Why Do They Use Lighting in Romance Films?

The famous romantic film "Casablanca" is named for the Middle Eastern city in which it is set.

Though in its very earliest days film lighting served merely to make the actors visible onscreen, film lighting is generally used to add emotional value to a scene, building romance and intrigue.

Color

Colored lighting has an emotional impact on the audience -- warm colors are often thought to be romantic, while cold colors evoke hostility. This is used significantly in "Gone With the Wind," an early Technicolor film whose director determined that the colors should have as much effect as the characters.

Brightness

The brightness of the lighting also sets the emotional value of the scene. Bright scenes are often cheerful, while lower light is more dramatic. In "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," alternating bright and dark lighting between scenes gives the film a sad, romantic tone.

Quality

The degree to which the lighting is hard or soft is referred to as quality. Hard light with dark shadows is more raw feeling, while diffused soft light feels more sentimental. Soft lighting is often used in romantic scenes, particularly in older films, such as "Casablanca."

References

• Film School Direct: Cinematography -- Attributes of the Visual Image