Color theory (film)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Color theory |
| Original title | A Theory of Colors |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 2017 |
| length | 82 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 6 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Peter Jonas |
| script | Peter Jonas |
| production | Peter Jonas |
| music | Johann Sebastian Bach, Peter Jonas, Johann Rosenmüller, Tobias Stutz |
| camera | Ben Beyer, Othmar Exinger, Frank Jonas, Peter Jonas, Achim Klein, Thomas Müller, Guido Rauscher, Peter Rhode |
| cut | Peter Jonas |
| occupation | |
| |
Color theory (original title A Theory of Colors ) is a German fantasy film and low budget film. The focus of the film is Goethe's criticism of Newton's theory of colors .
action
First part of the film
The first scene shows the magician Nigel in a storm. Isidorus leaves an “old castle”, a critical allegory that Goethe used in his theory of colors. Both meet for the first time after Isidorus falls. John and his companion Philip want to help him.
After a lecture by the fire, Johannes sends Isidorus together with Philip on a journey to Liora, the queen of white light. Neithart lies in wait for the two in the forest after he was freed from his prison by Nigel. Before Neithart can kill her, he is stopped by Nigel, who claims that both should only die when they are dead enough. Nigel disrupts the ascent to Liora's living space by triggering an avalanche of stones. In the storm he turns the area into a winter landscape, so that Philip has to turn back. Finally Isidorus goes on alone, with Martinus accompanying him on the last part of the way. When they find Liora, she doesn't want to enter into a scientific discourse about light. She disappears after giving Isidorus back his prism.
On the descent, Johannes and Isidorus meet in the forest. They split up again after an argument. They are watched by Otto, who is on his way through the forest. Otto speaks to Johannes and is informed about Isidorus' wrong theory of colors. You decide to confront him. When they arrive at Isidorus' workshop, Johannes disapproves of his experiments in the dark room. Neithart also follows the scene. Johannes explains his point of view to Otto on the upper floor of the building. Then he recalls his visions about colors, which he had on a trip to the Harz Mountains.
Second part of the film
Isidorus meets Nigel, who accompanies him on the way to prayer. Suddenly Nigel is back at the place of his storm spell. Eva-Helena appears to Isidorus in a wilderness and at the same time during the devotion when he reads about her in books. Eva-Helena arouses Isidorus' interest in spite of the ambiguous hints written about her. Transferred into the wilderness, he follows her, but fails at the last moment of approach.
The scene changes to a river valley. Johannes and Otto hike there. Isidorus follows. A clown guards the gateway to color, which leads through a waterfall. He lets Johannes and Otto pass, but not Isidorus. Johannes and Otto cross the cave behind the waterfall and enter the world of color. Meanwhile, Eva-Helena appears to Isidorus who has returned home during a dream, in which both ultimately find each other underwater in a lake.
The world of color initially appears dark and gray. Johannes and Otto find a treasure chest with color plates, the function of which Johannes explains. Both want to convince Isidorus in an attempt with the help of the color plates found. This fails because he shows only a superficial understanding. As they leave, it gets darker. Also around Eva-Helena, who had observed the scene from a castle. She catches a bird that she locks in a cage. Meanwhile, Isidorus goes back into the house. Both watch each other. Eva-Helena cannot fall asleep. She sends an impulse that wakes Isidorus. In the moonlight he finds his way up to her. What happens in the subsequent encounter is not shown.
Johannes speaks of further visions about colors in a snowy landscape. Then he meets Otto for tea at his easel. They discuss natural phenomena and their connection to art and colors.
Third part of the film
During the night, Isidorus is awakened by the memory of the experience with the clown, who did not want to let him into the world of color. The next day he finds another path through the waterfall and cave and reaches the source of color. The guarding clown appears threatening at first, but later forgiving because Isidorus shows compassion. He reaches an area with pillars, which he measures exactly. Then he visits Johannes who is waiting for him in his castle. They too are reconciled after a conversation about religion and a visit to the attic of the castle. In the last scene Eva-Helena paints a picture. She explains to Otto that warm colors move forward and cool colors move backward when a perspective emerges.
production
Some scenes take place in the Tomburg near Rheinbach. The Dreimühlen waterfalls in Üxheim served as the “gateway to color”. Newton's workshop was moved to the Gronrechtsmühle near Nettersheim. The castle scenes were created in the Villa Rosenberg in Langenberg (Rhineland). About 10 percent of the film was shot using color filters. A focus of the film music used are sequences from Johann Sebastian Bach's Art of Fugue, played by the Moscow State University Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Alexander Konstantinov.
Publications
The film is registered with the FSK under the German title "Farbenlehre". Initially, however, the publication took place in English-speaking countries, so that the English version of the title became better known and authoritative: Great Lakes International Film Festival, USA, December 7, 2017 International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema, London, February 12, 2018. On December 9, 2018, the German cinema premiere took place in Düsseldorf. The current 82-minute cut version was created for this. It was released on DVD on March 23, 2019. The film is distributed by Seria Ars Film UG (limited liability).
criticism
This expressionist feature film deals with various forms of perception of color, including Goethe's “Theory of Colors” and Newton's classical physical conception in the context of music (e.g. Bach's “The Art of Fugue”). The two protagonists John and Isidorus confront each other with their very different spiritual concepts. A docile walk through the history of art and intellectual history with a slightly raised "coloring".
Nominations
The film was nominated in 2018 at the International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema in London for the categories “Best Original Screenplay of a Foreign Feature Film” and “Talented New Filmmaker”.
Web links
- Color theory in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Approval certificate for color theory . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry (PDF; test number: 172325K).
- ↑ A Theory of Colors. Metropol Düsseldorfer Filmkunstkino GmbH, accessed on June 9, 2020 .
- ↑ These are the new starts in the Düsseldorf cinemas. December 5, 2018, accessed June 9, 2020 .
- ↑ Tag: London IFF 2018 Nominations. London IFF 2018 Nominations Archives, accessed June 9, 2020 .