The Room Next Door – How Almodóvar Uses Color to Embrace Beauty in Pain
Pedro Almodóvar has long been a filmmaker who refuses to separate beauty from tragedy. His films, known for their bold colors and emotionally raw narratives, often explore the idea that life’s darkest moments can still be drenched in vibrancy. The Room Next Door, his first English-language feature, continues this tradition, using color not just as a stylistic choice but as an essential part of the film’s storytelling.
The film’s color palette is impossible to ignore. From the soft pink hues in the sky over snowy landscapes to the unexpected mix of pastel green and purple, The Room Next Door creates a world where color feels almost defiant. Julianne Moore’s character, wrapped in a blue coat that makes the lavender around her pop, moves through scenes that feel almost dreamlike in their beauty. But beneath the stunning visuals lies a story of deep emotional turmoil, a contrast that Almodóvar embraces rather than avoids.
One of the most striking aspects of the film is how Tilda Swinton’s character carries color with her, no matter how much pain she endures. Her wardrobe is filled with bold, radiant tones, creating a visual contrast between her internal suffering and the way she presents herself to the world. Almodóvar himself has described this as intentional: "Life is presented to her in an ugly way, so she needs to make up." In this way, color becomes more than just an aesthetic choice—it’s a form of survival, a way of reclaiming beauty in the face of hardship.
This isn’t new for Almodóvar. His films have always used color to challenge conventional storytelling, refusing to let sorrow drain the screen of life. In The Room Next Door, the tension between beauty and pain is ever-present, forcing the audience to ask: Can suffering exist in a world that looks this beautiful? Almodóvar’s answer is clear. Not only can it, but sometimes, the beauty is what makes the pain even more profound.
