Drive (2011)

Drive (2011) uses its lighting throughout the entirety of the film to portray its protagonist's emotions, despite him acting as if he has none at the same time.

Before I begin discussing the lighting, I think it is important to address Ryan Gosling’s performance as the Driver. For two-thirds of the film, he is incredibly stoic and does not express any real emotion on his face, aside from the occasional smirk. He also isn't given a proper name in the film, simply being called "Driver," which highlights a key aspect of his character: a lack of identity outside of his work. Due to this, when referring to his character, I will simply call him Ryan Gosling to avoid confusion. This is important because the primary way of showing his emotion isn't through the actor's performance; it is through the lighting around him. This visual motif works to great effect, establishing Ryan Gosling's character while making him feel like a true protagonist whose surrounding world conforms to him.

The first example of this comes during the opening chase scene, where the Driver is operating as a getaway driver. As he drives, the lighting takes on two key colours: blue and orange. This is used to show the double life the Driver is living—one half as a normal stunt actor, and the other half as a sketchy getaway driver for hire. The artificial neon orange can be associated with crime due to its resemblance to common prison wear. Meanwhile, the blue could be seen as a hint to the Driver's calm and detached nature in the first half of the film, setting up the movie's main conflict from both a storytelling and emotional standpoint.

The next example is shown through the warm, golden-yellow lighting used within all the early scenes between Ryan Gosling, Irene, and Benicio. This is done as a way of showing how Ryan Gosling's character is experiencing genuine warmth and a feeling of love for the first time by meeting them.

The best scene to demonstrate the mixing of these two halves is the elevator scene. After he brutally kills a man in self-defence to protect Irene, the elevator is bathed in a gold and orange light, representing the wealthy criminal underworld Ryan Gosling has become involved in. As the elevator doors open, Irene steps out, terrified, into a dead, dimly lit car park. This symbolises her stepping out of his life, scared of the other side of him. As the doors close behind her, leaving him trapped in the gold and orange elevator, it suggests he is completely committed to seeking vengeance on the mob.

There are multiple times within the film where, as Ryan Gosling begins to erupt with rage or lash out, we see him driving in the dark, illuminated only by a red light in his cab and on the neon road signs. Red lighting is used to show this inner rage, preparing the audience for the upcoming scenes where we see him taking action.

Another example of the lighting is found within the shadows, where we can see a clear contrast in how Irene and Ryan Gosling are presented through varying shadow levels. Irene is, for the most part, entirely shown in the light with no half-shadows, presenting her as a pure, innocent, and morally clean person. On the other end of the spectrum, Ryan Gosling is very often shown with half or more of his face in the shadows. This makes him look sketchy and shows that, despite not being a villain, he is a morally complex character who helps with robberies as a getaway driver. Later in the film, as the lighting covers more of his face, he goes on a vengeful killing spree to avenge Irene's husband. Despite having a clear motive that we in the audience empathise with, the shadows show that his actions are still not just, and he is becoming as bad as the other criminals. This point is backed by the presentation of the mob; in the diner scene, the blinds are shut, showing their faces in eerily dark lighting to immediately establish them as morally corrupt individuals.

Another scene that shows the contrast between the two leads is the party scene, which highlights how different their lives are. Irene's life is shown in a crowded apartment with dozens of guests and bright lights around her. Meanwhile, Ryan Gosling sits in his abysmal apartment completely alone, working at his desk with nothing but a single desk light keeping the room lit.

The final scene I'd like to cover occurs after the final fight, where Ryan Gosling sits in his car alone as we wonder if he has died. A beautiful, orange sunlight falls over the scene. This shows us the exact thought going through his head in this moment. Up to this point in the film, orange has been associated with Irene. This proves that in the moment he lays potentially about to die, all he is thinking about is that she is safe.

Overall, Drive (2011) successfully uses visual motifs in lighting colour and shadow proportions to turn a blank character with no expressions into a complex and compelling protagonist, this is owed to the way Ryan goslings bland emotionless performance perfectly complements the lighting and other cinematography in the film used as a medium to show his thoughts and feelings.