Colour symbolism was something I hadn't really thought of before being set this project. I tend to watch films and take in the storyline without taking note of the surrounding colours. After reading Patti Belantoni's If It's Purple, Someone's Guna Die it started to make more sense as to why particular colours are chosen and what they subconsciously do to our emotions.
I chose to concentrate on Memoirs of a Geisha as it is one of my favorites and I find it easy to watch.
We first see Chiyo as a child getting taking away from her family, she wears dull coloured clothing to match the dull grey colours of the scenery which immediately draws me in to the story.
Chiyo is sent to a house to serve a powerful Geisha called Hatsumomo , the first time we see this character she is wearing red which is said to be a symbol of power and fear and Chiyo stays in more dull colours representing that she is the slave.
I looked at Chiyo and Hatsumomos relationship mostly as it was interesting to see the colour changes as Chiyo becomes a young woman and a popular geisha and Hatsumomo is pushed to the sidelines. She's very jealous of how beautiful she is and how much attention she gets from other men. The image below is after she has been made over in full Geisha makeup and clothing, as you can see colour is starting to be introduced into her characters wardrobe and also some bold patterns. The splashes of red show that she has now become the powerful one.
Below is an example of Hatsumomo wearing a dark colour as opposed to her bright reds and whites at the start of the movie. Her hair is also put into a messier, careless style unlike her usual neat up do's. The two women have more or less completely switched round, Chiyo has taken on Hatsumomos powerful, strong colour palette aswel as the intricate hairstyles and bold lips showing she is now the new Geisha.
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