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the hues are kept in the same tone by the use of appropriate filters, the intention being to
merge the light touch of Humanistic art with the brightness of Impressionism. The filters
make the hues vibrant during the day - and the effect is particularly vivid in the scene where
Lucy, filmed frontally, cycles along a path which is flanked by trees curving almost to the
ground and forming a stunning natural arc. Within sunsets the use of colour is dramatic, and
is particularly impressive within the theatrical mise-en-scene of the party at Niccolo's 18 th
century villa, where side lighting is used to create a stylized effect and to evoke the
atmosphere of a Bacchanalia. This colour and lighting strategy evokes the scheme deployed
in The Sheltering Sky as it succeeds in temporarily privileging an affective, sensual
engagement with the film over cognitive or intellectual activity, enchanting viewers with the
aesthetic beauty of the locations and mises-en-scene.
Conveying meaning through film style
The colour motifs that emerge through the careful combination of setting, lighting, and
costume create a sense of elegant continuity, and ensure consistency in the film's visual style.
But the colour motifs' function goes beyond style as it marks the contrast between the
harmony implied by the film s aesthetic perspective and the discomfort implied by its social
perspective. In this respect, another valuable outcome from the use of this visual technique is
its contribution in creating the artistic effect of still life paintings, as Bertolucci seems to use
this technique as a metaphor to represent the characters as fixed in a lifestyle that has lost its
original authenticity, just as still life itself has lost its vital lymph. Lucy awakens their
consciences, this being evoked in the early sequence of her arrival at the Graysons' home.
Everything inside and outside the house is presented as still and immersed in silence as
everyone sleeps. Lucy gently awakens Diane, who loudly announces her arrival to lan who is
sleeping indoors; then, gradually, the whole house stirs into life, hi thematic terms, many
characters - stirred by the issues brought to light by Lucy's arrival - will find aspects of their
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