Calling it a cultural phenomenon is an understatement. Boasting immense backdrops, beautiful surroundings and glorious lighting techniques, Breaking Bad showcases a fantastic array of colour that truly accentuates each and every sequence we watch. The awe-inspiring cinematography creates a mise-en-scene so visually stimulating it's sometimes hard to fathom. The rolling desert sequences incorporating endless blue skies and beautiful sunsets compensate for the mundane day-to-day of Albuquerque city life. Through his use of colour Vince Gilligan transmits an astounding narrative captivating the senses. Colour plays an important role throughout Gilligan's creation and from the outset our two main protagonists reiterate this. Step forward Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. Now I'm not writing this with a mind to debunk the myths surrounding colour theory in Breaking Bad. I'm just fascinated by its extensive use as a visual theme. However it does seem highly likely our two main characters were aptly named for a given reason.
Walter White: Now the colour white is said to represent creativity but also obsessiveness, which mirrors Walter White's character precisely. His creative genius enables him to develop a product of such superior quality his rivals pale in comparison. Yet his obsessiveness in the end leads to an utterly staggering change in nature. Walt has gradually slipped beyond what we'd define as a normal emotional response to certain extreme events and his lack of empathy has become ever more apparent. By the Season 5 finale he lusts for power and is consumed by his need to control. Naturally Walter has sunk into this mould as he no longer has control over his own life, the cancer has put paid to that, and it's the cancer that is the stickler here. One has to wonder, was it the cancer that corrupted Walt or was it simply the catalyst to letting his alter ego Heisenberg truly blossom? Being at the top of his game isn't enough; he craves ever more fruitful ventures. Defining it to Jesse, he concludes it is now all about the empire building business; he wants to form a legacy.
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| Walter White |
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| Jesse Pinkman |
Enough of my musings concerning colour theory and character development, here are some concise concepts regarding the thematic role colour plays in the show. As noted a multitude of colour helps create the world of Breaking Bad. From blue and green, to red and purple, the palette is exhausted as Vince Gilligan presents a myriad of colour that invades the senses and envelopes you in the drama from the outset. The gorgeously colourful cinematography merely enhances our viewing pleasure, engrossing us in the story as we try to piece it all together.
First and foremost there is the colour blue; for the blue skies stretching across the endless desert, to the blue water of the swimming pool, with its eerie blue glow, to the blue meth of course! The meth is the unwavering constant here. Walt and his wife Skyler are slowly absorbed by it and all who know of its existence are in some way consumed by it. The defining achievement in Walt's creation is the distinctive blue colour of his premium product. The chemistry has got to be exact to achieve the desired effect and what Walt has created is a ready-made brand. The unique blue colour both captivates and puzzles alike but the end result is always the same; more anguish, more pain, more grief. Subsequently it is in this world that Walt and Skyler exist. Significantly Skyler's relationship with the colour blue becomes ever more apparent as the series progresses. The blue meth is an ever-present danger and she is swamped with doubts as a result. Ironically, whereas blue is often touted as a calming colour, in the world of Breaking Bad, nothing is calm.
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| Cooking the infamous blue meth |
The vast colour scheme of Breaking Bad extends beyond blue of course. All sorts of theories have been banded about concerning the colourful wardrobes of certain characters. Marie's extensive portrayal in the colour purple is just one example. Purple is said to symbolise royalty, so does Marie pertain to have notions beyond her stature? Against this radiant backdrop is Walt's demure dress sense. Shirts are the norm and pale colours charter his conservative lifestyle. The colour green only permeates his wardrobe once success has beckoned. Green, as exuded by Walter's early fashion attire, mirrors his growing success. Then of course we have the odd splash of blue, which more often than not highlights his calm disposition. As things begin to run more smoothly he adopts a style to match. Inevitably though things gradually slide and as the pressure of the meth business tightens its grip, the darker his dress sense extends. Red of course is associated with death. The ostensibly calm Gus is wearing red when he shockingly kills Victor in the opening episode of Season 4, albeit a red jumpsuit to protect him from the enormous amount of blood! While Jesse is also wearing red when he shoots Gale. Gilligan leaves no stone unturned and these neat aspects often foreshadow events to come. A strange and quirky use of the colour red involved a certain Peter Schuler in Season 5, Episode 2. Herr Schuler is head of the German based Madrigal, (which runs a vast stable of fast food chains), whom it turns out has funded Gus Frings drug empire. When things turn sour after Gus' demise and the DEA and Polizei come knocking, Herr Schuler commits suicide by emergency defibrillator while sitting on a red toilet.
