Contradiction of Lighting and Color in Midsommar - A Video Essay by Maryam Alnaqbi
Channel: Sabir Haque
Date: 2023-08-04

In this enlightening video essay, Maryam Alnaqbi explores the unique use of lighting and color in Ari Aster's horror film, "Midsommar." Contrary to traditional horror films that utilize dark settings and colors like red and green to evoke fear, "Midsommar" employs a bright color scheme and overexposed lighting to create a sense of confusion and isolation for the protagonists.

The video highlights yellow and white as primary colors in the movie. Yellow, representing the sacrifice of a young person, is seen in the yellow sacrificing building and the yellow flowers given to Christian. White, on the other hand, signifies the distinctness of the characters, as shown when Dani is named May Queen, and Christian stands out with darker clothes.

The overexposed lighting in the film, which creates a sense of confusion and isolation for the protagonists, is also discussed. This bright color scheme and overexposed lighting emphasize the violence and gore in the cult rituals.

This video essay is part of an educational project for the course "Reading Image and Film." It contains clips from various films, particularly "Midsommar," and is intended for educational purposes only.

Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes and is not intended for commercial use. The clips used in this video are owned by their respective copyright holders and are used under the fair use doctrine for educational and commentary purposes. No copyright infringement is intended.