"Breaking Bad' may be a whirlwind of meth, crime and exciting impulse, but it's also a world of color. Show creator Vince Gilligan has used color in "Breaking Bad" as a way to express meaning and symbolism through his characters and specific scenery. "Color is important on 'Breaking Bad'; we always try to think in terms of it. We always try to think of the color that a character is dressed in, in the sense that it represents on some level their state of mind," said Gilligan to Vulture. And following the series finale of "Breaking Bad," we are breaking down the colors of AMC's hit show.
Each of the characters in the show takes on a signature color, but as they progress from Season 1 to Season 5, the color continually changes, and adjusts. Color also represents themes and emotions dealt with by the cast of "Breaking Bad." Red is a main color for Jesse Pinkman, who consistently wears the color throughout Season 1, which symbolizes his aggression and tendency for anger while participating in the meth trade. Red also serves as a theme for aggression and violence throughout the series in general, when Jesse and Walt cook in an underground lab, the paint is a deep red.
Blue is another significant hue in "Breaking Bad." Blue is symbolic of purity, escape and security. The famous blue meth Walt and Jesse cook was of the highest purity ever cooked, and was never fully reproduced by any one else. Blue is also a color that Skylar often wears, when she is completely unaware of her husband's drug escapades. Like Skylar, her sister Marie has a specific color. In his interview with Vulture, Gilligan stated, "Well, Marie would say purple is the color of royalty." Marie wears purple throughout the whole series, symbolizing her being misled. Whenever characters are wearing purple they are normally being misled or deceived. For example, Walt and Skylar were deluding Marie about who was behind the drug business.
White possesses a powerful meaning in "Breaking Bad." White serves as a color of purity, similar to blue. Although when characters wear white, their intention is pure despite their lack of knowledge or power. White is mostly used to contrast black, or the light against the dark in Walt's families tumultuous life. White versus black is featured in Season 5 Episode 14, "Ozymandias," with Skylar dressed in white contrasting with Marie's black outfit as Marie turns the tables on Skylar.
Despite the purity of white, beige is a symbol of wealth and conformity. The importance of beige is specifically highlighted in Season 1, Episode 5, "Gray Matter," when both Skylar and Walt show up to the party wearing dark hues of blue. The rest of the affluent guests are dressed in beige, white or neutral tones. Even Skylar's character recognizes the distinction between blue and beige noting, "Jesus, I guess we didn't get the beige memo." In Walt's search for financial stability, the color green obviously plays a large role on "Breaking Bad." Money is a huge symbol in this series, as is the color green. Green represents greed and envy, in the pilot of the series Walt is seen wearing a green apron as he cooks his first batch of meth with Jesse in the RV. The color remains, however, the clothing changes. As Walt's drug empire grows, the green color he wears displays his greed wealth that meth has provided.
Each color represents overarching themes throughout the whole series that connect them to a particular scene or character. What do you think of the color theory in "Breaking Bad?"
RELATED:
'Breaking Bad' Finale: Psychological Reasons Why We Love To Watch Walter White, Jesse Pinkman
'American Horror Story: Coven' Season 3 Spoilers: The True Story Behind Kathy Bates Character Madam Delphine LaLaurie [VIDEO]
'Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD': 4 Questions We Want Answered In Season 1
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
