Green color in Coen brother movies

Stanley Kubrick loves red, Martin Scorsese adores red, Coens go crazy from green. You might not know this fact, but Coen brothers apply green colors to almost every movie they make.

Our eyes perceive green color better than anyone else. Being physiologically most optimal it exert relaxing effect on our nervous system and allows our organism to concentrate.

Green is normal, natural color it is a part of our everyday life, but Coens use it in their own way, frequently applying it to crucial turning point of their movies. However, in most cases it remains simply unnoticed. Simply because green is much more restrained and unremarkable unlike the other clear and eye catching colors. It’s enough to take a look at the motel door from “No country for old men”.

For example, the toilet in the film «Inside Llewyn Davis».

Coens green color not only highlights key scenes, but also an objects that are very important for narration. For example, wiretapping device from the mentioned “No country for old men” or a nail varnish on a finger of the girl in “Big Lebowski”.

These details are highlighted for spectators, but not for in film character. Green nail varnish of the girl manicure in “Big Lebowski” gives us a clue for solving the future plot. Coens use green in almost all their films, except “The man who was not there”, because it’s completely black and white and “True Grit” where a very faded, restrained pallet prevails. 

Now you have a new motivation to re-watch brother’s classics, to find a sense of green colors in their films.