When you think about color and art, the first thing that comes to minds is paintings. On the other hand, reflecting every aspect of life, nature, and art; color is a big factor of cinema. A film can have great actors and a great script, but without the use of colors, it may not give you that exact feeling. You can even tell the director of some movies by looking at its color palette. Yeah, it’s that important. Here are 10 of the greatest films that have unique color palettes.

In the Mood for Love (2000)

The masterpiece by Wong Kar-Wai, In the Mood for Love, reflects that tragic romance story with a high-contrast color palette that can only be achieved by a film.

Vertigo (1958)

Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo is a great example of the power of colors. The highly “red and green” movie gives you all the tense atmosphere without the need for any events. 

Ran (1985)

Legendary director Akira Kurosawa’s attempt to adapt William Shakespeare’s King Lear, Ran, reflects the key features of its deep characters with the use of a masterfully chosen color palette.

Enter the Void (2009)

If you’re a foreigner to Tokyo, the city itself can be a bad trip for you. But for Gaspar Noé, Tokyo’s crazy colorful scene was not enough to give us the feeling of that trip in his 2009 film Enter the Void. With the help of popping and colorful lighting, Noé takes us into an extraordinary experience.

The Cook The Thief His Wife & Her Lover (1989)

The 1989 classic gets into the list with its unique use of red lighting. If you haven’t seen the feature yet get ready for high-class tension.

Only God Forgives (2013)

Nicolas Winding is a master of color, and in his 2013 drama, Only God Forgives, he takes it his talent a step forward.

The Fall (2006)

Director Tarsem Singh’s epic dramedy Tha Fall uses a great variety of natural colors at their peak. Too much contrast for a regular movie, but in this film, everything is point on.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

You can tell a movie is made by Wes Anderson by looking at its color palette. He’s the master of pastels. And in The Grand Budapest Hotel, the director gives you all that pastel pinks and blues, which would look like a baby shower explosion anywhere else.

Hero (2002)

“Hero” is undoubtedly one of the colorful features in the history of cinema. Again, no other movie could carry this much color, but director Yimou Zhang knows what he’s doing in here.

The Ballad of Narayama (1958)

The 1958 masterpiece Narayama Ballad has every element of it in perfect harmony: the costumes, the scenes, the music, and of course, the colors. With every scene, you get the impression of a theatre act artistry.