Paletas cromáticas nordestinas: a linguagem das cores no cinema da pós-retomada

Abstract

This study proposes an investigation about the Northeast region of Brazil and its representation in brazilian cinema, during the Resumption Cinema period, by analysing the chromatic language of three productions: Lisbela and the Prisoner (2003), Neon Bull (2015), and Private Desert (2021). The research is guided by the exploratory hypothesis that there is a recurring pattern in the use of warm tones or multicolored palettes in the representation of the Northeast in contemporary brazilian cinema, contributing to the reinforcement or transformation of consolidated conceptions about the region. As a theoretical-methodological framework, the study adopts Peircean Semiotics, with emphasis on the phenomenological categories (Firstness, Secondness, and Thirdness) and the trichotomy of sign, object, and interpretant, articulated with the symbolic meanings attributed to color. The methodology is based on the decomposition and recomposition of filmic elements to identify the meanings produced through color, following the relational logic proposed by Peirce. The analysis reveals that, although the Resumption Cinema preserves certain consolidated visuals, it also promotes aesthetic and symbolic renewal. Lisbela and the Prisoner reaffirms a vibrant palette in a fable-like tone; Neon Bull uses color to transform the traditional countryside image and gender roles; Private Desert, in turn, suggests a shift from the representation of the Northeast as merely warm and arid to a field of affection and subjectivity. In this sense, color in cinema not only builds atmosphere but actively contributes to the construction of meaning, regional identities and affections.