It’s March, the Saint Patrick’s Day season, and that means once again … I’ll be surrounded by my favorite color.
It’s hard to explain the appeal, but I’ve always been drawn to the color green, and when you have a holiday that involves green decorations, and dressing in Green … I’ll always be there to celebrate. One of my favorite traditions around this time is watching movies that put me in the holiday mood, simply by how much green is utilized in the film.
It can be green landscapes, green costumes, green
decorations … even green skinned characters … as long as green is part of the
films identity or visual appeal … I’ll be viewing it for Saint Patrick’s Day.
As such, I thought it would be fun to stop and rank my own personal Top 10
Favorite movies to utilize the color Green, and how they visually get me in the
mood for the holiday season.
#10 “Ella Enchanted” (2004)
Kicking off my list, we go on a walk-about in a fantasy setting … a setting comprised of rich green forests, and bright green dressed characters. While the titular lead Ella puts a good spotlight on the color blue, her traveling Elf companion and home of Elves certainly show off the green.
No joke, the Elves featured in this film can rival Leprechauns in how they dress from head to toe in green. They’re also characterized for breaking into song and dance, save for our main Elf who goes on the journey with our titular heroine.
#9 “Star Trek Nemesis” (2002)
You wouldn’t go into a “Star Trek” movie expecting to see a whole lot of green … but if you just look at the poster for “Star Trek Nemesis”, it’s promising a lot of green imagery, and that’s what it delivers. Green ships, green energy beams, and green costumes.
However,
the main reason this film makes the list is its lengthy third act finale set in
a quadrant of space that’s comprised of nothing but green gas clouds. In
astronomy class, I was taught that there was a lot more color out there in
space then you’d expect … but I don’t think my teacher meant this much green.
#8 “The Secret of Kells” (2009)
Rich with Irish Mythology, and boasting a captivating atmosphere, and naturally … it’s as green as animated offerings get. I’ve seen the color utilized in animation before, but this film makes me feel like I’m swimming in the color … at least for the first two acts, before things get dark and red in the final act.
Regardless, the film genuinely makes me feel
like I’ve just been whisked away into this enchanting tale of Irish legends and
lore. Visually, the film is also quite unique, beautifully drawn, and
appropriately features green as the prominent color.
#7 “Shrek” (2001)
Yet another walk-about in a fantasy setting, except this setting is more than just the green forest surroundings … it’s also the company of a green skinned Ogre, a Princess in a Green Dress, and an appearance from the traditionally green suited Robin Hood.
Even the title … you just can’t think of the title
“Shrek” appearing in any other color but Green. It’s one of those cases
in which you can walk in at any moment from this film and probably see Green
somewhere in frame.
#6 “House of Flying Daggers” (2004)
In this Martial Arts Epic, the only thing more beautiful than the exquisitely staged fights and sequences are the colors on display. Naturally, since it’s on this list … it’s all the green on display that I’m highlighting. Like Holly Cow, the sequence in the green bamboo forest has got to be as green as set pieces get, complete with an ensemble of people dressed from head to toe in green.
To reiterate, just about every color gets a moment to pop in this film,
but when I think of a sequence that’s just wall to wall green … this film is
one of the first that come to mind.
#5 “Batman Forever” (1995)
Of all the obvious Superheroes to be associated with the color … Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Green Hornet, and even the Incredible Hulk … you’d think Batman would be the last to make good use of the color in one of his movies. Well, when director Joel Schumacher helmed “Batman Forever”, he had a vision to bring color into his dark and gloomy word … and when The Riddler is your main villain, he brought a whole lot of Green with him.
His
bright green costume was just the start … he also utilized green lasers, green
weapons, green packages, and even an island base that’s simply bathed in green
lighting and green mist. In Batman lone line-up of movies, this one can
visually stand out in the group for featuring the greenest imagery.
#4 “Darby O' Gill and the Little People” (1959)
This Disney classic has always been a favorite of mine to watch around Saint Patrick’s Day, and naturally, it shows off a lot of green imagery. Set in the enchanted landscape of Ireland, it’s got all the proper colors on display. Beyond that, we also have the presence of a ghostly green Banshee and a green suited Leprechaun King. The film overall is gorgeous to look at, with bright green landscapes, detailed sets, inventive practical effects, and some truly gorgeous map-paintings.
For me, there’s a special
appeal that comes from looking at map-painted backgrounds, and it’s absolutely
a high mark in this film.
#3 “The Legend of Robin Hood” (1938)
As eluted to earlier, Robin Hood made an icon out of his signature Lincoln Green attire … and no other movie showed off that green as brightly and as memorably as the original 1938 classic. Predating “The Wizard of Oz” by a year, this was one of the very first movies to be shot in Technicolor.
As such, the colorful imagery leaps off the screen. Between
both the costumes and the forest setting, this film is simply lush with green
iconography.
#2 “The Quiet Man” (1952)
It was praised as one of the biggest hit Romance movies from the 50’s, and to this day is arguably the most famous movie to be set in Ireland … in fact, it has the distinction of being the first American Picture to be filmed in the lush green landscapes of Ireland. However, the color can’t be contained to the landscape, as it’s also prominently featured in the interior design, costume designs, and even the train station is a special tint of green.
It goes without saying that the film is gorgeous to look at, with all
the beautiful locations and green landscape of Ireland on full display. Cinematographers
Winton C. Hoch and Archie Stout had an eye for details, and their work on the
film won them the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
Before I
reveal my number one favorite, here are some quick Honorable Mentions …
“Cover Girl”
“Flubber”
“Leprechaun”
“Luck of
the Irish”
“Green
Lantern”
#1 “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) and “Wicked” (2024)
When I think of a movie that perfectly utilizes the color Green, “The Wizard of Oz” has always been the first one to pop in my mind. From the Green skinned Wicked Witch of the West … to the Green Wizard … and of course Emerald City itself … which is just wall to wall Geen, with inhabitance that only dress in Green.
It’s the most visually striking presentation of Green I can think of in a film, and it always felt like a fitting Saint Patrick’s Day movie as a result. Not to be overlooked is the 2024 musical spin-off “Wicked”, which put our Green skinned Witch in the lead role, introduced a tremendous Green Train, and delivered a show-stopping musical number “One Short Day in the Emerald City” … which was simply exploding with green décor, costumes and imagery.
Simply put, when it comes to my favorite movies to utilize the color Green … both “The Wizard of Oz” and “Wicked” are my two personal favorites to visually get me in the mood to celebrate the All-Green holiday.
Thanks for
reading my countdown … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!
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