Colors in Never Let Me Go - the Discordant Colors
I’ve listed some of the discordant color(s) against the more regular color palette(s) in the show here. Now I’m going to add some of my thoughts on those color(s), focusing on the scenes of my interest. When I need to interpret the possible meaning of the colors, I will do so based on this reference.
1. Shades of red/orange. So many instances of the reddish shade were found throughout the first three episodes. Some of them emphasize the presence of someone or something (e.g., the teacher, Neung’s books), while others probably imply an event (e.g., the red protest texts). And we also have these few shots, which I thought might tell us something.
Neon red on the (emergency) exit signage, amidst the blue lighting, can automatically assumed to mean ‘danger’ (why would you go for an emergency exit otherwise). Now, this scene actually bothered me for two reasons. My inner architect itched a little. The first one is the outdoor placement of the exit sign (as it is more commonly used inside a building to guide people out). The second one is why they would exit the building through the back area, not the front (except taking into consideration that they stayed until pretty late).
This one here is pretty obvious: red symbolizes power. Thanya was in red outfits as she declared stepping up to the CEO position in place of Phiphop. The red straps directed our view to Thanya. Now, on the left, we also note a woman in a red outfit/dress. We know from the episode that nothing had happened involving the woman. So, it could be just a random additional drop of red in the scene, or maybe something will happen in future episodes that would refer back to this part of the episode.
This scene catches my eye as the lamps behind Neung gave a more reddish vibe compared to other scenes whenever he was in his room (and the light was more of pinkish vibe). However, I feel the spectrum of Nueng’s emotions here was quite complex and not necessarily associated with the color red. It could be ranged from worries, fear, stress, frustration, and to some extent, maybe also anger. Truthfully, I’m not sure. What I know, they put Nueng in the center, giving a sense of double ‘pressure’ from all sides.
Another I’m not sure. This is the scene where Khit learns about Palm, and also where Chopper knows Palm lives in Neung’s house. The muted red (the car’s rear lamp and Palm’s sleeveless shirt) might indicate a possible future relation between Palm and either or both of them based on their power dynamics and/or connection to Nueng and his family. But again, as of now, I’m not sure how it will turn out.
2. Red/orange + blue.
I think the second picture above, the ‘scoring board,’ is more of a reaffirmation. It shows the combination of muted red and blue as a complementary color scheme representing an opposition, as it was in a basketball game. Now, taking this reference to the first picture, does it suggest that Palm and Chanon would eventually end up as opposition? (By “opposition”, I don’t mean a normal fight between father and son with differing views.) Or maybe the colors are there as a contrast, for a composition purpose. We need to see further into the next episodes.
3. Yellow + blue (darker or lighter).
At its first appearance, this room feels like Nueng’s safe space in the school. It uses a different color tone compared to the other parts of the school. More specifically, the combination of muted yellow and blue is another set of complementary color schemes. Some keywords that match the colors imply different sides of Nueng. Yellow represents insecurity, naivety, and, to some extent, obsession. Blue represents isolation and melancholy. They might not be 100% accurate, but briefly, Nueng might have given off those vibes.
4. Shades of green.
The green here is subtly placed between Thanya and Khit and seems to blend well with the dark colors of their outfits. Green is another representation of danger, which also implies corruption and darkness. Another thing to note, while plants (or nature in general) generally lean more on representing softness, it serves as a clear divider between Thanya and Khit here. We already see the hostility between them, yet we might need to wait some more to see where that ‘competition’ will lead to.
