What captivates you when you’re watching a movie? Is it the lead actors? The plot? The cinematography? Some cinephiles will tell you it’s the colour in movies. In some cases, a specific palette is more than just a way of injecting beauty into a scene; it becomes a tool for storytelling, shaping emotions, enhancing the atmosphere and adding layers of meaning. From saturated dreamscapes to painterly palettes, these were the 20 times that colour in movies were not just used to dial up the visual spectacle but speak a language of their own.
Thalapathi (1991)
Mani Ratnam’s Thalapathi fuses Mahabharata-inspired storytelling with a golden, sunlit visual style to tell the story of an orphan raised in the slums rising through the ranks to become the right-hand man of a crime boss. Santosh Sivan’s cinematography bathes the film in fiery oranges and deep shadows, reflecting its themes of loyalty, fate and morality. The burning heat of its visuals parallels the intensity of its performances, making it one of Tamil cinema’s most strikingly shot films. Each frame pulses with a mythical grandeur, turning its narrative into a visual epic.
Streaming on Prime Video
Three Colours trilogy (1993-1994)
Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski’s French trilogy Three Colours—Blue, White and Red—is an unparalleled cinematic study of colour symbolism. Each film embodies the ideals of the French flag: Blue for liberty, White for equality and Red for fraternity, reflected through their meticulously crafted palettes. From Juliette Binoche’s grief-soaked blues to the burning reds of interconnected destinies, Kieślowski turns colour into an emotional force, making this trilogy a masterclass in visual storytelling.
Streaming on Apple TV+
Chungking Express (1994)
Contemporary auteur Wong Kar-wai’s Chungking Express turns neon-lit Hong Kong into a fever dream of yearning and chance encounters. Christopher Doyle’s kinetic cinematography bathes the film in saturated yellows, greens and blues, capturing both urban loneliness and fleeting intimacy. The film’s playful use of motion blur and colour shifts creates a hypnotic rhythm.
Streaming on MUBI
Dil Se.. (1998)
Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se.. captures love, longing and rebellion against the stunning backdrop of India’s diverse landscapes. Santosh Sivan’s cinematography bathes every scene in poetic, saturated hues—most memorably ‘Jiya Jale’, shot in the backwaters of Kerala. The film’s dynamic use of colour, shifting from the sunlit vastness of Ladakh to the moody greys of rain-drenched train stations, heightens its themes of passion and fate.
Streaming on Netflix
Amélie (2001)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s French-language film, Amélie, paints Paris in deep reds, lush greens and golden ambers, turning the city into a romanticised fairytale world. The film’s heightened colour grading creates a nostalgic, dreamlike atmosphere, perfectly matching its whimsical protagonist’s view of life. Every visual detail, from ruby-red raspberries to emerald cafés, contributes to the film’s storybook charm.
Currently not streaming in India
Hero (2002)
Zhang Yimou’s Hero transforms martial arts into poetry, using colour to delineate shifting perspectives. Each segment in this Mandarin-language film is painted in a dominant hue—red for passion, blue for sadness, white for truth—turning its storytelling into a breathtaking visual experience. Every frame is meticulously designed, resembling a classical Chinese painting, making Hero a stunning wuxia film.
Streaming on Apple TV+
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle is an animated feast of rich, shifting colours that reflect both magical adventure and emotional depth. From the deep blues of enchanted nights to the golden warmth of sunlit meadows, every scene is a meticulously crafted visual delight. The film’s colour transformations mirror Sophie’s journey—her self-perception changing as her world expands—making it one of Studio Ghibli’s most visually stunning works.
Streaming on Netflix
Saawariya (2007)
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya unfolds in a universe bathed almost entirely in blue, lending it a dreamlike, otherworldly quality. Inspired by Fyodor Dostoevsky’s 1848 short story White Nights, the film follows an artist’s longing for an unattainable love, mirroring its melancholic, fairytale aesthetic. With ornate sets, flowing fabrics and a painterly approach to light, Saawariya is an ode to unfulfilled romance, wrapped in Bhansali’s signature visual opulence.
Available to rent on Prime Video
Dev.D (2009)
Anurag Kashyap’s rebellious reimagining of Devdas swaps grandeur for grunge, using neon-drenched visuals to capture its protagonist’s descent into self-destruction. The film’s riotous mix of fluorescent reds, blues and greens creates a hypnotic, chaotic world where desire, addiction and heartbreak collide. With a pulsating Amit Trivedi soundtrack and a gritty, psychedelic aesthetic, Dev.D transforms a classic tragedy into a sensory experience.
