Solaris: Comparing Lem And The 1972 Film

In both the novel, Solaris by Stanislaw Lem, and the 1972 film of the same name, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, colour is used as a tool to convey the mood and meaning in the story being told, as well as giving us insight into the relationships of characters, particularly between the protagonist, Kris Kelvin and his deceased wife’s replicas.

In the novel, there is an emphasis on two colours, red and blue. By focusing on only two colors, it emphasizes that there is divide between these two, and therefore, there will be an emotional switch at some point. When we are first introduced to Rheya, she has “scarlet rays” (Lem, 53) over her, symbolizing that there is desire and passion towards this woman. As she begins to further interact with Kris,

This theme of red continues as Kris shuttles the imitation of his wife into space, he sees “nothing but black, red and gold spirals” (Lem, 65) this color combination shifts the red from passion, to passionate anger and violence, especially with the addition of the color gold, invoking feelings of caution and danger. As well, black is often used to represent finality, which is fitting, as Kris believes he has rid himself of his wife. Rheya’s reappearance is marked by the scene being “blanketed by the purple darkness”. (Lem, 87) It is significant that purple is the color that fills the room, because it is a mix of both red and blue, and in this scene Kris feeling a mix of fear and trust that the replica will reappear. When Kris has become attached to Rheya later in the novel, it is described as, “The red dawn blazing through the window divided the room in two. We were in an area of blue

When we are introduced to Kris’s wife in the film, Hari, she is illuminated by a red light in the background, illustrating that there are feelings of desire focused on her. In contrast, Kris is laying down on a light blue sheet, showing that he is tranquil as he watches her, believing he is in a dream. As he realizes that he is indeed awake, the colour surrounding him transitions to a white background, which summons thoughts of labs and clinics. This symbolically shows his transition from tranquility, to a clinical understanding that something is not right with the woman who appears to be his dead wife. As he lures her to be plummeted into space, bright yellow is present in every shot of the scene. Yellow suggests hazard and danger, which is what Kris feels toward Hari’s replica at this point. As Hari reappears in his room, she is shrouded in a faded yellow light, that looks unnatural. This reinforces the idea that the scene is showing, that Hari is inhuman. This theme of unnaturalness is reiterated as Hari’s wounded hand heals in an inhumanly fast amount of time, and the unnatural color is seen again, worn by Hari in this scene as well. Furthermore, as Kris shows the alien Hari a film from Earth with the original Hari; green is seen many times, in the trees, the bushes and the grass. The naturalness of this film contrasts with how unnatural the replica is.