While the colours red and blue are associated with high and low entropy in science, Nolan uses them thematically to represent attitudes of faith and despair, which he depicts as the two psychological orientations that individuals can develop towards the inevitability of their annihilation....
This reading provides an explanation for why Kat is associated with the colour blue when we first meet her. It suggests the protagonist may also be associated with the colour during the middle section of the film... and it may be deliberate that after their defeat mid-film, Nolan requires the protagonists to move backwards in time to "undo" their original mistakes. Just as the climax in Inception is the allegorical inverse of the opening heist, so is the end-battle in Tenet the thematic inverse of the mid-film heist: faith replacing despair and success consequently replacing failure.
One of the implications of this reading is that Neil -- identified by the red tag on his backpack -- is on Team Red through the entire film. It also explains the ending. A narrative reading makes it incredulous that Kat would imperil the mission with her proactive murder of Sator at the film's climax. But once we read the film thematically this scene makes more sense: when Kat reveals her own red badge (the scar) she is making a declaration of faith that aligns her with team red (one that requires her to transcend her own fear of death). Her action is a necessary part of the film's thematic arc.
Love to have criticism or comments or thoughts supporting or not! If you're interested in gaming, feel welcome to visit the Saito Arcade and hang out with those of us there too. Nolan's films are a not-infrequent topic of discussion.
Last edited by Nomis on October 15th, 2020, 9:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason:use spoiler tags
While the colours red and blue are associated with high and low entropy in science, Nolan uses them thematically to represent attitudes of faith and despair, which he depicts as the two psychological orientations that individuals can develop towards the inevitability of their annihilation....
This reading provides an explanation for why Kat is associated with the colour blue when we first meet her. It suggests the protagonist may also be associated with the colour during the middle section of the film... and it may be deliberate that after their defeat mid-film, Nolan requires the protagonists to move backwards in time to "undo" their original mistakes. Just as the climax in Inception is the allegorical inverse of the opening heist, so is the end-battle in Tenet the thematic inverse of the mid-film heist: faith replacing despair and success consequently replacing failure.
One of the implications of this reading is that Neil -- identified by the red tag on his backpack -- is on Team Red through the entire film. It also explains the ending. A narrative reading makes it incredulous that Kat would imperil the mission with her proactive murder of Sator at the film's climax. But once we read the film thematically this scene makes more sense: when Kat reveals her own red badge (the scar) she is making a declaration of faith that aligns her with team red (one that requires her to transcend her own fear of death). Her action is a necessary part of the film's thematic arc.
Love to have criticism or comments or thoughts supporting or not! If you're interested in gaming, feel welcome to visit the Saito Arcade and hang out with those of us there too. Nolan's films are a not-infrequent topic of discussion.