Streaming on Netflix
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel is a confection of candy-coloured pastels, deep purples and rich reds, meticulously arranged into his signature symmetrical compositions. Set in a fading European hotel between the wars, the film follows a devoted concierge and his protégé as they navigate theft, murder and political upheaval. The carefully controlled colour palette shifts across timelines, reflecting nostalgia, loss and the passage of an era with striking visual precision.
Streaming on JioHotstar
La La Land (2016)
Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning La La Land is a love letter to technicolor musicals, bursting with bold primary hues that echo its dreamlike romance. From Emma Stone’s sunshine-yellow dress to the violet-tinted twilight of the Griffith Observatory, colour dictates mood, nostalgia and longing. The film’s chromatic shifts—from saturated fantasy to subdued reality—mirror its bittersweet exploration of love and ambition.
Streaming on Prime Video
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name soaks its sun-dappled Italian landscapes in warm, painterly hues, evoking the sensuality of Elio falling in love for the first time. Soft, golden light floods every frame, blending with the blues and greens of lazy summer days. The film’s gentle, naturalistic approach to colour enhances its mood of longing, nostalgia and ephemeral beauty, making it as visually evocative as it is emotionally resonant.
Available to rent on Prime Video
Tumbbad (2018)
Rahi Anil Barve’s Tumbbad is a horror fantasy drenched in ominous red hues, setting an eerie, otherworldly tone. Inspired by Marathi folklore, the film’s chiaroscuro lighting and deep crimson tones heighten its tale of greed and doom. The golden glow of flickering oil lamps contrasts against the darkness of an underground vault, visually encapsulating its central themes—temptation, fear and the insatiable hunger for more.
Streaming on Prime Video
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a masterclass in natural lighting, using soft hues to evoke intimacy and longing. The French-language film’s restrained but rich colour palette—dominated by deep blues, fiery oranges and muted earth tones—heightens its story of forbidden love. Every frame feels like an 18th-century painting, making the film a breathtakingly immersive visual and emotional experience.
Streaming on Prime Video
Kumbalangi Nights (2019)
Set in the lush backwater landscapes of Kerala, Malayalam-language film Kumbalangi Nights uses colour to reflect both warmth and alienation as it narrates the story of four brothers stuck in a love-hate relationship. The film’s deep greens and rich blues contrast against the sterile, artificial lighting of its antagonist’s world, subtly reinforcing its themes of toxic masculinity and found family. Director Madhu C. Narayanan’s delicate approach to colour and framing enhances the film’s quiet, deeply human moments, making for a stunning watch.
Streaming on Prime Video
Beanpole (2019)
Kantemir Balagov’s Russian-language film, Beanpole, uses an unorthodox colour palette drenched in muted greens and oppressive, dusty yellows to depict post-war Leningrad’s suffocating atmosphere. The film’s striking use of deep reds—particularly in its costumes—creates a visual contrast that feels almost violent, reflecting the characters’ internalised trauma. Every frame is carefully composed, making Beanpole a film where colour carries profound psychological weight.
Currently not streaming in India
Dune (2021)
Denis Villeneuve’s epic space opera Dune crafts a futuristic world where vast desert landscapes are rendered in golden ochres, deep shadows and surreal, shimmering blues. Greig Fraser’s cinematography elevates the film’s epic scale, making its vast emptiness feel haunting. The film’s muted yet immersive colour palette enhances its sense of mythic grandeur, drawing viewers into its stark universe.
Streaming on Prime Video
Qala (2022)
Anvita Dutt’s Qala tells the haunting story of a singer grappling with success, trauma and maternal rejection, all wrapped in an Art Deco-inspired aesthetic. Every frame feels like a vintage painting, with muted pastels clashing against deep, moody hues, reflecting the protagonist’s inner turmoil. The film’s exquisite use of light and texture, coupled with its evocative period detail, makes it a visually mesmerising experience.
Streaming on Netflix
Poor Things (2023)
Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things is a surreal explosion of colour, using vivid pastels and hyper-saturated hues to craft a world that feels both fantastical and grotesque. The film’s painterly compositions and shifting palettes mirror Bella Baxter’s evolving sexual consciousness, with colours transforming as she experiences new places and emotions. From teal-tinted skies to golden-lit decadence, every visual choice enhances the film’s eccentric, dreamlike storytelling.
Streaming on JioHotstar
All We Imagine as Light (2024)
Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light, the first Indian film in thirty years to compete at Cannes, weaves an intimate story of friendship and longing against the backdrop of Mumbai. Kapadia’s lyrical cinematography uses light in transformative ways, shifting from the bustling, muted cityscapes to the warm, glowing hues of a coastal escape. The film’s use of soft pastels and deep blues adds to its meditative, poetic quality.
Streaming on JioHotstar
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