Speed Racer Inspirations

This isn't a movie review.

Though I did love the film for its fast action and its heartfelt story. The film also proved highly original in its directing and look, and yet remained true to its anime roots in a cartoon I barely remember. Emile Hirsch was also adorable as Speed (below left), Matthew Fox was masculine and in-control as Racer X (below center), and Rain, an Asian superstar in his American film debut, was vulnerably and hunky as a racing teammate (below right).


This is about the retro-future look of the film, painted in strong, primary colors to help communicate points in the story. (Speed Racer always wears white.) Check out the scene below for the retro part.


Susan Sarandon's green and yellow dress and John Goodman's red polo shirt could be out of a sixties sitcom. The colors contrast with the brown divider cut-outs, blue walls, and tan stone of their ranch-style home. The composition screams family-friendly suburbia.

And the pic below is the future:

With neon, smoothly curved cars, and racetracks with strong lines adding speed and movement to an already-fast sequence.

The art direction is giving me all kinds of set ideas for my play Consent such as how to use certain shapes and colors to distinguish between this life and the afterlife, or how to divide good from evil. I don't want to get too specific with any ideas, since the final is all up to my yet unchosen set designer and costumer.

At least now, when they ask me, what you had in mind, I won't give my standard answer "Whatever you want."

Instead, I'll say "Speed Race, the movie."