Analyzing the Costume Colors of Little Women in the Movie

Abstract

This study was aimed at revealing how symbolic images of colors convey the mood of the movie and the psychological changes of characters through color analysis of costumes by characters in the movie Little Women (2019). Through this, we examined how psychologically reflected colors express the theme or atmosphere of the movie. As a research method, after understanding the association of colors and considering prior research, each character s costume color was analyzed, and symbolism was derived. The six scenes selected for each character are believed to have a strong visual color transfer power while showing the characters and images of the movie. After mosaic pixelation of the costume, the color was extracted using the Photoshop spoid tool. Considering the expressiveness of colors and tones, the color symbolism was derived after analyzing scene descriptions, costumes, colors, and hue and tone. According to the analysis, Meg expressed a gentle and calm image as the feminine and oldest child in light purple and various tones of green, while Jo, a projection of the artist, showed strong red and navy colors, exhibiting passion and courage as opposed to the female figure of the time. Beth, who died of illness, expressed a delicate and passive image in murky pink and light purple, while Amy, the youngest, showed a feminine and self-centered personality in sky blue and white. The film s costume revealed that color images were reflected as a medium for expressing the character s personality, taste, and psychological situation and that they symbolically convey the dramatic atmosphere or the main character s emotional changes.