A more sinister visual foreshadowing in the form of colour is the association of the colour pink with death. Wait, does this mean Jesse will die? Who knows, although Vince Gilligan did expressly state colour is used in this way. And that pink teddy bear from Season 2 was definitely a glimpse into the future. The charred, burned face of the teddy oddly resembled Gus after his demise in Season 4. Also in the same scene where the teddy bear falls from the exploding plane, Walt just happens to be wearing a pink shirt. Why then is Walt's baby girl continuously dressed in pink? Will she be the final tragic piece of the jigsaw, where the uncompromising Walt finally commits something so horrifying it costs the life of his infant child? Maybe, but baby girls do tend to be dressed in pink, so perhaps this is just a cruel joke created by Gilligan.
The age-old adage blights me here and devotees will argue black is the absence of colour, but the purists can argue all they want because for this paradigm concerning Walt's psyche I'm throwing black into the mix. Consequently upon reconstructing Walt's behaviour within this paradigm, no finer example can be garnered than that of Season 3's gut wrenching episode entitled, "Fly". This was a tremendous episode focusing on Walt and his increasing decline into the abyss. The weight of Gus' brooding presence, coupled with Jesse secretly 'skimming' some of their product, leaves Walt struggling to comprehend his lot. Suffering from insomnia he strains to keep it all together. His blotted conscience and flagging mental state pushes him tangibly close to revealing a dark secret. The gnawing guilt over Jesse's girlfriend, (Walt being involved in her death), weighs heavy, and after another failed batch where the numbers still don't add up, a house fly contaminates the lab. Inconspicuous you might say, but he goes to extreme lengths to kill the fly and in his manic pursuit even ropes Jesse in to giving him a hand. Killing the fly consumes Walt, it's not just a mere pest, it's a soul-cleansing affair. To regain control he needs to vanquish this foe. He goes twenty fours hours without rest, tracking the illusive fly around the lab. By succeeding in this mission his conscience, we assume, will be at ease. Ironically it is Jesse who kills the creature, accomplishing what Walt could not. However later that night while laying in bed a familiar sound emanates across Walt's room. The stop/start buzz of a fly wakes him from his slumber. With wide eyes Walt tracks the sound to the ceiling revealing the fly illuminated against the red light of his fire alarm.
The fly clearly holds some significant meaning. Flies we know are born from maggots, and maggots fester and grow from decay, and decay inherently follows death. Hence is the "Fly" the inevitable outcome of Walt's continuous misdeeds, death being the most definitive outcome of all. Or maybe it's representative of the lives already lost due to Walt's extreme transition from a mild-mannered chemistry teacher to a ruthless drug lord. The incessantly nagging fly acting as a constant reminder of the damage he has caused, the internal conflict of a man on the edge. The presence of the fly and Walt's quest to conquer it mirrors his obsessive nature but the fly can't be conquered because the straight-edged, morally affable Walt is gone and has been replaced by the immoral drug lord whose intentions are no longer clear.
The symbolic epitome of Walt's transition has to be the black pork pie hat. To become Heisenberg and fulfill this facade he dons this iconic piece of attire and the transformation is complete. The colour of his clothing is important here. The black hat, dark sunglasses and black windcheater represent his brooding menace. He feels more comfortable acting in a malicious manner when sheathed behind this attire. As things progress though his lack empathy and manipulation of others slowly corrupts him. The black has taken over and it begs the question, are Walt and Heisenberg now one and the same? The family man doing right by his family wife has disappeared and a lustfully corrupted man has taken its place.
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| Heisenberg |
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