Daughters of the Dust

Daughters of the Dust was an incredibly beautiful movie. The pacing, color, technique and shots all came together in harmony. The movie moved slowly, the shots were long and drawn out however they were interesting and well composed so it was not dull. One of the things that fascinated me most was the use of color. Color provided a great symbol and contrast throughout the movie, dictating elements of culture as well as differentiating between the people on the island. For the most part, the island dwellers are dressed in white, although they occasionally wear blue, and the great-great-grandmother is always in blue. When the character from the mainland comes to the island, she’s wearing yellow, and their commentary about her clothing illustrates a cultural disapproval. In addition the shots are long and tend to give each character plenty of room in the shot. All of these elements contribute to an overall feeling of the film that tends to distance itself from the MTV fast-paced style that our eyes are used too.