Adolescence in Color|
A Euphoria Cinematic Analysis
Entertainment | May 5, 2020
Written by: B.F. Harvey
There are some forms of art that are so powerful that they transport you to another universe. Euphoria just so happened to transport me to one that I could relate to. The show was created and written by Sam Levinson, who admitted that much of what is related to the drug addict character named Rue, played by Zendaya, was from his own experiences. Rue is the central entity and storyteller of the series, and surrounding her is the infatuated character, Jules, a conflicted and manipulative jock, Nate, a college transee who is trying to find his way in a world full of pressure, Chris, and girls, Kat and Cassie, who are both dealing with their sexual feelings in a world full of tension and abandonment by their parents.
Each of these characters reveal something about what exactly the world looks like. It focuses on the effects of social media and today's forms of communication, with the immense spread of nudes of both girls and boys, how each photo sent is just another weight on their shoulders. Euphoria isn’t the first show to tackle these issues either. There is Thirteen Reasons Why, Riverdale, The End of the F***ing World, and more. What sets Euphoria apart isn’t just its
grittiness and sheer sight at the brutality that the world puts upon the adolescence of this generation, but it shows these struggles through color. I could relate to a good bit of the show, having known several kids my age who have faced difficulties such as suicide, drug abuse, and sexuality, so seeing this in one of its truest forms on TV was something that was unquestionably comforting and sympathetic.
However, what made it truly relatable was not necessarily what was going on within the show, but the colors used to tell the story.
Most shots are dark and terrifying, but at the same time hopeful or romantic. At the center of each picture taken though were these luminescent colors, each relating to a separate character. Jules is often times surrounded by illustrious shades of purple or blue, but in other scenes she is surrounded by complete darkness with only the colors of red, orange, or white to show her face. This could be to show the bipolar mindstate that exists within her and most other kids, one that feels that is on top, breaking free from the moments behind, only for it all to lead
to what feels like a final blow, striking the heart, destroying your confidence, desecrating your emotions. Yet they keep going, just like we do.
While this sort of strategy between lighting and character could be attributed to Jules, I think this is simply unique to her as she is a vibrant and colorful person. It's not to say that the others aren't, they certainly are, but they are very typical in nature. They all demonstrate characters we’ve seen before: the drug addict fighting her battles, the jock who doesn’t know
how to control himself, the girl who is controlling and stuck in a toxic relationship, the girl who is flirtatious, confident, and revealing but seen as an object by others, and a girl who’s ashamed of her own body but finds confidence within sex and flirtatious behavior. When you look at these characters though, there seems to be a darkness. And on the outside of this darkness, is an abundance of lights and flashing shades of colors that create what feels like an overwhelming
sensation for their, and your, sight and vision.
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This could just be the way that the director wished to shoot the show, but at times in the carnival, or out on the streets in town, and at certain parties: this aspect becomes relevant. Because as adolescents in today's society, that is how it feels to live within the now. That idea of privacy, that idea of protection that was around in decades prior, no longer exists. Our now is no
longer that, it is everybody’s “now” that we see. Everyone’s experiences, thoughts, views, opinions, visits, destinations, information. When something happens, we know about it immediately. We are told by everything to buy or to be liked by something or somebody else, but meanwhile we still live our lives in the darkness of not knowing who we are or what we will
do; feeling alone amongst a crowd that looks as if it has found something or themselves when they too are lost and confused. We, like the characters, are stuck in the darkness, consumed by the bright lights of information and exposure to the world abroad that desensitizes, belittles, and captivates our eyes day in and day out. Worlds within our world, realities within shining square screens on a circular planet. These colors within the lights, and the darkness that we feel surrounds us, represents the loneliness and fear amongst the difficult luminescent choices and experiences in this world.
Euphoria is a great show, with high quality drama, phenomenal acting, and relatable subjects. But what sells it, is not what it talks about or shows you, but it is how they show you that makes it comforting and a pure work of genius in every way possible. You feel connected, you feel as if what you are seeing has already been seen- because in a way it already has been. That tsunami of different events and dynamics all going on at once, all those varieties of
colors and portraits, we see it everyday, feel it whenever we go outside or pull out our phones, but little do we ever think about it because it is all we know. We’ve grown up with devices, and we have come to accept them. All we truly know as adolescents in this planet is colors and darkness, one keeping us in place, and one moving us forward. It depends on your vision to see which one is which though.