not a typical biographical drama, As the colors are unlike anything seen in reality.

It’s mainly the blue and orange grading early in the movie that makes it hard to fully commit to delving into Hughes’ story. The changing color grading throughout The plane Reflects Hughes’ different phases of life and is a reflection of how Hughes views the world from his perspective. Although this is a fascinating way to get in Hughes’ opinion, This is a risky stylistic choice and may not appeal to all viewers.

7

Speed ​​Racer (2008)

Directed by the Wachowski sisters

While the Wachowski sisters take big swings with the visuals and themes in their projects, most of the time, the risks pay off. While Speed ​​Racer Rarely ranked among Christina Ricci’s best movies and TV shows, she and the amazing cast do a great job of bringing their characters to life amidst the powerful manga-inspired visuals. Based on the manga of the same name by Tatsuo Yoshida, The Wachowskis attempted to capture the original project’s gorgeous drawings in live action, which is notoriously difficult.

Speed ​​Racer was severely underrated at the time of its release, And as time has passed, the visual effects may have become more dated. However, they have been reevaluated as daring and experimental for the time. Each character and setting has a distinct color, and the difference in grading from scene to scene is obvious. Although the point of effects and design like this is to be noted, the already fast-paced story of Speed ​​Racer is easily overshadowed by the attention-grabbing visuals.

6

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Directed by Tim Burton

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is often ranked as the worst Willy Wonka Movie, with the original 1971 film being cited as the best. It is not quite fair to compare the different iterations of the story, viz Tim Burton’s version uses a much more experimental aesthetic. However, it is not always effective in translating the magic of the seminal story to the screen. Burton’s work is known for making bold and visually intriguing color and stylistic choices, but although this worked for projects like BeetlejuiceThey failed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

The film remains divisive to this day, but regardless of critic or audience opinion, the look of the film is striking enough to be a distraction. Roald Dahl’s original book already incorporates enough visual description into its story without the film adaptations having to reimagine a new look for the story. Although it’s a cohesive aesthetic and presents Charlie and the Chocolate Factory A dark edgeIt doesn’t feel as true to the source material as the first film.

5

In the Heart of the Sea (2015)

Directed by Ron Howard

Despite the star-studded cast of In the heart of the seaThe movie failed to make a splash at the box office or in its critical and audience reception. Loosely based on the true story of a whaling ship in the 1800s, In the heart of the sea Features Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy and Tom Holland As crew members aboard the ship. Much of the story takes place on the ocean, making the water a character unto itself in the story.

However, the striking teal of the ocean and the way the characters and their surroundings drastically change color throughout the film was too experimental for the film. As the story progresses, In the heart of the sea quickly becomes a survival film, And each phase of hunger and despair brings further blues, greens and deep oranges that make it difficult to take the character’s suffering seriously. Additionally, in an attempt to make the movie look like a period piece, the film is given a yellow cast that takes away from the exposition.

4

peter pan (2003)

Directed by PJ Hogan

The 2003 adaptation of Peter Pan is a nostalgic classic for many audiences who grew up in the early 2000s, And it’s a children’s fantasy movie that deserves more recognition. However, this does not mean that every aspect of the film has aged well, as there are issues with the visuals that are nice, but also make it difficult to focus on the story. With fantasy movies, the appearance of the sets and the environment must be otherworldly but still realistic enough to convince the audience that they have stepped into another land.

When compared to the bland color grading of more modern projects, the vivid colors of Peter Pan They are a welcome change, but they are not perfect. There are several moments when the Fairytale palette works in Peter Pans favour, like the blues and golds of Wendy and Peter’s fairy dance in the forest. However, for many of the moments that take place in the sky, The pops of color make the dated visual effects all the more obvious.

3

Twilight (2008)

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke

The first payment in the US Twilight franchise introduces audiences to Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) And their epic supernatural love story. However, the most memorable part of the 2008 Twilight Is not the romance, the intrigue or the mystical elements; It is the blue ink that is overlaid on every frame of the movie. Twilight Received significant flak from critics regarding many aspects of the film, but the filter that gives the film a desaturated visual aesthetic can be rightly criticized.

Some may argue that losing the blue filter in the rest of the Twilight Movies took away some of the visual intrigue, but this allows the audience to feel closer to the action. In addition, since The first Twilight is defined solely by Bella’s relationship with Edward, it makes sense that the aesthetic would be icy and cold, Like the vampires. However, as the series progresses, Bella’s life intertwines with James and the werewolves, and she starts to see herself as one of the vampires. This means that they do not have the otherworldly white that they once had, which the blue immortalizes.

2

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Directed by David Yates

Like these Harry Potter Movies progressed, each installment became darker and more mature, which was reflected in the cinematography and tone of the projects. however, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Going too far with this crude realism, As the sixth installment of the franchise is too dark for the audience to see. Although it makes sense that the visuals in the film would match the dangerous and melancholic mood of the story, the color choices still need to be dynamic and allow the viewer to participate in the story.

in The half-blood prince, The color grading isn’t so much distracting as it is mystifying Because it is almost impossible for the audience to make the character in the most important moments of the story. The lack of clarity becomes an issue at the end of the movie when Harry and Dumbledore are in the cave trying to get the Horcrux. In one of the most emotional and traumatic parts of the series, the audience misses the subtleties of the performances of Daniel Radcliffe and Michael Gambon.

1

in the woods (2014)

Directed by Rob Marshall

While In the forest Not considered one of the best movie musicals of the 21st century, it still brings the classic stage production by Stephen Sondheim to the big screen with a clear love for the original work. unfortunately, In the forest falls victim to a common problem with films from the early 2010s and is Often too dark and too blue during key scenes. This is especially clear in the moments in the forest, which are vital points in the plot for exposition and plot development.

The blue appearance of the forest is also problematic because Meryl Streep’s character, the witch, has a blue design and costume, making it difficult to differentiate between her and the background. Color plays an important role in In the forest, As the witch tells the baker and his wife to look for things with different colors like blood-red and corn-yellow. However, the overall palette of the movie fades into the blue of the forest, making the viewer waste time looking for things instead of easily picking them up on the screen.