If It's Purple, Someone's Gonna Die: The Power of Color in Visual Storytelling

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Exotic, Toxic, and Natural Earth Oranges

Exotic Oranges

A Little Princess

See “Orange: The Land of Visual Spices” on page 175.

Monsoon Wedding

2002. Naseeruddin Shah, Vasundhara Das, Vijay Raaz. Directed by Mira Nair. Cinematography: Declan Quinn;Production Design: Stephanie Carroll.

The Language of Marigolds

A loud, joyous, and boisterous celebration explodes on the screen in a flurry of hot color. It is visual cacophony. But on the periphery, in the soft shadows, there is a gentle love story unfolding. And it is exquisitely told in golden orange marigolds.

On a mango-colored screen, the title appears in blue (orange’s opposite energy), setting up a dynamic of clashes. Dubey (Vijay Raaz), the sly wheeler-dealer wedding planner, responds ...