Although many reviewers have commented on the gradual switch from black and white to color as the film progresses, and although the themes of freedom and bigotry have been well documented in the reviews, I wanted to add an extra comment on the subject of color.
One of the most striking moments in the entire movie is when Jeff Daniels opens the art book and thumbs through it. The movie audience, having spent some time like the characters seeing everything in black and white, can share with him the experience of seeing the paintings in their full color for the first time. We have all seen the famous paintings he looks at in the book many times, but have we ever seen them with such fresh eyes? The colors, both subtle in the Old Masters and bold in the modern works, virtually jump off the pages.
And continuing in this vein, when Daniels wipes Joan Allen's face with his napkin and reveals her true and vibrant skin color, it looks exactly as though he is "painting" her face with his strokes. This was truly a transcendent moment for me, and I never tire of seeing this scene in multiple repeated viewings.
See this movie if only for the renewed appreciation of beautiful things.
One of the most striking moments in the entire movie is when Jeff Daniels opens the art book and thumbs through it. The movie audience, having spent some time like the characters seeing everything in black and white, can share with him the experience of seeing the paintings in their full color for the first time. We have all seen the famous paintings he looks at in the book many times, but have we ever seen them with such fresh eyes? The colors, both subtle in the Old Masters and bold in the modern works, virtually jump off the pages.
And continuing in this vein, when Daniels wipes Joan Allen's face with his napkin and reveals her true and vibrant skin color, it looks exactly as though he is "painting" her face with his strokes. This was truly a transcendent moment for me, and I never tire of seeing this scene in multiple repeated viewings.
See this movie if only for the renewed appreciation of beautiful things.
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