A Brief Exploration of Green in Lesbian Films

A Brief Exploration of Green in Lesbian Films

Authors

  • Jianfeng Gu School of Architecture and Art Media, Guangzhou Huaxia Vocational College Guangzhou, Guangzhou Province, China, 510935
  • Dan Chen School of Architecture and Art Media, Guangzhou Huaxia Vocational College Guangzhou, Guangzhou Province, China, 510935

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53469/jsshl.2024.07(04).19

Keywords:

Green, Lesbian film, Screenplay, Feminism

Abstract

Over the past decades, there has been a notable increase in feminist-themed films. The inherent feminist characteristics of sexual minorities, especially the lesbian community, provide valuable insights for the study and creation of feminist cinema. The color green acts as a bridge, firmly linking lesbian with feminism. The article begins with a review of the artistic application and symbolism of red and green, tracing their historical connections. Subsequently, it conducts an in-depth analysis of five films - Carol (2015), The Handmaiden (2016), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), Beanpole (2019) and Green Night (2023), examining them from three screenplay perspectives: subject, character, and structure, identifying their commonalities. Finally, this article concludes that, in addition to the traditional role of green in painting where it neutralizes red and highlights mutual contrasts, green in these films also functions to catalyze the relationship between the two female protagonists, imbue characters with both positive and negative color symbolics, and intensify conflicts in storytelling.

References

Cennini, Cennino (1922), The book of the art of Cennino Cennini : a contemporary practical treatise on quattrocento painting, London : George Allen & Unwin.

Doerner, Max (1984), The Materials of the Artist and Their Use in Painting: With Notes on the Techniques of the Old Masters, New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Chevreul, Michel Eugène (1890), The Principles of Harmony and Contrast of Colors, London: George Bell and Sons.

Gompertz, Will (2012), What Are You Looking At?: 150 Years of Modern Art, London: Viking.

Ball, Philip (2008), Bright earth : art and the invention of color, London: Vintage.

Falcinelli, Riccardo (2017), Cromorama. Come il colore ha cambiato il nostro sguardo, Torino: Giulio Einaudi Editore.

Pastoureau, Michel (2014), Green: The History of a Color, Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Jing, Li (2008), The Cultural Meaning of Lesbian Discourse in Chinese-Language Movies, Gui Zhou: Guizhou Normal University.

Bo, Zhang (2014), The Narrative Strategies of Female Characters in Li Yu's Films, Nan Yang: Academic Forum of Nandu, pp.60-62.

Field, Syd (2005), Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting, New York: Delta.

Zeping, Bai (2018), The Feminine Implication in < Carol > , Changchun: Movie Literature.

Genovese, Emma; Paige, Tamsin Philipa (2024), Life as Distinct from Patriarchal Influence: Exploring Queerness and Freedom through Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Routledge: Australian Feminist Law Journal.

Linyue, Zhou (2020), Body, Color, and Void: A Bold Depiction of Trauma – A Review of the Film < Beanpole > , Fujian: Forum of Arts.

Jian, Yang (2017), Perusal of Selection: Screenwriting Discourse, Beijing: The Writers Publishing House.

Misek, Richard (2010), Chromatic Cinema, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell Publisher.

Wenxia, Yuan; Tiantian Ren (2008), Exploring the Color Impressions in the Film < Amélie > , Nanning: The South of China Today.

Xing, Sun; Jinghua, Sun (2020), The Cinematic Narrative Aesthetics of < Portrait of a Lady on Fire > , Changchun: Movie Literature.

Milián, Ona Garcia (2022), Portraying the Unportrayed: The crafting of a new feminist cinematic language in Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Bercelona: Universitat Pompeu Fabra.

Downloads

Published

2024-08-29
Loading...