Directed by Marc Webb, the comedy/romance movie 500 days of Summer is narrated from Tom’s perspective, a young man who works at an office, the place where he eventually meets a new hire, whose name is Summer. In their first interaction, they bond over a common love for the band The Smiths. Over the course of 500 days, they form a complex relationship, which is eventually cut off due to their differences and desires for the future. Despite their endless dates and undeniable connection, Summer dislikes the idea of an official relationship with Tom, which is the leading factor to their breakup.
To properly understand the main character’s emotions, one must observe the small details in the production of this movie. Although many, some of the most important techniques can be divided into three categories: color palettes, transitional flash back/forward, and play with words. In 500 days of summer, coloring represents two things: Tom’s emotions, and the fact that he will never fit into Summer’s world. Along the film, he is depicted wearing nude colors and being in an environment constituted in browns and beiges. On the other hand, Summer tends to wear blues of all shades. Her surroundings are also blue, including when she and Tom are together, eclipsing his color palette. This represents his inability to fit into her world and him putting his needs below hers, as well as her inability to compromise whatsoever.
Additionally, the transitional scenes switch between grey tones with gloomy connotations and vivid colors that show joy and happiness. Each transition aligns with whatever emotion resonates with Tom at the moment. A tree depicts his relationship status: when the tree is bare, it symbolizes a lack of satisfaction with his love life, but when it’s blooming, his relationship seems to be thriving. In fact, at the end of the story when he meets someone new, the tree is shown blossoming flowers, showing the start of a new and prosperous ‘season’. His newfound love interest’s name is Autumn. This is a playful way to describe the change of an era for Tom. Relating her back to coloring, her color palette is made up of brown colors, similar to those of Tom. By doing this, the director intended for them to look like a pair who fit into each other’s lives, which, regarding Summer, is a contrasting case.
500 days of summer is filled with details that enrich the story and help the watchers emphasize with both characters. Through the use of symbolism through colors, director Marc Webb is able to discreetly transmit a sense of belonging and warmth in Autumn. He aims to portray the passing of seasons in relationships that can be universally applied, and the fact that perspective may alter a story completely.
Bibliography:
Morton, Fergus. “We Don’t Belong Together: The (500) Days of Summer Color Palette Theory.” Film school rejects, 24 February 2015, https://filmschoolrejects.com/we-dont-belong-together-the-500-days-of-summer-color-palette-theory-a50b2d3728a6/. Accessed 10 February 2025.
Prisanti. “THE COLOR OF EACH WORLDS – 500 DAYS OF SUMMER IN COLORS.” yellow and red, 7 February 2017, http://blog.uncletivo.com/2017/02/the-color-of-each-worlds-500-days-of-summer-in-colors/. Accessed 10 February 2025.