ORANGE/ BROWN REDS

Warmer colors such as orange and brown are present throughout the intimate and happier scenes, such as: kissing (pictured above), driving with Irene and the child (pictured below), etc. This creates a stark contrast with the blue/black tense scenes of the rest of the movie.

More subtle hints of orange and brown are present throughout the movie, again to create the contrast preferred by Refn.

The brightest color that appears in the movie is red. It appears in very specific scenes to visually alert the viewer of danger or intensity.

The red checkered wall pictured above is found in Nino’s Pizzeria. Nino is the main adversary in the movie, and the red associates feelings of danger and aggression with his character.

In the scene pictured below, the driver is trying to uncover Standard’s (husband) lies to Irene (wife). Irene subtly flirts towards the end of the conversation. The red in this scene perfectly reflects the tension in the plot-- both of the lies and drama, as well as the budding romance between the driver and Irene.