An analysis of the color palette used in michelangelo antonioni's films from the perspective of semantic function and visual aesthetics

In the art of cinema, color plays a critical role in terms of aesthetics, symbolism, psychology and narrative forms. In this context, a color palette that reflects the intended atmosphere and meaning is designed and instrumentalized from the early stages of filmmaking to the post-production process. Color is one of the phenomena that most strongly affects human visual perception. Therefore, it is important to understand and evaluate the meaning of colors and their impact on human psychology. Michelangelo Antonioni makes the element of color in cinema one of the main tools to understand the meaning of modern life and its impact on man. For this reason, he broke away from black and white to express the troubles of modern life, making color part of the basic narrative aesthetic of his cinema. Antonioni chooses colors in his films with the meticulousness of a painter. Sometimes he makes use of cultural codes, sometimes he is inspired by common areas and often subjective uses are included. In the study, the effects of color design on the language of cinema as a form of artistic expression in the films of Michelangelo Antonioni cinema were tried to be comprehended and a qualitative research strategy was followed, and both "Content Analysis" and "Thematic Analysis" types of the Descriptive Method model were used together. A comprehensive analysis of audiovisual media materials was conducted and thematic elements were identified in line with the research problematics. This analysis process involved a detailed evaluation of factors such as the content of the media materials, the use of audiovisual elements, narrative structures and symbolism. In this study, there are seven films that constitute the universe of Antonioni's color fiction films. However, six films from this universe were selected as a sample and analyzed in detail. As a result of the study, it has been determined that the phenomenon of color in Antonioni's cinema is used within the framework of semantic functions and constructed in line with its own subjective meaning. The intensity of the colors used in semantic functions in line with the theme, story and emotional atmosphere of the film was not at the same level in every film. While certain colors are frequently emphasized in some places, they are less preferred in others. It is concluded that this depends on the director's aesthetic preferences, narrative goals and emotional depth. One of the elements that make Antonioni's cinema unique is that the color design in his films is based on an intellectual foundation. In this context, Antonioni's use of color is considered within a coherent axis of meaning and narrative, opening new horizons and different perspectives to European cinematic aesthetics. By using colors in layered meanings, he has contributed to the discovery of a new aesthetic dimension in the art of cinema and to the acquisition of different expansions.