A Turtle's Salvation
I may be basically blind but the first thing I noticed about Snowy was the film's use of color.
Cold and warm tones are used very strategically to convey moods throughout the whole movie. One of Snowy's first scenes is the titular turtle being enveloped by shadow, the only light being a pale, blue shine weakly illuminating his dirty enclosure. Blue is often a color associated with sadness, and the image created here will stick in my mind for some time I think.
To contrast the macabre showing of Snowy's loneliness and neglect, warm tones are used exclusively to showcase the family that owns the turtle. Scenes with the family are always well lit and accompanied by reds, browns, and greens. The most striking showcase was a scene that begins with a golden-brown turkey. Its skin glistens with flavor, sitting amongst a room lit by warm, yellow light. The camera cuts to a scene of the family joyfully enjoying carefully chosen foods,
Red Wine,
Pale yellow mashed potatoes,
Golden-brown turkey.
It is all very deliberate. The difference between Snowy and the Family's lives couldn't be made more clear.
Conversely, a third set of colors is used. This one is admittedly more of a stretch but any outside influence is depicted as either white or muted. Any shots of the clinic the father took Snowy to and the researcher were mostly comprised of white. Any other colors were desaturated. This could be more of a coincidence considering most things medical are white anyway, but it is a thought. Now, for the most profound use of the colors,
Bringing Snowy into the light.
All of the scenes featuring Snowy receiving better care and attention after the father learns of his unintended neglect are warm-colored. One of the final shots is Snowy now in broad daylight, surrounded by lush, green grass.
Twelve minutes is not a lot of time, and certainly not for a film. To have such strong use of color in that finite amount of time is an accomplishment to be recognized.
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| Pictured: a quick sketch of Snowy done by me |
The way your described the scenes using the analogy of temperature brought a whole new perspective of the way this film was shot. The beautiful vibrant colors of nature surrounding Snowy at the end did bring us all as an audience in the class a warm heartfelt feeling. And all of the scenes where his owner was speaking about the bad treatment that Snowy has been receiving were all pretty dull.
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